About Matter Neuroscience

Advancing human happiness for our collective good

Philosophers, scientists, psychologists and economists have grappled with defining happiness for centuries and yet, happiness still feels elusive and unattainable. Happiness can feel especially tricky in a world quick to measure, celebrate, and reward material success over emotional well-being. We often end up mistaking things like our careers, wealth, and accolades as sources of happiness. But at the end of the day, it’s not what we have but who we are that matters.

And right now, we’re in the midst of a growing mental health crisis, with over 200 million people living with major depressive disorders. We can reverse this if we start paying attention to what makes us happy — internally, molecularly. Luckily, we all have built-in biological reward systems that already do this for us. Most of us just haven’t had the tools to use and understand them until now. 

Bridging the gap between labs and real life

Matter was founded in 2019 by biochemist and neuroscientist Axel Bouchon along with cofounders Ben Goldhirsh and Chris Shiflett.

Partnering with scientists from Maastricht University, the Happiness Research Institute, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Matter seeks to find a universal biomarker for happiness to guide all of us to longer, happier, and healthier lives.

Learn about the science behind Matter.

Matter’s first consumer product is an iOS app that helps people track their positive emotions, connect them to brain activity, and take actions to increase subjective well-being. 

Learn more about the Matter app.

Matter Neuroscience in the news.