China’s BCI start-ups, seen as potential rivals to Elon Musk’s Neuralink, are gaining momentum as regulatory support and fresh capital fuel growth.
Shares of BCI companies rose on mainland Chinese exchanges on Friday, with Shenzhen-listed Inkon Life Technology surging more than 10 per cent.
The approval awarded to Neuracle, a private firm founded in 2011, marked the first time globally that an invasive BCI could be sold and used on patients as a commercial product, according to China’s National Medical Products Administration.
The company’s founder, Xu Honglai, earned a PhD in biomedical engineering from Tsinghua University.
Last month, Neuracle, which develops and sells scientific research equipment, launched its listing process on the Star Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange by signing an initial public offering tutoring agreement with Citic Securities.
The newly approved implantable BCI hand motor function system was described by the company as a coin-sized wireless device placed on the brain’s outer surface without penetrating tissue, designed to read patients’ neural signals and translate them into hand movements.
StairMed said it was the first company in the implantable BCI field to receive investments from both Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post, and Tencent Holdings.
Alibaba and Tencent “have deep strengths in multimodal large models, computing infrastructure, smart hardware and ecosystem deployment, which can be deeply integrated with StairMed’s globally leading brain-computer interface hardware and clinical translation experience”, founder Li Xue said in a statement.
The start-up, founded in 2021 by Li and fellow scientist Zhao Zhengtuo, develops tiny brain implants capable of reading and transmitting neural signals at high speed, as well as ultra-thin flexible electrodes and the robotic tools required to insert them. Zhao completed his postdoctoral research at Rice University after studying at the University of Texas at Austin.
The company plans to launch a “large-scale” clinical trial in mid-2026, aiming to enrol and implant about 40 patients by the end of the year. “By late 2026, StairMed’s total number of clinical implants is expected to approach, or even surpass, the 21 cases reported in trials by Elon Musk’s Neuralink,” the statement said.
It completed three BCI clinical trial implants last year.
Other investors in the latest round of funding included state-backed SDIC Fund Management and Shanghai Guotou Leading Fund, as well as Shanghai-based private equity firm Yuanlai Capital, US investment firm OrbiMed, Oriza Seed, Qiming Venture Partners, Lilly Asia Ventures and Beijing-based venture capital firm Source Code Capital.
China has vowed to develop “two or three” global players in the sector by 2030 to compete with Neuralink. In a document released last year, the government set a goal of achieving breakthroughs in key BCI technologies by 2027, with plans including establishing an advanced technology system and an industrial framework.
News – Curated by Amanda Scott, Alias Group Creative
Follow her on Bluesky
Why Most Animal Viruses Never Become Human Pandemics
From receptor mismatch to risky human-animal interfaces, this article explains why spillover is common but true pandemic emergence remains rare. Introduction Humans are constantly exposed to animal viruses through farming, wildlife contact, and the [...]
Stem cell organoids repair heart microvessels in coronary artery disease models
A Stanford University team has shown that vascular organoids derived from human stem cells can repair the heart’s microvessel network in pigs with ischaemic heart disease – a proof-of-concept advancement that could open new therapeutic [...]
Goodbye GP waiting rooms, hello prevention at home
Prevention is suddenly everywhere in NHS reform. The recent £340m community pharmacy deal is moving more services onto the high street. Community Diagnostic Centres are being expanded, and the Neighbourhood Health Framework sets out [...]
Ebola control is weakened by mistrust and cultural insensitivity
Effective response depends on cooperation with communities and frontline workers, writes Zaeem ul Haq The current Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda is exposing dangerous gaps in [...]
Building the Brain Requires Millions of Dangerous DNA Breaks
Scientists discovered that building a healthy brain involves an unexpected step: young neurons routinely break and rapidly repair their own DNA. As the brain develops, newly formed nerve cells must travel through tightly packed tissue [...]
One Tiny Change May Explain How Viruses Jump From Bats to Humans
Scientists found that one tiny genetic change may determine whether a bat virus stays in bats or becomes a human threat. Most infectious disease outbreaks begin when a virus or other pathogen crosses from animals into [...]
Scientists Discover 250+ Genes That Could Lead to New Ways To Prevent Melanoma
The world’s largest study of mole genetics identified hundreds of genes tied to melanoma risk, uncovering potential new drug targets and paving the way for more accurate melanoma screening and prevention. Researchers at QIMR [...]
Breakthrough Diabetes Treatment Reprograms the Immune System
An engineered stem cell therapy reversed new-onset Type 1 diabetes in mice by shifting the immune system away from attacking insulin-producing cells. For more than a century, people with Type 1 diabetes have relied [...]
Taking the world’s temperature: WHO chief spotlights global health emergencies
Taking the world’s temperature on pressing health matters, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus provided the latest on current global challenges - and successes when it comes to international cooperation. “The outbreaks of hantavirus, Ebola and Marburg all show [...]
Scientists Create Tiny “Mini Livers” That Could One Day Replace Liver Transplants
Engineered tissue grafts could help perform key liver functions and benefit thousands of people living with liver failure. The liver is one of the body’s hardest-working organs, carrying out hundreds of vital jobs, from [...]
NanoMedical Brain/Cloud Interface – Explorations and Implications. A new book from Frank Boehm
New book from Frank Boehm, NanoappsMedical Inc Founder: This book explores the future hypothetical possibility that the cerebral cortex of the human brain might be seamlessly, safely, and securely connected with the Cloud via [...]
Scientists Discover Surprising Way To Help the Brain Recover After Stroke
A new study suggests that strengthening the body’s natural circadian rhythms may help the brain recover after stroke, even when treatment begins days after the injury. Every year, millions of people survive a stroke, [...]
Our books now available worldwide!
Online Sellers other than Amazon, Routledge, and IOPP Indigo Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artifcial Intelligence Global Health Care Equivalency In The Age Of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine And Artificial [...]
Younger Generations Are Aging Faster – and It May Be Fueling a Surge in Cancer
Younger generations may be aging biologically faster than those before them, and that shift could help explain rising rates of cancer at younger ages. For decades, cancer was viewed largely as a disease of [...]
Using Cannabis Could Raise Your Stroke Risk by 37%, Massive Study Reveals
Large-scale evidence suggests cannabis, cocaine, and amphetamines may directly raise stroke risk, including in younger adults. As recreational drug use becomes increasingly common, researchers are uncovering evidence that its health consequences may extend far beyond [...]
Could Vitamin C Be the Secret to Keeping Your Brain Younger?
Lower vitamin C levels were linked to reduced brain volume and weaker neural connectivity in older adults, suggesting a potential connection between nutrition and brain health. Could a common vitamin help preserve the brain [...]
