# Neuron Industries

> Neuron Industries is an industrial hardware technology company based in
> El Segundo, California, founded in 2026 by Dennis Ren (co-founder & CEO) and
> Kenneth Rhee (co-founder & CTO). It is part of Y Combinator's Summer 2026
> batch. The company builds the Cortex AIC, an AI-native industrial controller
> that works in place of the PLC, plus the software that runs on it: the
> Synapse IDE and Hippocampus, the on-device historian.

Key facts:

- The Cortex AIC replaces the PLC, the HMI package, the historian, and the
  vendor IDE in one device, with zero software or runtime licenses.
- Availability: Cortex Mini coming Q1 2027; Cortex coming Q2 2027 (estimated).
- Apply for a pilot with a short intake form at no cost, or pre-order
  with a $50 deposit per controller applied toward the hardware price.
- Pricing: Cortex Mini $2,950; Cortex $6,450. One-time hardware prices.
- Programming: describe machine behavior in plain English; Neuron's AI agent
  produces deterministic, real-time Python validated by behavior simulation
  and unit tests before deploy.
- Protocols: EtherCAT, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, serial (CAN, RS485/RS422/RS232),
  plus MQTT, OPC UA, REST, ROS 2 topics, Zenoh, and gRPC for data.
- The whole stack runs air-gapped; cloud connectivity is optional.
- Contact: hello@neuronindustries.com

## Pages

- [Homepage](https://neuronindustries.com/): product overview, Synapse IDE
  features, controller lineup, full specifications, pricing, and FAQ
- [Dennis Ren, co-founder & CEO](https://neuronindustries.com/founders/dennis-ren):
  founder profile and background
- [Kenneth Rhee, co-founder & CTO](https://neuronindustries.com/founders/kenneth-rhee):
  founder profile and background
- [Case study: CureWood S5 retrofit](https://neuronindustries.com/case-studies/curewood-s5-retrofit):
  replacing a 1991 controller on a production finger-jointing line in one
  8-hour cutover
- [Careers](https://jobs.gem.com/neuron): open roles

- [Press](https://neuronindustries.com/press): essays, case studies, interviews, and press coverage
- [Esotericism Is Dead](https://neuronindustries.com/blog/esotericism-is-dead): Dennis Ren on engineering expertise and agent-driven software

- [Neuron Industries public launch](https://neuronindustries.com/press/neuron-industries-launch): Original company press release, August 24, 2026.

- [Neuron Industries raises $10 million seed round](https://neuronindustries.com/press/neuron-industries-seed-round): Company press release on its oversubscribed seed financing, October 29, 2026.