An investigation by journalist Pablo Torre has raised concerns that brainwave data from elite athletes who use the FocusCalm neurofeedback headset may have been targeted by actors linked to China. In a recent episode of his podcast, Torre explored claims that the parent company, BrainCo, has ties to Chinese state funding and that sensitive neurodata could be of interest for education and military research. The programme cited top performers, including tennis star Jannik Sinner, as users of the technology.
FocusCalm, which was incubated at Harvard’s Innovation Lab, markets the headset as a tool to train focus and calm through biofeedback. The company says its apps process EEG signals locally on the user’s device, delete them after each session, and that it does not work with any military organisation. BrainCo has previously denied sharing data with the Chinese government.
Italian reports also referenced comments from Riccardo Ceccarelli of Formula Medicine, which has collaborated with Sinner, noting that interest in athletes’ brain data could extend beyond tennis. These assertions have not been independently verified.
The allegations come amid wider debate about neurodata security and athlete privacy. Neither BrainCo nor FocusCalm has been accused of wrongdoing by authorities, and there is no public evidence that a successful hack of FocusCalm’s servers occurred. The claims remain under scrutiny.
