ZENOWELL Parent Shenzhen Future BrainRhythm Files for IPO: Pioneering Wearable AI-Powered Neuromodulation for Sleep and Pain Management

Neuromodulation technology, with its unique advantages of precision and low side effects, is sparking a revolutionary transformation in the global field of pain management.

The evidence-based clinical guidelines issued by the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience have listed peripheral nerve stimulation as a Class I recommendation for the treatment of chronic pain, while the European guidelines on migraine treatment have included vagus nerve stimulation in their strong recommendation category, fully demonstrating its authoritative status and clinical value in the global healthcare field.

Meanwhile, overseas demand for wearable intervention technologies has surged exponentially. A growing number of consumers are leveraging smart wearable devices, such as Whoop and Oura Ring, to address health issues including sleep disorders, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression, further fueling the robust growth of the wearable health hardware industry.

This trend not only reveals the broad application prospects of neuromodulation technology but also signals the immense market potential of wearable medical devices. In the future, this field is likely to continue attracting technological and capital attention, becoming a core track for global health technology innovation.

In this field, a team ofZhejiang University Chu Kochen Honors CollegeA graduate-led startup team has emerged as a standout, with its core members possessing strong academic backgrounds in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and artificial intelligence. They have participated in multiple cutting-edge international research projects and bring extensive experience in industrial translation. Their foundedShenzhen Future Brain Rhythm Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Future Brain Rhythm”), leveraging innovative closed-loop neuromodulation technology and a global strategic layout, it achieved technological breakthroughs, product commercialization, and successful expansion into overseas markets within just two years, demonstrating strong growth momentum.

Future Brain Rhythm specializes in AI- and data-driven closed-loop neuromodulation technologies, delivering efficient solutions for personalized treatment by integrating artificial intelligence algorithms, multi-dimensional data, and precise modulation techniques. In China, the company’s medical devices have been widely adopted in the neurology, pain management, and rehabilitation departments of leading hospitals. In overseas markets, it focuses on consumer-grade wearable products, successfully expanding into multiple international regions including Europe, North America, and the Middle East, thereby establishing a dual-engine growth model characterized by “medical devices in China + consumer AI hardware abroad.”

The team’s profound technical expertise and global deployment capabilities are key to the rapid future development of Naolü. Founder Xue Yao graduated in 2012 fromZhejiang University Chu Kochen Honors CollegeSpecializing in Microelectromechanical Engineering and Entrepreneurial Management, he pursued his Ph.D. at Heidelberg University in Germany. With nearly a decade of dedicated expertise in neuroscience and neuromodulation, he led the development at B. Braun AG of the world’s first long-term implantable intracranial monitoring sensor and an analgesic product for late-stage cancer pain, thereby accumulating extensive experience in the research and development of neuromodulation products.

Future BrainLaw’s Xue Yao Wins Grand Champion at Zhejiang University Alumni Entrepreneurship Competition Global Finals

In 2022, Xue Yao co-founded Future Brain Rhythm with Dr. Zhang Ming, a neuroengineering expert and researcher at Zhejiang University, and Dr. Xiao Xuezhen, a neuroscience expert and researcher at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The team has clear division of labor: Xue Yao leads product definition and hardware R&D, Xiao Xuezhen is responsible for clinical research and medical device registration, and Zhang Ming focuses on software and artificial intelligence algorithm development. This “golden combination” of “research + product + AI” has become the core driving force behind the company’s rapid breakthroughs.

In just a few years, Future Brain Rhythm has undertaken more than 20 national-level research projects and clinical studies, filed over 50 patent applications, and secured more than 20 granted patents and software copyrights. The company has also received numerous industry accolades, including the Global Grand Prize at the 2024 Zhejiang University Alumni Entrepreneurship Competition and the Second Prize in the National Finals of the “China Chuangyi” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition organized by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. These achievements not only underscore the company’s technological prowess but also lay a solid foundation for its future development.

Leveraging the core technological expertise accumulated from China’s national strategic layout for “Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence” and key R&D projects supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Future Brain Law is actively capitalizing on the global expansion trend of hardware brands and fully committing to the wave of international brand development.

During its transition from the serious medical sector to the overseas consumer health hardware market, Future Brain Rhythm secured the support of Professor Gan Jie, founder of XbotPark and Zhixing Research Institute, and an early incubation investor in DJI and Narwal. Under Professor Gan’s careful guidance, Future Brain Rhythm formulated a comprehensive go-to-market (GTM) strategy for scaling from 0 to 1, precisely focusing on sleep and pain management. The company is developing wearable smart hardware products based on neuromodulation and artificial intelligence technologies, committed to providing global users with complete solutions for sleep and pain issues.

In October 2024, Future Brain Rhythm launched its overseas brand, ZENOWELL, in Berlin, Germany, introducing the world’s first wearable AI-powered neuromodulation hardware designed to improve sleep disorders and headaches, achieving shipments of thousands of units within two months.

The founder of Future Brain Law told VCBeat, “This also makes Future Brain Law the“The first innovative enterprise in China’s brain science sector to achieve positive cash flow.”

In January 2025, the company unveiled its next-generation wearable vagus nerve modulation system, which integrates neuromodulation and monitoring, at the CES Digital Health exhibition in Las Vegas. Leveraging cutting-edge technology and market recognition, it has consolidated its strategic position as a global leader.

Future Brain Rhythm Team Participates in the 2025 Las Vegas CES Digital Health Forum

In China, Future Brain Rhythm has established in-depth collaborations with top-tier research and medical institutions, including Zhejiang University, Fudan University, the Chinese PLA General Hospital, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, and Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, to validate the product’s efficacy. The product has currently obtained Class II medical device certification from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and has been implemented in more than 60 Grade IIIA hospitals. The international medical version has initiated registration with the U.S. FDA and the EU CE marking, completed multiple clinical studies, and gained international recognition.

In overseas markets, BrainRule has established strategic partnerships with Switzerland’s BEE Medic AG and Germany’s Neurofeedback Network to expand its presence in Europe. Meanwhile, in collaboration with leading international experts from the University of Cambridge and Heidelberg University, the company is advancing multi-center clinical studies on vagus nerve modulation for anxiety and pain management. Currently, the company has built a mature sales network covering over 10,000 physical therapy clinics and more than 5,000 specialized medical device stores across Europe, providing strong support for its global expansion.

Strategic Partnership with Swiss BEE Medic Medical Group

Future Brain Rhythm focuses on the field of closed-loop neuromodulation, creating a new generation of wearable medical devices to thoroughly revolutionize the treatment and management models for neurological disorders. Leveraging four core advantages, the company achieves deep integration of AI technology with wearable hardware throughout the entire product lifecycle. It is committed to becoming the data entry point and hardware platform for innovative therapies for neurological conditions such as pain, sleep disorders, anxiety and depression, and cognitive impairments:

I. Data-Driven Sleep and Pain Assessment

Future BrainRhythm has accumulated over 10,000 cases of neurophysiological data and collaborated with top-tier institutions such as the HBiMed Institute for Brain Science in Switzerland and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin in Germany to build a multidimensional database covering pain, sleep, emotion, and cognition. By leveraging AI algorithms for real-time data analysis, the system can precisely capture patients’ physiological and behavioral signals, dynamically adjust neuromodulation protocols, and deliver personalized treatment. Their artificial intelligence technology integrates traditional scale-based assessments for sleep, pain, anxiety, and depression with objective, quantified physiological data. For instance, by analyzing patients’ electroencephalogram (EEG/ERP) signals, heart rate variability (HRV), and sleep cycles in conjunction with scale evaluations, the system automatically generates more precise diagnostic reports and treatment recommendations.

II. Innovative Design of Non-Invasive Wearable Devices

Future BrainRhythm’s products feature a lightweight, compact design that can be adhered to the body surface, eliminating the need for surgical implantation and significantly lowering both the barrier to use and patients’ psychological burden. By combining biocompatible materials with flexible electronics, the device ensures wearing comfort and long-term safety, while supporting round-the-clock monitoring and therapy, thereby becoming an indispensable health management tool in patients’ daily lives.

III. AI-Empowered Full-Cycle User Management

AI technology permeates the entire process, from product design to clinical application. During the data accumulation phase, AI continuously learns and optimizes models, providing support for future product iterations and expansion of indications. In the treatment phase, AI algorithms analyze physiological data in real time and dynamically adjust stimulation parameters to achieve precise modulation. By leveraging AI Agents, traditional scale-based assessments are integrated with objective physiological data to construct a more comprehensive disease evaluation system, thereby enhancing the precision and reliability of diagnosis and therapeutic outcomes.

IV. Significant Potential for Future Expansion into Multiple Indications

Future Brain’s wearable neuromodulation products not only cover basic indications such as neuropathic pain, migraine, and joint pain, but also extend to common neurological disorders including sleep disorders, anxiety and depression, and cognitive impairment. By deeply integrating AI technology with wearable hardware, the company is building a closed-loop system encompassing “monitoring–analysis–intervention,” serving as an entry point for full-cycle management of neurological diseases and a hardware platform for innovative therapies, thereby providing global patients with more efficient, convenient, and unobtrusive treatment options.

Wearable Neuromodulation AI Hardware: Data and Scenarios

As a hard-tech enterprise incubated by Zhejiang University, Future BrainLaw integrates the university’s motto of “Seeking Truth and Pursuing Innovation” into its corporate DNA, dedicating itself to the deep cultivation of technology and products while continuously creating value for users. Leveraging robust domestic R&D capabilities and supply chain accumulation, and integrating global brand and scientific research resources, Future BrainLaw has carved out a unique path in medical innovation. Its growth trajectory epitomizes China’s medical innovation strategy of “overtaking on a new track”—driven by clinical pain points, grounded in technological innovation, and guided by a global perspective, achieving breakthroughs in the field of hard tech.

Future Brain’s wearable neuromodulation AI hardware not only provides patients with superior solutions but also establishes a “Chinese Standard” in global competition. As brain science ascends to a national strategic priority, Future Brain will continue to uphold the spirit of seeking truth, shoulder its mission, and drive medical technological innovation, delivering more efficient and inclusive healthcare options for patients with neurological disorders worldwide. This is a technological force originating from Zhejiang University and rooted in China, spearheading a health revolution for the future.