VB-Link Future Medical Specialty Innovation Challenge Concludes Successfully in Yu-Xiang, Tianjin ETDZ with 24 Award-Winning Projects
On June 29, the award ceremony for the VB-Link Future Healthcare Specialty Innovation Solutions Challenge (hereinafter referred to as the VB-Link Competition) was held at the InterContinental Hotel in Yujiapu, Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area. After fierce competition in the national finals, 24 projects were awarded first, second, and third prizes across four major fields: neurology, cardiology, ophthalmology, and oncology. The winners included Zhuokai Biotechnology’s “Development of First-in-Class Drugs for CNS Disorders Using Phenotypic Screening,” Mihe Medical’s “Non-Tissue Material Artificial Cornea Dedicated to Restoring Vision in Blind Patients (with Corneal Injury),” Mayo Heart Magnetism’s “Robotic Equipment and Consumables for Cardiac Interventional Surgery,” and Aikai Biotechnology’s “Universal Cell Therapy for Malignant Pleural and Peritoneal Tumors Based on Reprogramming Technology.”
Xu Fei, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area; Zheng Yi, Regional General Manager of Beijing Zhongguancun Information Valley Asset Management Co., Ltd.; Li Datao, Founder of VCBeat; and Dong Qing, Director of the Medical Device Supervision Division of the Tianjin Municipal Medical Products Administration, attended the event and presented awards to the winning projects.
VB-Link Future Healthcare Specialty Innovation Solutions Challenge — Ophthalmology Session Awards Ceremony
VB-Link Future Healthcare Specialty Innovation Solutions Challenge—Neurology Session Awards Ceremony
VB-Link Future Healthcare Specialty Innovation Solutions Challenge – Cardiovascular Session Awards Ceremony
VB-Link Future Healthcare Specialty Innovation Solutions Challenge — Oncology Session Awards Ceremony
As part of the Tianjin Future Medical Innovation Week, the Future Medical Specialty Innovation Solutions Challenge is hosted by VB100, VCBeat, Zhongguancun Development Group, and the Administrative Committee of Tianjin Binhai–Zhongguancun Science Park, with co-hosting by China Technology Exchange and Tianjin Zhongguancun Science Park Operation Service Co., Ltd. The event has also received strong support from nearly 40 leading investment firms, multinational corporations, and innovation centers. The competition features four specialty tracks—neurology, cardiology, ophthalmology, and oncology—aimed at identifying solutions to clinical pain points in these specialties, building a professional bridge for the growth and implementation of medical innovation projects, and promoting the translation and application of innovative solutions for specific diseases and specialties.
The VB-Link Competition spanned three months, focusing on four key specialties: neurology, oncology, cardiovascular medicine, and ophthalmology. It attracted over 100 solutions and held city-level semi-finals in Beijing, Tianjin, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. The national grand finale took place on June 28 in the “Yuxiang” area of the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area. The judging panel included Tang Yu, Head of the GCP Center Office at the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Zhao Junjing, Associate Chief Physician of Ophthalmology at the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Song Mingxuan, Secretary-General of the CAS Advanced Medical Device Industry Incubation Alliance; and more than ten other experts from fields such as Biogen Medical, Chuangrui Investment, Qiushi Capital, Phoenix Valley Medical, Legend Capital, Qihang Venture Capital Management, Hetang Venture Capital, and Vision Investment. The entries were comprehensively evaluated across six criteria: completeness of business plans, team background, project innovation, market operations, unique advantages, and on-site presentation performance. The final was hosted by Bi Yuanfeng, Co-founder and COO of VCBeat. Following sequential roadshows by each project, the competition awarded one first-prize, two second-prize, and three third-prize projects in each of the four categories: neurology, oncology, cardiovascular medicine, and ophthalmology.
Based on the awarded projects in this competition, participants included industry leaders, young scientists, and medical teams. Among them, some projects were translational research outcomes from institutions such as the University of Oxford, Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, and the Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Furthermore, the winning projects covered fields such as innovative medical devices, biopharmaceuticals, and digital therapeutics, including brain organoid platforms, implantable and interventional devices, ophthalmic surgical robots, and gene therapy drugs. These diverse and novel innovations will inject fresh vitality into the high-quality development of the industry.
Furthermore, the VB-Link Award was announced at the awards ceremony of the Future Healthcare Specialty Innovation Solutions Challenge. The award features categories including the Outstanding Fund for Annual Translational Innovation, the Outstanding Figure in Annual Translational Empowerment, the Outstanding Young Scientist in Annual Translational Innovation, the Outstanding Investor in Annual Translational Innovation, the Annual Translational Innovation Project – [Biopharmaceutical Group], and the Annual Translational Innovation Project – [Medical Device Group], covering three major categories: institutions, individuals, and projects.
It is understood that, following the awards ceremonyFurthermore, the event organizers will leverage the VB-Link Future Medical Research Achievements Translation and Cooperation Conference, adopting a combined “summit + forum” format. This initiative aims to provide award-winning projects with a window to showcase their strengths, opportunities for professional exchange, and a platform for resource matchmaking. By engaging professionals from government, industry, healthcare, and investment sectors, the conference will focus on frontier research, the translation of academic achievements into industrial applications, and supply chain development. Through these efforts, participants will discuss development strategies and build consensus, thereby injecting new momentum into the translation and application of innovative solutions for specialized diseases and disciplines.
