Run-Long Medtech Secures RMB 100 Million Series A Funding to Accelerate Domestic Substitution in Sports Medicine

VCBeat has learned that Beijing Run-Long Medtech CO.,LTD (hereinafter referred to as Run-Long Medtech) recently completed a RMB 100 million Series A financing round, co-led by Shenzhen Maison Capital Co., Ltd. and Apricot Capital, with Gelu Capital serving as the exclusive financial advisor. It is understood thatThe funds raised in this round will be primarily used for product research and development and to accelerate the commercialization of products, with a deep strategic layout in the sports medicine industry.

Run-Long Medtech is an innovative medical device company focused on the field of sports medicine and positioned in China's high-end market. Mr. Wang Zhongran, Chairman of the Board, has dedicated 23 years to the orthopedics sector. He previously led a renowned international sports medicine brand to capture the largest market share in China for 17 consecutive years, significantly outperforming competitors and at one point accounting for 70% of the domestic sports medicine market. As a seasoned industry expert, he possesses deep insights into products and markets, along with extensive resources within the sports medicine industry.

Sports medicine originated from orthopedic traumatology. It is a discipline that integrates basic research with comprehensive clinical applications, combining medicine and sports. It primarily diagnoses and treats injuries and pathological conditions of motion-related tissues, including bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, menisci, and synovium.

Sports medicine is a subspecialty within orthopedics, yet it is currently experiencing rapid growth in both the global and Chinese markets.According to data from Global Market Insights, the global sports medicine market size is projected to exceed $9 billion in 2025, with an average annual growth rate of nearly 8%. China’s sports medicine sector is experiencing even more rapid growth; according to the “Special Report on Orthopedic Sports Medicine in the Pharmaceutical Industry,” the market size for sports medicine in China is expected to surpass RMB 5 billion in 2023.

Due to high technological barriers and patent restrictions, China’s sports medicine sector remains dominated by imports, with international giants such as Smith & Nephew, Arthrex, Johnson & Johnson, and Stryker long accounting for over 90% of the domestic market share. Amidst the rise of China’s medical device industry and rapid growth in market demand—further driven by the national fitness campaign and a high incidence of injuries among an aging population—latent market demand is being continuously unlocked. The domestic medical device market is expanding, positioning the sports medicine industry for significant future growth.

Throughout the process of witnessing and driving the growth of sports medicine in China from its inception, Mr. Wang Zhongran recognized the historical opportunities within the industry. He committed himself to the wave of import substitution, aiming to provide products that are internationally competitive and domestically leading. By offering high-quality, Chinese-made products to physicians in China, and by establishing a robust product quality management system alongside comprehensive services, Run-Long Medtech has secured a significant foothold in a market previously monopolized by foreign enterprises.

Talent is the primary driver of corporate development. Mr. Wang Zhongran possesses extensive experience in domestic and international supply chain management, product sales, and channel management within the field of sports medicine. Meanwhile, Run-Long Medtech has built an exceptional management team, with core executives boasting over ten years of full-lifecycle product management experience in their respective professional domains.

In terms of products, management has a deep understanding of clinical needs and continuously invests in technological research and development. The company possesses a comprehensive product portfolio and technical reserves, covering high-value consumables, power systems, and surgical instruments. Core products such as shavers, suture anchors, and looped titanium plates have been launched to the market and are currently being used by numerous top-tier sports medicine hospitals in China, earning high recognition from distributors and clinical experts alike. Regarding product development strategy, the company strives to perfect the technology and craftsmanship of each individual product to the utmost extent, leveraging product performance as its cornerstone for competing with international giants, and providing the best possible products to all who need them.

Core Products of Run-Long Medtech

Product quality plays a decisive role in sustaining the wave of “import substitution.” Run-Long Medtech has remained firmly grounded in clinical needs, implemented strict and precise control over all aspects of product development, achieved ISO 13485 certification, and fully leveraged international advantageous resources to successfully launch products of world-class standards.

As a key product in its initial market push, Run-Long Medtech’s shaver blades integrate global superior resources in design and manufacturing. The processing technology, welding precision, and coaxiality ensure smooth high-speed rotational cutting. The burr speed can reach 12,000 RPM, with the blade’s radial runout controlled within 5 μm, resulting in extremely low noise and no interference between the inner and outer blades. Since its launch, the product has been clinically validated in over 20,000 patients, demonstrating performance that fully matches or even exceeds that of international brands. In terms of coblation ablation electrodes, Run-Long Medtech’s products have achieved temperature control at 41°C, significantly outperforming the industry standard of 45°C. Leveraging a strong market entry strategy along with high product quality and reliability, Run-Long Medtech has established a brand image among customers as a provider of high-quality domestically produced medical devices.

Sports medicine devices present significant technical barriers. For domestic brands, relying solely on rapid regulatory approval to compete with imported brands across their entire product lines would make for an extremely challenging path to growth. Mr. Wang Zhongran has gained deep insights into the current state of the industry and formulated a strategy tailored to Run-Long Medtech's developmental stages. "We initially chose to enter the fields of shaver blades and low-temperature plasma ablation systems. These are general-purpose instruments in sports medicine, with a sufficiently large market size—collectively accounting for 25% of the sports medicine market share—and capable of reaching all customers. They represent the most common and highest-demand segments, yet the performance and quality of domestically produced products still fail to meet clinical needs."

Leveraging the market expansion of these two flagship products, the company has already secured a pivotal position in the field of sports medicine and established a high-end image for domestic brands, thereby laying a solid foundation for the promotion of other products.

If the first phase focused on rapidly gaining market access for products with large market capacity, continuously consolidating quality, and concentrating resources to quickly capture specific target markets, the next phase aims to further broaden the product line, establish a comprehensive product portfolio, and provide total solutions for sports medicine surgeries. Currently, the company’s registered products include shavers, titanium alloy suture anchors, button plates, non-absorbable surgical sutures, and arthroscopic cannulas. In 2021, product registrations will be completed for multiple categories, including PEEK interference screws, double-row suture anchors for shoulder joints, and meniscal repair devices. With full regulatory approval achieved for its consumable products, the company is committed to delivering high-quality, cost-effective domestically produced sports medicine products to users.

Run-Long Medtech aspires to become a leading enterprise in import substitution. Leveraging its high-performance products, strong brand foundation, and resource advantages, the company aims to truly benefit public livelihood by extending its services to a broader population in need, thereby adding luster to “Made in China” and driving significant progress in China’s sports medicine industry.

As an investor in this round, Li Xin, Partner at Shenzhen Maison Capital Co., Ltd., stated, “The team at Run-Long Medtech possesses the most extensive industry experience. The company’s founders have witnessed and been deeply involved in the inception and development of sports medicine in clinical practice in China virtually from the ground up. We highly endorse the company’s persistent high-quality product strategy and are optimistic about the team’s capacity to deliver valuable local innovations amid the booming industry prospects.”

As an investor in this round, Qiang Jing, Managing Partner at Apricot Capital, stated, “Run-Long Medtech is a company that aligns perfectly with Apricot’s investment philosophy. We are optimistic about the entrepreneurial spirit and strategic vision demonstrated by the founding team, and we highly appreciate the rapid growth the company has achieved since its establishment. We are confident that, under the leadership of Wang Zhongran and the efforts of the entire team, the company will achieve substantial development.”

Cao Zheng, Managing Partner at Watson Capital, which completed its investment during the angel round, stated, “Watson Capital became an angel investor in the company in 2018, witnessing its journey from product development to clinical trials and market entry. Over the past three years of pleasant collaboration, we have been deeply impressed by the founder’s exceptional ability to manage the product portfolio and the team’s outstanding execution capabilities. With the introduction of new investors into Run-Long Medtech, the company will be better positioned to maintain its leading advantage in subsequent product lines and more aggressively expand into the market, striving to make high-performance sports medicine products—developed and owned by Chinese innovators—accessible to more patients.”

Maison Capital, established in 2004, is a private equity fund management institution specializing in equity investment. Its investment focus primarily lies in the consumer, healthcare, and technology sectors. With over a decade of dedication to select niche fields, Maison Capital has consistently delivered industry-leading investment returns, leveraging profound insights into the essence of business and industry dynamics. In both its investment practices and corporate development, Maison Capital consistently emphasizes social responsibility, striving to become a respected professional investment firm.

Apricot Capital, established in 2015, derives its name from the mission to leverage capital to integrate resources across the broader health industry, thereby promoting sector development and benefiting humanity. Committed to fostering innovation and growth among Chinese enterprises, Apricot Capital leverages its investment team’s extensive industry expertise and global resource network to tirelessly support entrepreneurs in realizing their startup ambitions.

Watson Capital, established in 2016, is a fund focused on early- and mid-stage investment opportunities in the biopharmaceutical sector. Technology-driven, it is fully committed to helping top-tier scientists and R&D teams achieve success. The firm has invested in numerous star enterprises in China and the United States, possessing deep expertise in technologies such as gene editing and multi-omics. It has strategically positioned itself in companies founded by internationally renowned scientists and serial entrepreneurs in the fields of innovative drugs and therapies, as well as diagnostic testing. These portfolio companies include Xunbaihui Biotechnology, Purui Benchmark, Lanyu Biotechnology, Zhihe Biotechnology, and Tuoxin Tiancheng Biotechnology. The cornerstone limited partners (LPs) of Watson Capital are several powerful publicly listed pharmaceutical companies, all of which are domestic leaders in their respective niche markets.