Sychedelic, a consumer neurotechnology company building brain wearables, announced the successful close of a $3.5 million seed funding round led by Cultadvisors LLP, TurboStart, and IdeaBaaz (Kuberan Ventures), to launch the first-of-its-kind closed-loop neurostimulation headphones designed to help individuals shift from stress to calm, focus, or sleep in as little as 20 minutes.
"The future of neurotech is the integration into daily wearables that aren't only used for 20 minutes, but utilized throughout the day," states Ria Rustagi, co-founder and CEO of Sychedelic. "We wanted to create something people genuinely want to wear every day — headphones that look beautiful, feel natural, play music, and can also help you relax, focus, or fall asleep without depending on caffeine, supplements, or sleep medication, says a press release.
More than a business idea, Rustagi's motivation for building Sychedelic is deeply personal. She developed PTSD after her sister died from a misdiagnosed brain infection and later suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of her first child. Those experiences reinforced for Rustagi the need for accessible, everyday tools that support emotional regulation, stress recovery, and mental health.
3-in-1 Headphones
Unlike traditional brain wearables that often resemble medical devices or laboratory equipment, Sychedelic was intentionally designed as a premium lifestyle product that users can comfortably wear anywhere they already use headphones. The company describes the product as a "3-in-1 cognitive wearable," combining the functionality of music headphones, a smart wellness tracker, and neurostimulation in a single device.
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The headphones combine tDCS neurostimulation, binaural audio technology, and live HRV biofeedback to help users regulate cognitive and emotional states in real time. Rather than relying on stimulants like caffeine for focus or medication for sleep support, Sychedelic uses adaptive neurotechnology designed to help users naturally shift how they feel based on the moment – whether that means becoming calmer, more energized, mentally clear, or ready for sleep.
The launch reflects a larger shift happening across the wellness and wearable technology industries. According to the Global Wellness Institute, adaptive wellness technologies are becoming one of the fastest-growing sectors within consumer health innovation.
"At a time when the world is confronting increasing mental health struggles and overwhelmed healthcare systems, Sychedelic is pioneering a category where wearable intelligence becomes the first line of defense for humanity itself," says Mudit Kumar, COO at Kuberan Ventures/Ideabaaz." Sychedelic represents a new generation of Indian deeptech - where science, AI and human empathy converge to redefine preventive healthcare at a global scale."
Sychedelic believes the next generation of wellness products will feel less like healthcare devices and more like seamlessly integrated lifestyle technology.
Key Features and Consumer Benefits
Giuseppina Pilloni, PhD, and Assistant Professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, affirms Sychedelic's approach and the power of Neurotechnology to help individuals optimize their overall health. "Sychedelic is approaching mental wellness through a compelling combination of wearable technology, behavioral science, and personalized insights that has the potential to meaningfully transform how individuals understand and optimize their overall well-being."
Ganesh Raju, the Co-founder of TurboStart, who led the funding round, expresses his excitement for the technology. "We're excited to back Sychedelic as they build at the intersection of wellness, consumer health, and technology, and we look forward to supporting them through the next phase of growth."
The company says the funding raised will support continued product development, manufacturing scale-up, global expansion, and additional investment into AI-enabled adaptive wellness systems and personalized cognitive experiences.
About Sychedelic
Sychedelic is a neurotechnology company building closed-loop neuromodulation systems designed to help individuals relax, sleep, and focus better. The company's wearable platform combines tDCS neurostimulation, binaural beats, and live HRV biofeedback to create consumer-friendly mental performance technology focused on emotional regulation, focus optimization, sleep support, and sustainable cognitive wellness.
Sychedelic was co-founded by husband-and-wife team Ria Rustagi, CEO, and Bhavya Madan, CTO, of New Delhi, India.
