Aikai Medical Secures Tens of Millions in Funding to Advance Digital Neuromodulation and Break Through Foreign Technological Bottlenecks

Shanghai Aikai Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Aikai Medical”) and the Management Committee of Juxian Economic Development Zone, Shandong ProvinceSecured a multi-million-yuan investment agreement for the computing power center and precision electronic medical device project. This round of funding will be primarily used for the mass production of iKai Medical’s digital neuroelectrical stimulation therapy devices, includingNew product R&D, clinical studies, regulatory submissions, core technology iteration, and commercial expansion.

Successful design of medical-grade implants must address issues ranging fromMaterials SciencetoBattery Technology、Large-Scale Electronic ChipsToInformation Securityamong other technical challenges. Developed countries in Europe and the United States have conducted long-term, in-depth research and practical validation in this field. They hold an absolute monopoly, particularly in the area of neural (or meridian) stimulation interventions. Companies such as Medtronic, Boston Scientific Corporation, Abbott, Stryker, and Johnson & Johnson dominate the Chinese market. This has become a critical technological bottleneck for China. Meanwhile, China’s production volume of neurostimulators accounts for only about 1.63% of the global total, indicating immense potential for market growth.

This figure illustrates the application of neuroelectrical stimulation across various body regions. As the birthplace of acupuncture, China boasts millennia of accumulated expertise in the understanding and application of acupoints and meridians, providing robust support for the use of electrical nerve stimulation in treating diverse diseases and enabling long-term therapeutic interventions.

Neurological disorders have surpassed cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of poor health globally. In 2021, more than 3.4 billion people—43% of the global population—experienced symptoms of neurological disorders. Among these conditions, tension-type headaches and migraines are the most prevalent, while diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the fastest-growing, driven by the substantial increase in diabetes cases. Most neurological disorders are incurable.

The key challenge to effective treatment isDetermining the Stimulation Target and “Dose”, employing a variety of configurable stimulation parameters, including the route of stimulation, frequency, pulse width, duration, and current, as well as whether the stimulation is delivered as monotherapy, continuously, with a duty cycle, or in a responsive manner.

Another factor to consider isTreatment Duration. For many neuromodulation therapies, clinical improvements become increasingly evident over time, measured in months, such as post-stroke recovery, or in years, such as epilepsy.

Aikai Medical has deeply cultivated the field of neural electrical stimulation, pioneering breakthrough approaches such as single-needle acupoint stimulation and matrix array needle configurations for acupoint fields. By leveraging frequency-modulated sine waves with precise wavelength control, the system delivers accurate and effective long-term targeted strategic stimulation to help establish immune system memory. The device’s algorithm integrates circadian feedback regulation of stimulation patterns with short-term response switching modes, operating in a manner akin to the body’s natural physiological control mechanisms.

Neuroelectrical Stimulation Localization (Acupoint Locator) is a core auxiliary device in Aikai Medical’s product portfolio. It enables precise operation and installation without reliance on expert physicians, thereby ensuring high-quality, standardized therapeutic outcomes.

Meanwhile, iCare Medical has established an industry-leading digital therapeutics manufacturing facility. In conjunction with digital neuromodulation devices, this infrastructure enables an enhanced combination therapy regimen. Physicians can customize digital therapeutic waveforms on the platform to deliver fully personalized treatment, while simultaneously accumulating and securing personal intellectual property rights, thereby realizing professional value.

Zhu Wei, founder of Aikai Medical, stated“iKai Multi-Point Neural (Multi-Acupoint) Electrical Stimulation and the Meridian Large Model Represent a New Generation of Digital Neuroelectrical Stimulation for Long-Term Intervention in Multiple Diseases. This is a Major Technological Breakthrough That Overcomes Critical Technologies Previously Controlled by Europe and the United States, Bringing Great Benefit to Patients Suffering from Pain. In Particular, Its Convenient and Precise Application Offers Broad Prospects for Primary Healthcare.”

Lin Xueren, Co-Founder of Aikai Medical, stated“We have collaborated with neurology experts from multiple Grade 3A teaching hospitals, and have established a preliminary expert consensus on micro-invasive electrical stimulation therapy for chronic neuropathic pain, laying the groundwork for product promotion. The neuromodulation market is substantial, yet it remains dominated by European and American companies; advancing domestic alternatives requires active support from the industry.”

The head of the Investment Promotion Department of the Juxian Economic Development Zone Management Committee stated: The Juxian Economic Development Zone has consistently prioritized enhancing service efficiency and continuously optimizing the business environment as a solid guarantee for accelerating high-quality development. The project progressed from initial engagement to reaching an investment intention in just one month, with procedures such as company registration, bank account opening, and lease agreement signing completed within a week. Moving forward, the zone will continue to deepen innovations across all areas of the business environment to ensure the smooth launch of projects, expedite their commencement of production and realization of benefits, and accelerate the implementation of practical initiatives.

Founded in 2018 by experts returning from overseas, the company is an R&D-focused digital health technology firm primarily engaged in the development of minimally invasive digital neuroelectrical stimulation devices, digital therapeutics, healthcare informatization, big data applications, and AI solutions. Aikai Medical specializes in digital therapeutics, digital medical hardware products, and AI-driven disease diagnosis and treatment, while also offering a comprehensive suite of hospital-wide informatization systems, closely integrated medical consortium solutions, and internet hospital platforms.

iKai Medical’s digital health initiatives currently focus primarily on high-barrier areas such as cancer (lung, breast, gastric, and colorectal cancers), pain management, and cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, heart failure, etc.), while gradually expanding to cover indications including substance use disorders, depression, insomnia, and smoking cessation.

Ju County, located at a key node of the Belt and Road Initiative, in the southern part of the Bohai Rim Economic Circle, and at the important intersection of the Shandong Peninsula Blue Economic Zone and the Southern Shandong Economic Belt, boasts convenient transportation. It is recognized as one of China’s Top 100 Counties with Investment Potential, one of China’s Top 100 Counties and Cities for Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation Vitality, a Shandong Province County for Progress in High-Quality Development, and a Shandong Province County with an Outstanding Business Environment.

The Juxian Economic Development Zone is planning and constructing a Medical Device Industrial Park. Phase I of the project covers an area of 225 mu, with five standardized factory buildings and one supporting service center already completed and delivered for use. Guided by the development philosophy of “high-end leadership, smart innovation, professional incubation, and industrial ecosystem,” the park integrates functions such as R&D, incubation, production, and services, with a focus on cultivating and developing the high-end medical device industry.

Juxian County is indeed the birthplace of Chinese acupuncture. Since the predecessor of the acupuncture needle was the Bian stone, which originated in the Dongyi region, the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon (Huangdi Neijing), in its chapter “Discourse on Different Methods Suited to Different Regions” (Yi Fa Fang Yi Lun), records: “Bian stones also came from the East.” Quan Yuanqi, in his annotation of the Su Wen (Basic Questions), stated: “People in the eastern regions were prone to abscesses, swellings, and nodular accumulations; hence, Bian stones originated in the East.” Bian stones have a longer history of application in the Ju area.