Raphael Certain is the founder and CEO of Clarity, a Franco-American neurotechnology company building a wearable virtual-reality headset that delivers personalized light and sound stimulation at gamma frequencies to support the aging brain. A self-taught entrepreneur who pivoted from marine biology to neurophysiology, he turned a master's thesis at the Neurodegenerative Diseases Institute in Bordeaux into a venture-backed company. By 24 he had raised more than $1.3 million, assembled an international team of 20-plus people across Paris and San Francisco, and built partnerships with leading universities in the US and UK.
Oryon Cell Therapies is a Belmont, Massachusetts clinical-stage biotechnology company developing autologous neuron replacement medicines for Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Spun out of research at the Neuroregeneration Research Institute at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Oryon converts a patient's own blood cells into induced pluripotent stem cells, then differentiates them into dopamine-producing A9 neurons that are implanted into the brain to restore lost dopaminergic function - without immune suppression. The company emerged from stealth in March 2026 with a $21M Series A tranche ($42M total in equity and grants) and early Phase 1b/2a data showing motor improvements and neuroimaging evidence of restored dopamine signaling.