Flow Neuroscience, a Europe based tDCS manufacturer, has acquired Halo Neuroscience, a US-based tDCS manufacturer. tDCS.com provides some insights between the lines:
Flow Neuroscience has focused on the depression market with a home-based head-gear and an app. Meanwhile, Halo Neuroscience has focused squarely on the consumer market. So why this merger? According to Flow Neuroscience CEO / co-founder Daniel Mansson “Halo’s technology and academic research complement that of Flows’ in an almost magical way and will help us to take a very important next step on this journey together with our community of users.”
This can mean several things. One Flow Neuroscience is looking at consumer and wellness applications and plans on using Halo to get into this market. Right now, the Halo store is not selling any items (leaving folks to look for generic alternatives like ActivaDose ). So, an early sign if this is the case is that the Halo store will re-open.
Another option is that Flow Neuroscience wants to stay in the medical area and is looking to use the Halo platform (which we at tDCS.com consider among the most innovative and user friendly in the consumer space). But while the Flow Neuroscience device is designed to provide tDCS using a frontal montage (to activate parts of the brain that control mood) the Halo Neuroscience device is a motor montage (to activate parts of the brain involved in movement) – see our tDCS.com montage guide. Perhaps Flow Neuroscience is looking for new clinical indications that target the motor area such as pain control or rehabilitation.
Whatever Flow Neuroscience plans this will certainly be a space to watch in the next few months especially with established medical companies like Soterix Medical pushing ahead into the depression market and increasing competition in the consumer space.