NUS Computing Student Co-Founds Neural Drive, Now Building in San Francisco After US$250,000 Raise
Raymond Ng, an incoming Computer Science student at NUS School of Computing, is a co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Neural Drive, a startup that has raised US$250,000 in pre-seed funding from Afore Capital, a San Francisco venture capital firm.
Neural Drive builds a wearable device that reads brainwaves and eye movement, allowing patients who cannot speak or move to communicate simple messages such as “food” or “help”. The device uses electrodes placed above one eye and behind each ear, and calibrates in under 10 seconds.
The company was founded by two co-founders – Mohammed Khambhati Huzefa and Raymond – who met through Singapore’s hackathon circuit, including Hackomania, MyFullHacks, NTU’s iNTUition and NUS’ Hack&Roll.
“After repeatedly competing against – and sometimes losing to – one another, we became familiar faces and eventually decided that we would be stronger building together,” Raymond said.
During one home trial, Neural Drive was tested with the uncle of a fellow NUS student, who had suffered a stroke while working in Myanmar and lost much of his ability to speak clearly. Raymond said the family described a sense of relief once he grew comfortable with the device, as it reduced the guesswork involved in understanding his needs.
“It is about restoring dignity and giving people a way to connect with those they love,” he said.
As part of the Afore Capital investment, Raymond and Khambhati are spending a year in San Francisco through Afore’s Founders in Residence programme. Raymond has matriculated into NUS Computing’s Computer Science programme and is on an approved leave of absence ahead of starting classes in August 2026.
Before Neural Drive, Raymond co-founded Resumify, an AI platform that helps former offenders and people with disabilities write resumes that pass automated screening systems. Developed during his Diploma in Applied AI and Analytics at Singapore Polytechnic, Resumify has partnered with Yellow Ribbon Singapore and reached close to 100 former convicts.
On the move to San Francisco, Raymond said: “Personally, it is a major leap. I am moving halfway across the world, away from my family and almost everything familiar, to begin a completely new chapter of my life. Professionally, I see San Francisco as one of the most valuable education an entrepreneur can receive.”
His advice to NUS Computing students with an idea they’re unsure about pursuing:
“Talk to users, understand the problem deeply and work backwards towards a solution. Do not reject your own idea prematurely – go out, test it and let the evidence tell you what it could become.”
Raymond said he hopes to stay connected to NUS Computing while in San Francisco, including through BLOCK71 San Francisco‘s community of Singaporean founders, and by helping connect NUS students with the city’s startup ecosystem.
