// startup autopsy
EmSense
Reading brains to sell ads — a market not ready to listen.
marketfitSlow Death
Years-long decline before final shutdown · Fatal mistake: EmSense bet on neuromarketing adoption before the industry had budget or trust in biometric ad measurement.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
EmSense founded in San Francisco to commercialize EEG-based neuromarketing research.
PRODUCT LAUNCH
Launched commercial EEG headset platform for measuring consumer brainwave responses to media content.
FUNDING
Secured final funding round of $13M total; investor appetite for neuromarketing hardware waned sharply afterward.
SHUTDOWN
EmSense ceased operations after failing to achieve commercial scale in the nascent neuromarketing sector.
MEDIA_MENTION
# Emsense Technologies. ## Emsense Technologies Overview. ### Emsense Technologies General Information. Developer of a contactless health monitoring system intended to prevent accidents due to loss of control through real-time data to emergency services.. The company offers safety measures monitorin