Bryan Johnson, born August 22, 1977, is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author known for founding Braintree, Kernel, and the OS Fund. He gained significant attention for his anti-aging initiative, Project Blueprint, and his ventures in brain-machine interfaces and early-stage science and technology investments.
Early Entrepreneurial Ventures
Johnson's entrepreneurial journey began with a series of ventures that laid the groundwork for his later successes. One of his earliest businesses was a small lawn mowing service in his neighborhood, which taught him the importance of customer satisfaction and hard work[5]. He later launched three startups between 1999 and 2003, including a cell phone sales business that helped fund his education at Brigham Young University[2]. Johnson also co-founded Inquist, a VoIP company, and participated in a $70 million real estate project, though these ventures did not achieve long-term success[2]. These early experiences honed his business acumen and set the stage for his future achievements.
The Rise of Braintree and Venmo
Braintree, founded by Bryan Johnson in 2007, quickly became a significant player in the online payment processing industry. The company provided a seamless payment gateway for e-commerce businesses, which attracted high-profile clients such as Uber, Airbnb, and GitHub. In 2012, Braintree acquired Venmo, a mobile payment service that allowed users to transfer money to one another with ease. This acquisition expanded Braintree's reach into the peer-to-peer payment market. The success of Braintree and Venmo caught the attention of PayPal, which acquired Braintree for $800 million in 2013, solidifying its position in the digital payment landscape[1][2][4].
Founding Kernel: Advancing Neurotechnology
In 2016, Bryan Johnson founded Kernel with a $54 million investment, aiming to revolutionize brain-machine interfaces and neuroimaging technologies[1]. Kernel's mission is to enhance the understanding and measurement of brain activity through innovative devices like Kernel Flow, a wearable time-domain functional near-infrared spectroscopy (TD-fNIRS) system that measures changes in blood oxygenation as a proxy for neural activity[1][2]. The company has also developed software such as Sound ID, which can identify speech or music from brain data[1]. Kernel's advancements in non-invasive neuroimaging are poised to accelerate treatment discovery and improve patient outcomes in neuromedicine[2].
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