Neuroscience company Matter.xyz explores emotional health with neuroscience and AI

Matter.xyz – Gandi customer – (United States)

TL;DR:

• ​Matter.xyz is the online home of Matter Neuroscience, a company combining molecular neuroscience, brain imaging, and guided emotional training to help people improve their emotional well-being.

Matter.xyz Overview

• What: Matter Neuroscience describes itself as a company that combines molecular neuroscience, brain imaging, and guided emotional training.
• Why: According to the company, its work responds to what it describes as a growing mental health crisis, citing global data on the prevalence of major depressive disorder. Matter says it is working to identify a biological marker for happiness that could help guide people toward greater well-being.
• When: Matter Neuroscience was founded in 2019.
• Where: The company lists locations in Boulder, Colorado, and New York City.
• How: Matter’s iOS app uses an AI feature called “M” alongside neuroscience-based tools designed to help people track and strengthen their emotional fitness.

The Party Line

• ​The Party Line, an ongoing series of social experiments Matter began in early 2026, connects vintage payphones reprogrammed to call only each other. The first pairing linked San Francisco (“Call a Republican”) with Abilene, Texas (“Call a Democrat”), with the two cities selected based on 2024 presidential election data.
• The launch drew coverage from Texas Monthly, Axios, and ABC7 San Francisco. Texas Monthly reported approximately 350 conversations.
• Matter has since installed two additional pairings: Boston University students with residents of a senior living community in Reno, Nevada, and the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles with Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California, to explore socioeconomic differences.
• In a July 20, 2026 profile, Upworthy quoted Matter co-founder Ben Goldhirsh on the idea that finding common ground can activate positive emotions and associated brain chemicals. Ben Goldhirsh previously held leadership roles at Upworthy and co-founded GOOD, its sister media brand under GOOD Worldwide.

How it Works

• ​Matter’s iOS app centers on six neurotransmitters it links to positive emotion (dopamine, testosterone, serotonin, oxytocin, cannabinoids, and opioids).
• An AI feature called “M” is designed to act as what the company calls a “partner in happiness,” helping people understand their brains and track emotional patterns.
• Users log positive “memories” and reflect on their emotional state, with the app connecting those entries to information about emotions and neurotransmitters and providing personalized guidance over time.
• A community feature called Joyalties helps members recognize each other’s role in their emotional well-being.
• The Matter app is available on the Apple App Store.

Venture Funding

• Matter Neuroscience emerged from stealth in February 2024 with $26M in total funding.
  • An initial seed round led by Polaris Partners, followed by a round co-led by ARCH Venture Partners, Polaris Partners, and Exor Ventures, with participation from Collaborative Fund and others.

Matter.xyz Leadership

• ​Axel Bouchon: Co-founder and CEO; a biochemist and neuroscientist who previously led venture arms at Moderna and Bayer and serves as a venture partner at ARCH Venture Partners.
• ​Bridget Best: Chief Operating Officer; previously served as COO of home renovation platform Sweeten and spent more than five years as SVP of Operations at Kickstarter.
• ​Ben Goldhirsh: Co-founder and Chairman; also serves as the company’s Head of Product. He is also known for co-founding GOOD Worldwide and leading the Goldhirsh Foundation.
• ​Chris Shiflett: Co-founder, joining in 2021; also known for founding Faculty and co-founding the Brooklyn Beta conference.
• ​Daniela Schiller: Advisory board member; a neuroscientist in the Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, one of Matter’s research partner institutions.

Connect with Matter.xyz

• Website: https://matter.xyz
• Instagram: @matterneuroscience
• TikTok: @matterneuroscience
• YouTube: @MatterNeuroscience
• LinkedIn: @matterxyz

Why .xyz is a Great Choice for Matter.xyz

• ​Matter.xyz is a short and memorable domain name that is easy to type and share.
• The availability of .xyz helped Matter to pair its one-word brand name with a concise domain.
• The .xyz domain is used by companies and projects across science, technology, and wellness, connecting Matter.xyz with a broader range of ventures in the #XYZCommunity.

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