The Company founders, led by professor Risto Ilmoniemi, were researchers at the Helsinki University of Technology that has a long tradition in the multidisciplinary research of biomagnetism and neuroscience.
In the 1990’s Professor Ilmoniemi, then a researcher at the Helsinki University of Technology, was already well known for his work with multichannel magnetoencephalography (MEG) instruments. He was interested in improving transcranial magnetic stimulation and in developing a multichannel TMS instrument.
The opportunity came when Prof. Ilmoniemi started as the director of BioMag Laboratory which was, and still is, a joint laboratory between the Helsinki University of Technology (now Aalto University), Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital.
The research group led by Ilmoniemi understood that the stimulating electric field in the brain induced by the magnetic field around the TMS coil can be calculated, and the calculated E-field makes the whole process visible.
Eventually, it was time to start a company so that the opportunities presented by the research group could be commercialized. Nexstim was established in 2000 to make TMS visible, accurate and reproducible.
Providing consistency requires integration
Over time, we at Nexstim learnt that accurate, consistent TMS can only be provided by integrating all system components so that the software knows and controls the hardware. We decided that all the components must be developed, manufactured or controlled by us ourselves – otherwise we could not guarantee the level of accuracy and reproducibility we believe to be the key for using TMS as a clinical tool.
The accuracy of our SmartFocus® TMS technology was first validated in the field of neurosurgery: We received FDA clearance for motor mapping in 2009 and FDA clearance for speech mapping in 2012. With our current product generation, the NBS 6 (NBS = Navigated Brain Stimulation), we remain the only company with FDA clearances for both motor and speech mapping. The NBS 6 is designed to enhance usability, workflow integration, and clinical performance.
In 2024, Nexstim signed a development and distributorship cooperation agreement with the German medical technology company Brainlab. This milestone partnership aims to further integrate Nexstim’s technology into neurosurgical workflows while leveraging Brainlab’s extensive global distribution network to bring Nexstim solutions to a broader range of neurosurgical centres.
Transforming TMS for therapy use
The FDA clearances and CE marks in brain mapping established a strong regulatory and market foundation for expanding the use of the technology into neurological and psychiatric therapy.
Our first therapy system was launched in the United States in 2017 following FDA clearance for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). In 2024, we introduced our latest device generation, the NBS 6. In 2026, it received additional FDA clearances for adolescent depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), expanding its therapeutic reach beyond MDD.
In Europe, the NBS 6 is CE-marked for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder and chronic neuropathic pain, and since 2026, also for post-operative rehabilitation after neurosurgery.
The future of navigated TMS
In 2025, Nexstim celebrated its 25-year anniversary, marking a quarter century of innovation in navigated TMS and continued commitment to advancing personalized brain stimulation. We are proud of our roots in the long tradition of multidisciplinary research in biomagnetism and neuroscience and remain committed to delivering technology solutions that are solidly grounded in clinical evidence and research, for the benefit of patients.
Onto the next 25 years!