Musk’s Neuralink Claimed 'Disadvantaged' Status With SBA Following $650M Funding Round

Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, identified itself as a “small disadvantaged business” in an April filing with the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to Benzinga. The filing came just weeks before the company raised $650 million at a valuation of $9 billion. Investors included ARK Invest, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital, and Thrive Capital. The designation is typically reserved for businesses owned by individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged. It can offer access to preferential federal contracts. The move comes following Musk’s role at the time, when he led the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, where he targeted DEI-related programs.