Overview

• The investigation says a Chinese government employee obtained software data from FocusCalm devices that included neural information from prominent sports figures.
• Athletes cited in the reporting include Charles Leclerc, Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek, Mikaela Shiffrin, unnamed Manchester City players, and members of U.S. and Italian Olympic teams.
• FocusCalm headsets are used in elite training to track brain states such as calm, stress, and flow to support performance work.
• Experts quoted in the coverage note potential military dual-use of such neural datasets, with references to ongoing 'supersoldier' research in China and other countries.
• The report further alleges BrainCo has long-standing backing from organizations linked to China’s ruling party, has shifted its focus to China, and is reportedly preparing a roughly $1.3 billion IPO there.