Shenzhen CoreHeart Secures Nearly RMB 1 Billion in Series A Funding, Advancing China's Miniature Magnetic Levitation Artificial Heart Technology

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned at the earliest opportunity that, in recent days,Shenzhen Core Medical Technology Co., Ltd. Secures Nearly RMB 100 Million in Series A Funding, Led by Lianxin Capital, with Follow-on Investments from Puhua Capital and Yifeng Capital, to Be Primarily Used for Clinical Research on Miniaturized Maglev Artificial Hearts and New Product DevelopmentThis national high-tech enterprise, which has grown in the Greater Bay Area, is dedicated to the research and development of artificial heart product series. It has developed the world’s smallest and lightest magnetically levitated artificial heart, aiming to provide a series of products and solutions for heart failure treatment.

Artificial hearts are one of the standardized treatments for heart failure recommended by international guidelines. The "Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China 2019" shows that the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in China is continuously rising, with cardiovascular disease mortality still ranking first. It is estimated that there are currently 330 million patients with cardiovascular diseases, including approximately 13.7 million heart failure patients and about 600,000 end-stage heart failure patients. Due to factors such as a shortage of donors, only slightly more than 600 heart transplant surgeries can be performed annually in China. Artificial hearts have thus become a new hope for saving the lives of many end-stage heart failure patients.

It is reported that the Abbott third-generation magnetically levitated artificial heart, one of the commercially available products used clinically worldwide, has achieved a two-year survival rate of 79%, approaching the 82% survival rate associated with heart transplantation. Existing technologies have already significantly improved the survival rates and quality of life for patients with heart failure. Globally, more than 30,000 patients have received ventricular assist device (VAD) implants, and VADs are widely used in the treatment of heart failure in the United States, Europe, and Japan. In China, the research, development, and application of such medical devices lag far behind those in Europe, the United States, and Japan; however, the country faces substantial clinical demand, making this area a current focal point in cardiovascular device innovation and clinical application.

International research and development of artificial heart technology began in the 1950s, undergoing three generations of technological evolution and innovation to date: pulsatile ventricular assist devices (VADs), mechanical-bearing VADs, and magnetically levitated VADs. Pulsatile VADs have gradually been phased out of clinical use due to their bulky size and high rate of mechanical failure, while mechanical-bearing VADs cause significant blood damage and are associated with a higher incidence of thrombosis. To reduce the risk of blood trauma, artificial heart technology is increasingly shifting toward miniaturized, magnetically levitated centrifugal VADs.

Notably, magnetic levitation technology has enabled a fundamental breakthrough in the blood compatibility of artificial hearts; however, due to its technical complexity, it still faces severe challenges in miniaturization.

Experts state that the miniaturization of artificial hearts is a matter of “fighting for every millimeter.” Due to their compact size, these devices offer greater flexibility in surgical implantation techniques (minimally invasive) and site selection, broaden the eligible patient population, reduce surgical trauma, and better ensure patients’ quality of life.

In response, Shenzhen Core Medical has made significant breakthroughs. Its independently developed product with proprietary intellectual property rights—the "Ultra-Compact Magnetically Levitated Centrifugal Artificial Heart"—measures 34 mm in diameter, 26 mm in thickness, and weighs approximately 90 grams. Compared with officially published data in the VAD field both domestically and internationally, Core Medical’s product features a 40% reduction in diameter and a 60% reduction in weight compared to existing magnetically levitated artificial hearts on the market.

Experimental data demonstrate that this product exhibits excellent blood compatibility, with no hemolysis, thrombosis, or other damage to blood cells. It also offers advantages such as low power consumption, strong battery endurance, and minimal heat generation.

From the perspective of application scenarios, this product has a wide range of clinical applications. It can be used not only for permanent treatment in patients with end-stage heart failure but also as a bridge to heart transplantation, for short-term therapy to support cardiac functional recovery, and for extracorporeal circulation assistance or emergency circulatory support as a partial alternative to ECMO.

Shenzhen Core Medical’s technological prowess and the market potential of its artificial heart have also attracted investor interest. Over the past two years, Shenzhen Core Medical has completed two rounds of financing.

Liansheng Capital, which has long focused on the healthcare sector, believes that artificial hearts possess high technical barriers and offer broad clinical application prospects as the last line of defense for patients with heart failure amid the current shortage of donor hearts. As a leading enterprise in the field of artificial hearts, Shenzhen Core Medical has been deeply engaged in R&D for many years, boasting robust technical capabilities and significant potential. In the future, Liansheng Capital will continue to provide support in terms of capital and industrial resources to facilitate clinical research of its products, thereby benefiting a wide range of patients.

Puhua Capital stated that it remains bullish on the long-term prospects of the research, development, and application of artificial hearts in China. Shenzhen Core Medical has already developed an "ultra-compact magnetically levitated artificial heart," and we look forward to witnessing its emergence as a significant force in the field of ventricular assist devices.

Yifeng Capital stated that, as one of the most complex and sophisticated medical devices, the research, development, and manufacturing capabilities of artificial hearts serve as an indicator of a country’s technological prowess in high-end medical devices. The professional expertise of Shenzhen Core Medical is impressive, and we look forward to the early clinical application of its products, which will drive the rapid development of the domestic ventricular assist device field.