After 17 Years in Reproductive Health, Why Is Yunying Group Expanding into Regenerative Medicine?

Twenty years ago, Wang Xiaoyu, on the verge of graduating from university, faced a major life decision: whether to follow his mentor to the Guangdong Reproductive Center or join the pesticide research laboratory of a state-owned enterprise.

At that time, a remark from his mentor tipped the scales in favor of one option. That remark was: “In the future, most human births will require assisted reproductive technologies to be achieved.” The answer became clear—continue to deepen his expertise in the field of reproductive health.

Two decades later, surveying the current state of China’s reproductive health industry and witnessing how Yunying Group, which he founded, has helped numerous families overcome fertility challenges, Wang Xiaoyu deeply appreciates the weight of his mentor’s words and recognizes that the road ahead for China’s reproductive health sector remains “long and arduous.”

While young people in China today are vocal about choosing not to have children, the country’s assisted reproductive technology (ART) market has still reached RMB 56.91 billion, with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.5%.

In addition to the boost from favorable policies, the market’s rapid growth is naturally driven by the substantial demand for assisted reproductive technology (ART). According to projections by the National Medical Products Administration, China’s infertility rate will rise to 18.2% in 2023, with the number of infertile patients expected to exceed 50 million. Furthermore, in a previous VCBeat article analyzing the ART industry, it was reported by the head of an ART institution that “approximately 20% of infertile individuals opt for assisted reproductive technology.”

Looking ahead, with further advancements in assisted reproductive technology (ART) and increasingly favorable reimbursement policies, the penetration rate of China’s ART market is poised to rise. Even without accounting for the market expansion driven by future increases in penetration, the current scale of the ART market in China is already substantial.

Moreover, assisted reproductive technology (ART) is not synonymous with the entire reproductive health industry. In addition to ART, the reproductive health industry encompasses prenatal screening and diagnosis, as well as digital health platforms for fertility. For instance, the market size of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) alone is projected to reach RMB 13.3 billion by 2026 (Source: iResearch).

Yunying Group has been rooted in the reproductive health sector since 2007.

In 2007, the core team of Yunying Group was established at the Shaoguan Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Guangdong Province, gradually forming a professional team specializing in medical technology and consulting. A decade later, the Yunying team entered into strategic partnerships with Thailand’s EK Hospital, Russia’s ICRM, and Malaysia’s Sunfert Fertility Centre, officially launching its cross-border healthcare services. In 2018 and 2020, Shanghai Yunying Biotechnology, Shanghai Yunying Health Medical Research Group, Yunbao Internet Hospital, and Yunying Obstetrics and Gynecology Reproductive Physicians Group were successively established. In 2022, Yunying’s one-stop reproductive health consulting service platform, “Have Baby” Yunying Reproduction, was launched at the Shanghai New Hongqiao International Medical Center, Xi’an Wanzhong International Medical Center, and Shanghai International Medical Center, among others.

At first glance, Yunying Group’s business system appears intricate and complex; however, as the interview progressed, Wang Xiaoyu explained to VCBeat the logical connections among the group’s various business layouts.

What Yunying Group does is inextricably linked to assisted reproduction.

According to Wang Xiaoyu, Yunying Group currently provides assisted reproductive health management services under the brand “Yunying Reproductive.” Throughout the entire process of assisted reproductive health management, and in compliance with relevant laws and regulations, Yunying Reproductive primarily delivers reproductive medicine diagnosis and treatment services through deep collaborations with professional medical service institutions and hospitals qualified to perform human assisted reproductive technologies.

For example, in Shanghai, Yunying Reproduction leverages the advantageous therapeutic specialties of Shanghai New Hongqiao International Medical Center, such as gynecology and reproductive health, to provide precision reproductive health management services, and has established an in-depth collaboration with the Reproductive Medicine Center of Shanghai International Medical Center.

VCBeat has learned that the Reproductive Medicine Center at Shanghai International Medical Center is led by Lu Guangxiu, a renowned Chinese reproductive medicine and medical genetics expert and “Xiangya Famous Doctor.” Established with the support of the assisted reproductive technology team from CITIC-Xiangya Reproductive & Genetic Hospital, the center focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of refractory infertility.

As early as 2018, the total number of IVF cycles at CITIC-Xiangya Reproductive & Genetic Hospital exceeded 49,000, with an average clinical pregnancy rate for fresh embryo transfers reaching 62.9%. Through its collaboration with Shanghai International Medical Center’s Reproductive Medicine Center, Yunying Reproduction aims to bring the nearly 40 years of advanced expertise and technology from CITIC-Xiangya Reproductive & Genetic Hospital to more patients in need of assisted reproductive services.

In Xi’an, Yunying Fertility also provides reproductive endocrinology diagnosis and treatment as well as health management services to women of childbearing age in the surrounding areas through collaborations with multiple reproductive medicine centers.

Furthermore, to help patients find the most suitable physician in the shortest time, Yunying Reproductive Health has established the Yunying Obstetrics and Gynecology Reproductive Medicine Physician Group. This initiative not only facilitates efficient physician-patient matching but also allows physicians to devote more time and energy to enhancing their clinical diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities as well as their academic research proficiency.

Furthermore, to overcome the spatial limitations between hospitals and patients, Yunying Reproductive Health established Yunbao Internet Hospital (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., dedicated to delivering reproductive health services via the internet in line with the vision of “Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere.”
 
“Moreover, Yunying Fertility has specially launched the ‘ART Six-to-One Concierge Service,’ which includes a fertility concierge, preconception care concierge, clinical care concierge, embryo transfer concierge, prenatal care concierge, and labor preparation concierge. ‘For couples seeking to conceive, this service provides professional guidance and tracking management throughout the entire process—from initial consultation to successful childbirth—enabling them to fulfill their dream of starting a family in a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere,’ stated Wang Xiaoyu.”

However, it is important to note that Yunying Group’s ambitions extend far beyond assisted reproductive technology.

From an organizational perspective, Yunying Reproduction, as mentioned earlier, is merely a part of the business system of Yunying Group. In addition to Yunying Reproduction, Yunying Group also includes two major business segments: Yunying Technology and Yunying Future Time.

Among these, Yunying Technology collaborates with third-party testing and inspection agencies to jointly provide biomedical genetic testing services, including genetic testing, menopause testing, and circulating tumor cell (CTC) testing.

In the interview, Wang Xiaoyu also revealed to VCBeat the reasons behind Yunying Group’s strategic expansion into genetic testing services: “On one hand, we aim to help users achieve better eugenics and healthy childbirth through biological genetic testing services; on the other hand, we seek to enhance our reproductive health business layout, ensuring that our services are not only professionally deep but also broad in scope.”

Similarly, to broaden the depth and breadth of its services, Yunying Group has expanded its business into regenerative medicine and established the brand “Yunying Future Time,” which primarily provides regenerative medicine and menopause health management solutions to users in need. In Yunying Group’s view, reproductive health encompasses not only fertility health but also mental and physical well-being. Therefore, while focusing on fertility health, equal attention should be paid to initiatives related to mental and physical health.

While expanding its business boundaries, Yunying Group is also continuously scaling up its operations. VCBeat has learned that, in the future, Yunying Group will expand its scale by focusing on the Yangtze River Delta region, building upon its existing service footprint primarily covering Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. The company aims to establish 10,000 “Yunying Reproductive Health” consulting service outlets across the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions within three years, bringing its specialized reproductive health services to more families and individuals in need.