Somnee, a sleep technology startup co-founded by UC Berkeley neuroscientists and sleep expert Dr. Matt Walker, has raised $10 million in a seed extension round. The round was led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from TIME Ventures (Marc Benioff), LEAD VC (from the Adidas family), Seaside Ventures, Nelstone Ventures, Metalab, and the DeVos family—owners of the NBA's Orlando Magic.
The funding will help Somnee bring its second-generation smart sleep headband and AI-powered SmartSleep operating system to market. The system has already been piloted with NBA teams and features real-time brain monitoring and personalized interventions.
Somnee is entering a growing and competitive sleep aid market—projected to hit $91.4 billion—where one in three adults report sleep-related issues. Instead of offering tracking or pharmaceutical solutions, the company uses a neurotechnology-based approach to help users fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Their headband combines proprietary EEG+ technology with AI to read brain signals and deliver light electrical stimulation that supports natural sleep rhythms. A published sleep study reported that Somnee users fell asleep twice as fast and stayed asleep over 30 minutes longer compared to baseline.
The new capital will accelerate the production of Somnee’s updated wearable, which introduces SmartSleep AI—an adaptive system that maps the user’s brain, monitors patterns in real time, and responds accordingly throughout the night.
The product is currently in use by performance coaches across the NBA, and the company plans to extend access to broader audiences in wellness, sports, and health. Somnee also aims to expand into strategic partnerships and continue research in human performance and longevity.
Founded in 2022, Somnee is led by CEO Tim Rosa, former Fitbit executive, who joined 18 months ago to oversee hardware upgrades, expansion of operations in India and Berkeley, and partnerships with Equinox Hotels and sports organizations.
The company was built by a team of neuroscientists including Dr. Matthew Walker, author of Why We Sleep and director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Human Sleep Science, and Dr. Robert Knight, a UC Berkeley professor of neuroscience and psychology.
Their collective vision: to create a device that doesn’t just monitor sleep, but actively improves it. “We’re trying to speak to the brain in its own language – using gentle, precisely timed pulses of electricity,” said Walker.
Somnee has received consistent support from deep-pocketed and strategically aligned investors. TIME Ventures’ Marc Benioff, who was a customer before becoming a backer, called it a “tool for better leadership, deeper compassion, and smarter decisions.”
Vinod Khosla, whose firm led both funding rounds, said: “Sleep is the cheapest, most underused longevity drug we have. Few factors impact health more critically. Whereas others attempt to track sleep, Somnee’s uniquely non-invasive and drug-free approach tunes it every night with a headband as effortlessly as brushing your teeth. That’s why we backed them from day zero.”
The headband’s therapeutic approach is supported by 24 patents and clinical studies. Somnee was also selected for the NBA’s 2025 Launchpad, and has earned recognition from GQ, Men’s Journal, Fast Company, and others.
