Zhongke Huayi Completes Tens of Millions RMB Seed Financing to Advance Global Leadership in BCI and Neuromodulation Platforms

VCBeat learned at the first time,NeurPlus(hereinafter referred to as“NeurPlus”) CompletedTens of Millions of Yuan in Seed RoundFinancing. This round of financing was led byVCBeatExclusive investment, the funds will be used for medical device R&D, preclinical research, and advancing clinical trial registration applications (NMPA). The Guangming Brain Science Technology Industry Innovation Center provides professional incubation, cultivation, and empowerment services to NeurPlus.

NeurPlus was founded in 2018, focusing onNon-invasive Neuromodulation and Bioelectronic Medicine Field, continuously exploring the innovation and application of emerging technologies such as non-invasive neuromodulation, brain-computer interfaces, intelligent wearables, and mobile healthcare, and has innovatively launched industry-leading“BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) - tES (Transcranial Electrical Stimulation) Closed-Loop Solution”AndPortable Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Training Device。

Dr. Pengfei Wei, co-founder of the company, is a researcher at the Institute of Brain Cognition and Brain Diseases of Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, a National Excellent Young Scientist, an outstanding member of the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the Shenzhen Youth Science and Technology Award. Dr. Pengfei Wei is committed to the research and development of key technologies in the field of brain science and its applications. He has developed non-invasive brain-computer interface technology and equipment combined with neuromodulation, which have been applied in clinical studies for neurological rehabilitation and cognitive impairment intervention. His papers have been published in journals such as Nature Communications and IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, and he has obtained 45 invention and utility model patents.

The other core technology R&D team is composed of well-known experts from both domestic and international fields, specializing in cognitive neuroscience, artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, biophysical sciences, neurolinguistics, psychology, and more. With strong foundational R&D capabilities, diverse experience backgrounds, and an international perspective, they possess a profound understanding of the deep transformations occurring in the field of neurological diseases and brain science.

China has a large patient base suffering from major brain diseases, with a huge demand for high-quality neurology medical services. With the continuous emergence of AI innovation technologies and the ongoing progress in brain and cognitive sciences, cutting-edge breakthroughs in areas such as brain diseases are paving the way for significant industrial transformation.

Currently, advanced countries and regions around the world, including the United States, the European Union, and Japan, are actively launching brain science initiatives. In 2021, China officially launched the billion-level "China Brain Project," with brain science being listed as a key frontier field in China's 14th Five-Year Plan for the first time. The project is structured around "one body with two wings," meaning it is based on studying the neural principles of brain cognition to develop treatments for major brain diseases and promote the development of next-generation artificial intelligence.

Supported by a series of favorable factors, the brain science track is gradually heating up. According to data from CB Insights, the global market size of the brain science field was $6.2 billion in 2020 and is expected to exceed $10 billion by 2024, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 17% from 2020 to 2024, potentially becoming the next industry to bring disruptive impact to human society.

After years of dedicated efforts, NeurPlus has accumulated extensive experience and technical reserves in the field of non-invasive neuro-electric stimulation device development. The company owns multiple technical patents and software copyrights, with core patent layouts including closed-loop neuromodulation combined with BCI brain-computer interfaces, multi-site, high-precision non-invasive neuro-electric stimulation technology, and positioning navigation algorithms, among others. Currently, the company has implemented a matrix-based product layout targeting indications such as cognitive disorders, depression, consciousness disorder awakening and rehabilitation, and autism.

It is worth mentioning that the portable transcranial electrical stimulation training device developed by NeurPlus has received special approval for medical devices from Guangdong Province. Clinical efficacy data showing improvement in cognitive impairment in dementia patients has been obtained, and the company is accelerating the conduct of registrational clinical trials.

Portable Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Training Device

NeurPlus combines the development directions of Internet healthcare, big data, and comprehensive health to continuously deepen cooperation with internationally renowned enterprises, clinical hospitals, and academic institutions. It constantly innovates from the source, develops new products and applications, and provides safe and reliable "human-machine" signal connection solutions for global medical research institutions and high-end instrument manufacturers.

For this round of financing,NeurPlus Co-Founder Pengfei WeiStated: "We would like to thank Brain Capital for its support in this round of financing for NeurPlus and its recognition of the application prospects of the neuromodulation platform technology. NeurPlus is a project incubated from the theoretical research achievements of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIAT) Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, which actively responds to the national brain initiative strategy. Leveraging the unique advantages of SIAT in IT and BT integration, cutting-edge technologies are rapidly transformed into engineering and productization. Currently, we have established close collaborations with relevant departments of multiple top-tier Class III, Grade A hospitals in China. After this round of financing, our focus will be on accelerating the clinical application transformation of laboratory technologies and the medical device registration of products, applying NeurPlus's closed-loop neuromodulation platform technology to more medical scenarios and indications."

Miaomiao Zhang, Partner of VCBeat"It means: 'Neuromodulation and bioelectronics are a recently emerged and highly promising form of disease treatment. By understanding neural circuit issues and providing targeted therapies, we believe more solutions can be brought to patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders. NeurPlus has a strong neuroscience team dedicated to researching and discovering new neural targets and spatial points, utilizing their algorithms for non-invasive electrical stimulation therapy. In China, Europe, and the U.S., we have investigated numerous brain-computer interface companies, and NeurPlus is one of the few with a founding team of professors specializing in the interdisciplinary fields of neuroscience, materials, algorithms, and bioengineering. Their product pipeline is also at the international forefront, entering clinical trials. We look forward to collaborating with the company to advance brain-computer technology.'"

Asia's First Industry Fund Focused on Neuroscience; Investing in and Shaping Frontier Basic Industries Such as Brain Science, Digital Healthcare, and Genetic Science. Plans to Invest in and Incubate Cutting-edge Medical Enterprises with a Total Valuation of Over 10 Billion Yuan and a Large Pool of Talent Within 3 Years.

The Brain Innovation Center, located in the core startup area of Guangming Science City within Shenzhen's National Comprehensive Science Center, is an internationally leading hub for brain and health technology industries. Built with strong support from the Shenzhen Municipal Government and the Guangming District Government, it boasts over 60,000 square meters of innovative industrial space, 11 professional technology development and pilot verification platforms, and a systematic ecological empowerment service system. Adhering to the concept of integrated "innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship," the Brain Innovation Center addresses key pain points in technological industrial transformation and development by empowering both capital and enterprises. It focuses on creating a "brain-in-a-box" national-level specialized incubator for brain and health industries. Currently, it has attracted more than 20 companies in its first batch, with a total financing of about 200 million yuan and a valuation exceeding 4 billion yuan. A second batch of approximately 20 companies is expected to join, with total financing exceeding 1 billion yuan and a valuation surpassing 10 billion yuan.