Nathan A. Smith Named Chief Financial Officer of Blackrock Neurotech

Financial Executive Adds Expertise in Strategic Capital Deployment and Investor Relations to Leadership Team of Pioneering Neurotechnology Company

SALT LAKE CITY, July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackrock Neurotech, a global leader in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, today announced that Nathan A. Smith has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. Smith comes to the company with more than 19 years of financial executive experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical sector.

Blackrock's implantable BCIs are currently being used in research trials around the world to restore function in people with paralysis and neurological disorders. These implants, the longest of which is still active after seven years, have been shown to restore mobility, communication, and touch. Now, the company is aiming to make its technology commercially available to paralyzed patients.

"Nathan will play a pivotal role in strategically deploying capital to support technological innovation and product commercialization," said Marcus Gerhardt, co-founder and CEO of Blackrock Neurotech. "His experience in key finance roles at public companies will be an invaluable addition to the team and an integral part of our path to a commercial launch. Nathan embraces Blackrock's culture of collaboration and creativity, and we are excited for him to help drive our innovation forward."

As CFO, Smith will lead Blackrock's finance organization, including infrastructure management, capital deployment, and investor relations. Prior to joining Blackrock, Smith spent 14 years at Myriad Genetics, where he played a crucial role in growing its finance, investor relations and treasury departments and was responsible for the divestiture of three unique business units, resulting in over $375 million in proceeds.

"Blackrock's mission of helping people move, hear, and see again is very consistent with my value set, which is service and helping solve difficult problems with science and technology," said Smith. "The work Blackrock is doing will truly change the world, and in order to fuel that innovation, capital must be properly directed. It is extremely exciting to apply my experience within an organization that will have a life-changing effect on millions around the world."

Blackrock plans to submit MoveAgain, its first commercial BCI device, to the FDA in 2022.

Blackrock Neurotech, formerly known as Blackrock Microsystems, is dedicated to the clinical translation of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. Blackrock, founded in 2008, is the world's leading platform company for BCI technology and the development of implantable solutions that improve human lives. Blackrock's precision electrode technology is at the core of many worldwide innovations in BCI, enabling dozens of early users (known as "BCI Pioneers") to SeeAgain, HearAgain, MoveAgain, TalkAgain and more. For more information, visit www.blackrockneurotech.com.

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SOURCE Blackrock Neurotech