Cortical Labs Unveils CL1: The World's First Commercial Biological Computer

Australian startup Cortical Labs introduced the CL1 at the Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona, billing it as the first commercial biological computer. The CL1 features human neurons grown on a silicon chip, enabling direct interaction through electrical signals. Cortical Labs aims to leverage the energy efficiency and learning capabilities of neurons to create a new generation of intelligent computing devices. Human stem cells are cultivated in a lab and placed on a silicon chip equipped with electrodes. The neurons form interconnected networks that evolve and adapt, similar to the human brain. This combination of human brain cells and electronic circuits allows for adaptive learning, making it suitable for artificial intelligence applications, particularly in medicine. Priced at $35,000, this technology targets researchers and professionals in medicine, robotics, and AI. While the concept of integrating human cells with computer systems isn't new, with past experiments connecting human brain cells to circuit boards, Cortical Labs' CL1 marks a significant step toward developing hybrid computing tools that incorporate lab-grown human cells.