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Press Release

Emotiv Emerges from Stealth to Revolutionize Human Computer Interaction

Company will bring to market technology that allows users to control computers with their thoughts and emotions

San Francisco, CA – March 7, 2007


Emotiv Systems, the pioneer in brain computer interface technology, made its public debut today. Emotiv Systems was founded by four award-winning scientists and executives: internationally recognized scientist Professor Allan Snyder, chip-design pioneer Neil Weste, and technology entrepreneurs Tan Le and Nam Do. These founders all shared the same vision: to transform the way humans interact with machines.

Emotiv has created the first brain computer interface technology that can detect and process both human conscious thoughts and non-conscious emotions. The technology, which comprises a headset and a suite of applications, allows computers to differentiate between particular thoughts such as lifting an object or rotating it; detect and mimic a user’s expressions, such as a smile or wink; and respond to emotions such as excitement or calmness.

“The next major wave of technology innovation will change the way humans interact with computers,” said Nam Do, co-founder and CEO of Emotiv Systems. “As the massive adoption of concepts such as social networking and virtual worlds has proven, we are incorporating computer-based activities not only into the way we work, learn, and communicate but also into the way we relax, socialize and entertain ourselves. The next step is to enhance these experiences by making the way we interact with computers more ‘lifelike’. That’s where Emotiv’s highly disruptive technology comes in."

Emotiv will initially target the electronic games industry (see related press release announcing the launch of the Emotiv Development Kit for game developers). Its solutions will enable games to respond to the players’ emotions and allow players to manipulate objects in the game using the power of their thoughts. This will dramatically change the gaming experience by making it more immersive, intuitive and personal. In the future, Emotiv’s technology has the potential to be applied to numerous industries, including interactive television, accessibility design, market research, medicine, and security.

“Computer games have evolved dramatically, but the way players interface with a game has remained more or less constant. Innovations in this field have been extremely successful but few and far between,” said Ed Fries, board director of Emotiv. “Brain computer interface technology presents an opportunity to revolutionize the gaming experience. Emotiv’s work signifies a real breakthrough in the space and, for the first time, makes it possible to use human thoughts and emotions to influence and enhance the gaming experience.”

Emotiv has raised $6.3 million in funding to date. Its investors include Technology Venture Partners (TVP), Epicure Capital Partners and the Australian Federal Government.

Founders
Emotiv’s founding team includes Allan Snyder FRS (co-founder), an internationally-recognized scientist, inventor of the theory behind optical fibre and a winner of numerous awards, medals and fellowships, including the 2001 Marconi International Prize; Neil Weste (co-founder), a pioneer in chip design and founder of Radiata Communications which was acquired by Cisco Systems in 2001 for approximately A$500 million; and Tan Le (co-founder and president) and Nam Do (co-founder and CEO), both award-winning technology entrepreneurs and former founders of SASme, one of the companies responsible for the creation of Australia’s and South East Asia’s SMS application market.

Executive team
Emotiv’s executive team also includes Randy Breen (chief product officer), former VP and head of development at LucasArts and executive at Electronic Arts where he was responsible for the hugely successful Road Rash™ games franchise; and Steve Sapiro (VP of engineering), formerly of Intel, chief scientist of Tektronix and CAE Systems.

Board of directors
Emotiv’s board comprises Tan Le and Nam Do, as well as Ed Fries, formerly of Microsoft where he was a founding developer of Excel and Word and then the creator of Microsoft Game Studios and a co-founder of the X-box project; and John Murray, cofounder of TVP.

About Emotiv Systems
Emotiv Systems is a pioneer in brain computer interface technology. Its focus is on leveraging neuro-technology to create the ultimate interface for the next-generation of man-machine interaction. It does this by evolving the interaction between human beings and electronic devices beyond the limits of conscious interface. Emotiv creates technologies that allow machines to take both conscious and non-conscious inputs directly from your brain. These technologies include a hardware and software platform that can be licensed to commercial software developers and other third parties, as well as a suite of products for consumer applications.

Today, Emotiv is developing solutions specifically for the electronic games industry. In the future, Emotiv’s technology has the potential to be applied to numerous industries, including interactive television, accessibility design, market research, medicine, and security.

Founded by four award-winning scientists and technology entrepreneurs, Emotiv is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, and has offices in Sydney, Australia. Investors include Technology Venture Partners, Epicure Capital Partners and the Australian Federal Government.

More information is available at www.emotiv.com.

Contacts: LEWIS PR for Emotiv
+ 415 992 4400
emotiv@lewispr.com

 

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