For a child with ADHD, the world can feel like a room with a hundred televisions on at once. The clinical goal is not to turn them all off, but to help the child find the remote. A Brooklyn-based startup called MindMuscle, a product of PigPug Health, is building a tool it believes can help therapists do just that. It is a wearable EEG headset paired with adaptive software, designed to deliver structured neurofeedback within a clinical setting. The bet is that by making brainwave training more engaging and measurable, they can give overburdened therapists a new lever for regulation and focus.
The company is early, backed by a convertible note from StartUp Health and with initial data from a study involving more than 40 children [MindMuscle.health, retrieved 2024]. But its focus on the pediatric clinic, rather than the consumer wellness aisle, marks a deliberate turn toward a more regulated, evidence-based path. In a field where digital therapeutics often struggle to prove clinical utility, MindMuscle is starting with the therapist in the room.
A clinical wedge for a crowded field
Neurofeedback is not a new idea. The concept of using real-time displays of brain activity to teach self-regulation has been explored for decades, often for conditions like ADHD, anxiety, and insomnia. The market is fragmented, ranging from consumer meditation headbands to high-end clinical systems used in specialized practices. MindMuscle’s positioning attempts to carve a niche between these poles.
Its system includes a clinical-grade EEG headset that captures brain activity during sessions. The adaptive software analyzes this data and provides immediate visual and auditory feedback to the child, turning the exercise into an interactive game. Crucially, the system is designed to support the clinician’s decision-making with session data, aiming to integrate into existing therapy workflows rather than replace them [MindMuscle.health, retrieved 2024]. This clinician-in-the-loop model is a key part of the company’s regulatory and commercial strategy, framing the tool as an aid for licensed professionals.
The team building a brain training system
The venture is led by PigPug Health CEO Vitali Karpeichyk, with a co-founding team that includes Andrei Pliachko, listed as a brain researcher, and Juan Ricardo Diaz, a neurofeedback expert [pigpug.co/team/, retrieved 2026]. The inclusion of specific research and clinical roles on the founding team suggests an early focus on technical and therapeutic credibility. Ore Segal, another co-founder, is a psychology and neuroscience student, indicating a blend of academic and applied interests [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026]. The structure presents MindMuscle less as a standalone app company and more as a specialized product line within a broader digital health entity.
| Role | Name | Background Note |
|---|---|---|
| CEO & Co-founder | Vitali Karpeichyk | Leads PigPug Health, the parent company [LinkedIn, retrieved 2024]. |
| CAO, Co-Founder | Andrei Pliachko | Listed as a brain researcher [pigpug.co/team/, retrieved 2026]. |
| Co-Founder | Juan Ricardo Diaz | Listed as a neurofeedback expert [pigpug.co/team/, retrieved 2026]. |
| Co-Founder | Ore Segal | Psychology and neuroscience student [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026]. |
Early traction and the path to evidence
The company’s most concrete traction signal is its initial clinical work. MindMuscle reports completing a study with over 40 children and logging more than 400 therapy sessions [MindMuscle.health, retrieved 2024]. For a seed-stage healthtech company, this represents a meaningful, if preliminary, investment in clinical validation. The next steps will be critical: publishing those results in a peer-reviewed journal, initiating a larger controlled trial, and navigating the FDA’s evolving framework for digital therapeutics. The choice to start with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) places them in a space with significant unmet need, but also one that demands rigorous proof.
- Clinical-first validation. The 40-child study provides an initial dataset, but the lack of published results means the clinical community is still waiting for peer-reviewed efficacy data.
- Regulatory navigation. As a tool intended to support treatment in a clinical setting, the system may face questions from the FDA about its claims and intended use. A clear regulatory strategy will be essential.
- Commercial adoption. Success depends on convincing therapy clinics to adopt and pay for a new piece of capital equipment and software. The value proposition must clearly demonstrate time savings or improved outcomes to justify the cost.
Where the wheels could come off
The risks here are familiar in digital health, but no less significant for it. The primary challenge is generating the high-quality clinical evidence required to move from an interesting pilot to a standard-of-care tool. Neurofeedback has a mixed evidence base; strong, reproducible studies are needed to convince skeptical payers and clinicians. Furthermore, the company’s branding under the broader PigPug Health umbrella, which also lists applications for sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression, could lead to focus dilution [pigpug.co/mindmuscle/, retrieved 2026]. Success in the complex pediatric behavioral health market will require deep specialization.
The competitive landscape, while not named in sources, is implicit. MindMuscle must differentiate itself from both direct neurofeedback competitors and the broader category of digital cognitive tools. Its answer appears to be the integration of the hardware, software, and clinician support into a single “clinical-grade” system. Whether that integration is sufficiently superior to justify a new entrant remains the central commercial question.
The next twelve months
The immediate horizon for MindMuscle will be defined by evidence and execution. The likely milestones are not flashy product launches, but methodical steps toward credibility: publishing the initial study data, securing a partnership with a research hospital for a larger trial, and landing the first commercial contracts with therapy clinics. Another funding round will likely be necessary to finance this costly clinical and commercial pathway.
The company’s progress will be a test case for a specific model in pediatric neurotech. Can a startup use modern, adaptive software to make an established therapeutic technique more accessible and effective within existing care settings? The answer will depend less on the technology itself and more on the painstaking work of proving it helps patients.
For children with ADHD and autism, the current standard of care is often a combination of behavioral therapy, medication, and educational support. Neurofeedback exists on the periphery, sometimes used as an adjunctive therapy but not yet a frontline intervention due to variable evidence and access. It is typically offered in specialized clinics, can be costly, and requires multiple sessions. MindMuscle is attempting to address the last two barriers by designing a system meant for broader clinic use and by using AI to potentially personalize and accelerate the training. Their bet is that by improving the clinician’s tool, they can improve the child’s outcome.
Sources
- [MindMuscle.health, retrieved 2024] Home - MindMuscle | https://mindmuscle.health/
- [LinkedIn, retrieved 2024] Vitali Karpeichyk - CEO at MindMuscle | https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitali-karpeichyk/
- [pigpug.co/team/, retrieved 2026] TEAM - PIGPUG HEALTH | https://pigpug.co/team/
- [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Ore Segal - Project Manager - Stealth AI Startup | https://www.linkedin.com/in/ore-segal-891593202/
- [pigpug.co/mindmuscle/, retrieved 2026] MINDMUSCLE - PIGPUG HEALTH | https://pigpug.co/mindmuscle/
- [Crunchbase, retrieved 2026] PigPug Health - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/pigpug