Zhitong Tech Secures Nearly RMB 100 Million in Series A Funding to Advance High-End Microscopic Imaging Solutions

Source: Eye Future

Recently, AINNOVI announced the completion of a nearly RMB 100 million Series A financing round. This round was co-led by Aibotech Qingstone Fund and Mountain Blue Capital, with participation from Zero One Ventures, Chongqing Airuilin, and WinX Capital as the exclusive financial advisor for the transaction, continuing to oversee subsequent financing. The funds will primarily be used for the research, development, registration, and market promotion of modular products for surgical and ophthalmic applications, as well as the development of complete systems for microscopic surgical visualization.

Notably, this round of financing has brought in numerous investors with industrial resources from ophthalmic public companies, reflecting the high recognition from the industry towards AINNOVI.

AINNOVI, established in 2020 and incubated by the Future Technology Research Institute of Zhejiang Tsinghua Yangtze River Delta Research Institute, quickly grew into a leading company specializing in the research, production, and sales service of high-end microscopic surgical imaging products. The company’s product, a 3D digital imaging observation system for microscopic surgery, received the first Jiaxing equipment certification.

Since its establishment, AINNOVI has successively launched 6 products in 3 major categories. Its 4K 3D high-end microscopic module product, which obtained China's Class 2 Innovative Medical Device certification, is compatible with commercially available surgical microscopes both domestically and internationally. This product addresses the limitation of traditional optical microscopes being unable to support external visualization during surgeries. Over 100 hospitals across China have already completed procurement, installation, and usage. The company’s integrated external visualization system for microsurgery is also about to receive registration approval, providing the market with a complete and cost-effective solution for external visualization in microscopic surgery.

Zhang Xin, CTO of the company, introduced: "To maintain our leading position in key technologies, we allocate 36.7% of our annual revenue to R&D. Currently, nearly half of our employees are engaged in research and development. In 2021, we conducted R&D on a 3D digital imaging observation system for microsurgery; in 2022, we focused on intraoperative fluorescence imaging systems; in 2023, we developed external visualization equipment for microsurgery imaging. This past May, the 3D ultra-high-definition ophthalmic surgery imaging system we developed enabled Bijie Hospital of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital to successfully complete a remote 3D ophthalmic surgery..."

# Microsurgery External Vision Solution

Microsurgery is hailed as "ballet on the tip of a knife," and the surgical microscope is its most vital tool. However, traditional surgical microscopes, with their fixed optical design and human-machine-bound usage mode, require surgeons to look down through the eyepiece with a bent neck. This leads to a narrow field of view, short focal length, and shallow depth of field, causing discomfort in the shoulders and neck, as well as vision damage after prolonged use. Additionally, the limited observation range makes it difficult to achieve efficient sharing of the surgical area and provide effective surgical training. As a result, the demand for new productivity models continues to grow.

The Microsurgery Exoscope Allows Surgeons to Operate in a Comfortable Posture While Viewing a 4K 3D Display. This not only frees them from being bound to the equipment and allows for free head movement, but also provides a wider surgical field of view, longer focal length (working range), and greater depth of field. It enables more flexible handling of challenging angles during special positions, ensuring the safety and flexibility of surgical procedures.

Moreover, the electronic imaging technology of the microscope system, with its compact size and high compatibility, is easier to integrate with intraoperative navigation and other display-based surgical equipment, making it more suitable for promotion in developing countries or small hospitals.

Currently, several micro external mirrors have been approved and applied both in China and internationally, such as KARL STORZ's VITOM 3D and ZEISS's KINEVO 900. However, the main application scenarios are non-ophthalmic microsurgery and open surgery. Taking KINEVO 900 as an example, it is a product that integrates robotic intelligent control technology, fully built-in 4K3D external viewing technology, and an endoscopic ultra-micro observation system. It is suitable for microsurgical operations in neurosurgery, spinal surgery, otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery, and plastic surgery.

Comparison of Parameters of Four Major Manufacturers' Endoscopes

It is foreseeable that the upgrade of surgical microscopes to (digital) microscope endoscopes is a potential billion-dollar market, which can better achieve refined microsurgery, optimize the patient's recovery process, and has broad potential market prospects in ophthalmic surgery.

# Core Product

AINNOVI focuses on the research and development of key technologies for visual perception and intelligent decision-making in microsurgical scenarios, and has launched a range of products, with a product line covering 4K 3D microscopic modules, microscopic fluorescence modules, and more.

Its brand AINNOVI® provides products such as the AINNOVI® 4K 3D Ultra HD Screen-Based Surgical System, AINNOVI® 4K Ultra HD Fluorescence Microscopic Imaging System, and the AINNOVI® Screen-Based Surgical Integrated Solution, which have changed the limitations of traditional microsurgery, transforming surgical methods from conventional microscopic to screen-based.

AINNOVI® 4K 3D Microscopic External Visualization Surgical Products offer a more ergonomic working mode, broader and clearer intraoperative field of view, allowing multiple doctors to simultaneously observe the surgical area, enhancing collaboration in complex surgeries. It also provides intraoperative navigation functionality, offering digital information of the patient's anatomy to the surgeon, improving the efficiency and quality of medical surgeries, and elevating the level of precision surgery in hospitals.

The product can be widely used in medical training at major hospitals and medical colleges. With the front-screen viewing mode, it allows dozens of people to watch high-quality immersive 3D surgical images, significantly improving the efficiency of doctor training and shortening the anatomy training cycle for surgeons. It has now become a commonly used training device in medical training courses.

The upcoming ANIM-100 exoscope represents a groundbreaking exploration and innovative interpretation of the "next-generation surgical microscope." The core components are independently developed by the company, leveraging robust "optomechatronic" technology to rival traditional surgical microscopes. Equipped with an industry-leading 4K 3D microscopic visualization system, it provides microsurgeons with a broader surgical field, ultra-high-definition stereoscopic observation, and an ultra-low latency eye-hand coordination experience.

In addition, ANIM-100 boasts several innovative technological advantages, such as a variable-focus objective lens system that supports a wide working distance range, and a six-electromagnetic lock collaborative control system that enables flexible operation and a streamlined design, offering microsurgeons a completely new user experience.

# Company Profile

AINNOVI was founded in 2020, with its technical team rooted in cutting-edge research led by an academician from Tsinghua University, establishing a solid foundation in the fields of stereo vision and computational imaging. Later, it participated in national scientific research projects combining medicine and engineering, led by the Chinese PLA General Hospital, and completed the transformation of scientific research achievements into industrial applications with the support of the Yangtze River Delta Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Zhejiang.

The company has always focused on industry trends. In the global competition in the medical device field, it specializes in the microscopic external visualization segment. Looking ahead, AINNOVI will continue to deepen its expertise with microscopic external visualization technology as its core. It will constantly explore advancements in multi-modal fusion and artificial intelligence empowerment, promoting technological innovation and product development.

As of the date of publication, the company's financing history is as follows: