Key facts
- Raymond Loong Ng, 21, has deferred college enrollment to focus on his startup.
- Neural Drive is developing a device to help paralyzed patients communicate via brainwaves and eye blinks.
- The startup received a $250,000 pre-seed investment from Afore Capital.
- Ng and his cofounder participated in a two-month Founders-in-Residence program in San Francisco.
- The device is set to undergo a clinical trial at a local hospital.
Raymond Loong Ng, 21, has put his college plans on hold to co-found Neural Drive, a San Francisco-based startup developing a device to help paralyzed patients communicate through brainwaves and eye blinks. The company secured a $250,000 pre-seed investment from Afore Capital, which led to Ng and his cofounder joining the venture firm's two-month Founders-in-Residence program in San Francisco.
Ng, who moved from Vietnam to Singapore at age 9, has a history of entrepreneurial endeavors, selling items to classmates and starting a community for AI builders. He pursued a diploma in applied AI and analytics, seeing technology as a means to advance in business. He described himself as a "connector" who could identify problems, form visions, attract resources, and mobilize classmates to execute projects.
His journey into entrepreneurship was further shaped by hackathons, which provided real-world market constraints for his theoretical projects. It was at these events that he met his cofounder, with whom he initially competed as rivals before deciding to collaborate. Their winning streak led them to explore hardware solutions as AI tools advanced, culminating in the development of the communication device at a medical technology hackathon in 2025.
Despite initial rejections from U.S. colleges, Ng's persistent outreach to venture capital firms resulted in Afore Capital's investment. The timing required both Ng and his cofounder to defer or request leaves of absence from their studies. Ng found San Francisco's fast-paced environment, characterized by a high density of talent and a strong work ethic, to be an inspiring and suitable place for his ambitions.