In a seed round extension, Somnee preps to launch the second generation of its sleep tech wearable device.WHO: Somnee was launched in 2022 by sleep expert Matt Walker, PhD, and a group of scientists from the University of California, Berkeley. The company designed an artificial-intelligence–powered headband that it claims can help people fall asleep faster and maintain higher-quality sleep for longer. Somnee uses proprietary electroencephalogram (EEG+) and AI technology to map each user’s brain activity and deliver gentle, personalized stimulation that guides the brain into its natural sleep state. The Somnee team spent decades pioneering sleep research, brain health, wearables, and personalized noninvasive neurostimulation applications.WHY: The new funds will support Somnee as it prepares to launch the second-generation of its award-winning SmartSleep headband, featuring its proprietary SmartSleep AI operating system, which enables personalized brain mapping, real-time monitoring, and AI-powered interventions throughout the sleep cycle. The second-generation product is currently in a beta pilot with select NBA teams and their performance training staff.IN THEIR OWN WORDS: “We began building this technology to explore a provocative question: could a sleep aid communicate in the same electrical dialect as the brain itself? That is, an ‘electroceutical,’ not a pharmaceutical,” Walker said in a statement. “We’re trying to speak to the brain in its own language—using gentle, precisely timed pulses of electricity, not unlike how a conductor uses subtle hand movements to guide an orchestra into harmony.