In 2012, Fred Ehrsam and Brian Armstrong founded Coinbase in a two-bedroom apartment, both becoming billionaires. Now, Ehrsam has quietly pivoted to neuroscience, founding brain interface startup Nudge in 2024 and unveiling its first product, the Nudge Zero, on April 8, 2025. The device uses non-invasive ultrasound neuromodulation to modify brain activity.
From Crypto to Neural Interfaces
Nudge’s mission: “Develop the best technology for interfacing with the brain to improve people’s lives.” Ehrsam previously co-founded Paradigm in 2018 with Sequoia veteran Matt Huang, a crypto-focused venture capital firm managing three funds, the latest closing at $850 million in June 2024. He stepped down as managing partner in 2023 but remains a general partner. Neuroscience, however, is now his primary focus.
How Nudge Zero Works
Non-invasive ultrasound neuromodulation emits ultrasound waves that impact cell membranes in the brain without permanent changes. The Nudge Zero will first target acute conditions like epilepsy and pain management, with a future miniaturized version for therapeutic use (e.g., depression) and eventually a headphone-like device to enhance mood, cognition, and daily life for healthy people. Ehrsam stated, “We will first attempt to treat acute medical conditions in the coming months, with the eventual goal of creating a headphone-like miniaturized version.”
Ehrsam’s Vision
Now worth $2.1 billion (Forbes), the 36-year-old entrepreneur said, “We believe improving the human experience is the most important thing to work on. Building technologies to interface with the brain is the most direct way of doing so.” While still affiliated with Paradigm, Ehrsam’s launch of Nudge signals a major shift from digital assets to neurotechnology, potentially heralding a new wave of tech-medical convergence.