Suzhou Huiwei Intelligent Medical Secures Tens of Millions in Series A Funding Amid AI Commercialization Challenges, with Flagship Product Deployed in Over 100 Hospitals
“AI is a major trend, but its implementation remains challenging.”
Artificial intelligence has a role to play in every stage of smart hospitals, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and health management. Since 2018, the medical AI market has entered a period of rapid development, with capital successively rushing in. However, in the past two years, due to issues such as high costs of AI enablement and difficulties in implementation, financing in the AI sector has slowed down. The challenge of commercializing “AI+” solutions is now facing enterprises, significantly impacting investors’ confidence and strategic allocation.
In the capital-intensive medical AI market, the test for companies has gradually expanded from a single dimension of scientific research strength to multiple dimensions such as product design, software adaptation, cost control, and high-quality user experience. High-quality AI healthcare companies have widened the gap with traditional AI healthcare companies in terms of product implementation. Taking core values—“High Quality, Low Cost, Great Experience"Guided by this principle and leveraging its highly cost-effective advantages, Suzhou Huiwei Intelligent Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as 'Huiwei') has emerged as a leading enterprise in the AI healthcare sector."
Following the completion of its Pre-A financing round in August 2021,Huiwei Successfully Completes Tens of Millions in Series A Financing. This round of financing was jointly invested by well-known domestic investment institutions such as Yuanhe Xinshuo, Qingzhou Capital, and Huzhou Yongkuan. The funds raised will mainly be used to strengthen the production and marketing of the company's registered products.
Huiwei Intelligence is a high-tech company dedicated to developing AI-enabled dynamic medical imaging technology. With its founding team having cultivated deep expertise in digestive diseases for many years, the company has leveraged its self-developed AI algorithms and edge computing architecture to pioneer entry into the more challenging niche of AI-assisted detection in dynamic medical imaging for digestive endoscopy, a sector characterized by stricter requirements for medical device hardware quality.
In mid-2021, Huiwei’s AI-assisted detection system for gastrointestinal lesions—the endoscopic “FrameProbe”—was officially launched.This product achieves comprehensive coverage for the detection of lesions in both the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts. Leveraging high-quality algorithms and computing power, it assists in lesion detection and classification, and automatically identifies, annotates, and alerts users to lesions during endoscopic examinations and surgical procedures, demonstrating exceptionally high sensitivity and specificity.
The product is compatible with mainstream digestive endoscope models from brands such as Olympus, Fujifilm, and Pentax, and hasDelivered and used in over 100 hospitals, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking University Third Hospital, Xiangya Hospital, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Jiangsu Province People’s Hospital, and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital., earning unanimous acclaim from hospitals, doctors, and patients.
As Class II products are rapidly commercialized, Huiwei is also actively advancing the clinical trials and regulatory registration of its Class III computer-aided diagnosis (CADx) products. The endoscopic “FrameProbe” product enables physicians to achieve real-time diagnosis of gastrointestinal lesions.Provides automatic recognition, annotation, alerts, and intelligent navigation during endoscopic surgery., featuring high computing power, low latency, high real-time performance, high sensitivity, and high compatibility.
According to the experimental results published in the top international journal IEEE JBHI by Huiwei and Xiangya Hospital of Central South University,Under various complex backgrounds (such as blurred backgrounds, specular reflections from the intestinal wall, and intraluminal foam), this system can accurately identify and localize polyps, achieving an accuracy of 99.36% and a recall rate of 96.44%.。
Leveraging these advantages, the endoscopic “FrameProbe” entered the National Medical Products Administration’s Special Approval Procedure for Innovative Medical Devices in October 2021, becomingChina’s First AI-Powered Dynamic Medical Imaging System Approved for the Special Review Pathway for Innovative Medical Devices. Currently, the product is undergoing registration trials for Class III clinical studies.
In addition to endoscopy-assisted detection and diagnostic products, Huiwei Intelligent is also developing value-added products and services such as intelligent medical video storage, quality control data recording, and statistics, with the aim of creating a digestive endoscopy-assisted diagnosis and treatment solution centered on AI-powered digestive endoscopy products.
In China’s rankings of cancer incidence and mortality, the incidence of gastrointestinal cancers closely follows that of lung cancer, which ranks first. According to the “2016 Cancer Incidence and Mortality in China,” gastrointestinal cancers accounted for five of the top ten most common newly diagnosed cancer cases, posing a serious threat to public health. In recent years, the incidence of gastrointestinal tumors in China has been on the rise, with 30% of patients already at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Under these circumstances, early diagnosis and early treatment represent the optimal approach for the prevention and management of gastrointestinal lesions. However, the following issues associated with conventional endoscopic diagnosis and treatment remain to be addressed:
1. During endoscopic examinations, certain gastrointestinal lesions exhibit characteristics similar to those of normal tissue and are often minute in size, making them inherently difficult to detect; furthermore, some lesions may be visible for only a fraction of a second during the procedure, posing significant challenges and imposing substantial visual strain on the examiner.
II. The gastrointestinal environment is inherently complex; surgical interference such as fluid accumulation and mucosal reflection, along with physiological peristalsis, patient tremors, and variations in endoscope insertion and withdrawal speeds, contribute to image blurring.
III. Poor quality of gastrointestinal tract cleansing preparation; obstruction and coverage of the inner wall of the gastrointestinal tract can interfere with clinicians' examinations;
IV. Currently, there are fewer than 40,000 gastroenterologists in China. According to 2019 statistics, approximately 40 million endoscopic procedures were performed nationwide throughout the year. The heavy clinical workload, with a ratio of 1:1,000, places immense physical and psychological strain on clinicians, leading to missed diagnoses due to fluctuations in their condition during work.
Driven by clinical needs, and to facilitate the detection of early-stage lesions such as polyps and cancer by physicians, Huiwei leverages cost-effective AI technology to assist doctors in improving the detection rate of gastrointestinal tract lesions. This approach addresses critical challenges in China, including a shortage of gastroenterologists, uneven distribution of medical resources, and varying performance levels of endoscopic equipment. Its innovative Class II and Class III medical devices fill market gaps, offering new possibilities for the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in China.
In 2019, Huiwei Intelligence was established. In the fiercely competitive medical AI market, where products for certain high-prevalence diseases have become increasingly homogeneous, Huiwei Intelligence adopted a differentiated strategy by entering the field of dynamic medical imaging AI—a sector characterized by high entry barriers and a scarcity of mature products—and developed AI solutions for digestive endoscopy and diabetic retinopathy screening. After more than three years of development, Huiwei Intelligence has achieved a leading position in product R&D, regulatory registration, and market promotion, becoming a representative enterprise in China’s dynamic medical imaging AI sector. This rapid progress is attributable to the company’s substantial technological accumulation and its highly efficient execution team.
The four founders of Huiwei Intelligence all come from top global research institutions and Fortune 500 companies, with years of deep expertise in the medical AI field and extensive experience in R&D and commercialization. “Artificial intelligence” and “edge computing” are the two core strengths empowering Huiwei Intelligence to break down barriers and expand its frontiers. Its dual-stream algorithms based on time and space can address challenges such as the high dynamic nature of clinical endoscopic examinations and the complexity and diversity of diseases.
In the field of medical AI, Huiwei Intelligent possesses fully independent core technologies and intellectual property rights. The company has published more than 300 papers, with related academic works cited over 10,000 times worldwide. To date, Huiwei Intelligent holds 11 patents, including 4 invention patents and 7 software copyrights.
Throughout its development, Huiwei Intelligence has been continuously accumulating external resources to build an innovative ecosystem for medical AI.Clinically, the company has established close collaborations with Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the 301 Hospital (Chinese PLA General Hospital), and Xiangya Hospital. In terms of R&D, it engages in deep cooperation with globally renowned manufacturers such as NVIDIA and LEADTEK in areas including hardware design and manufacturing.
In the future, leveraging its independently developed core technologies and robust ecosystem of partners, Huiwei Intelligence will continue to focus on the dynamic medical imaging AI market, driving the clinical deployment and Class III regulatory registration of its existing products, while developing complementary products and services to cover a broader range of clinical endoscopic diagnosis and treatment procedures. Meanwhile, by fully capitalizing on its competitive advantages in medical-engineering integration, product commercialization, and business models, the company will continuously deepen and expand its business scope.
Against the backdrop of an accelerating aging population, growing healthcare demands, and uneven distribution of medical resources across regions, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into healthcare scenarios is becoming increasingly tight. The medical AI market is developing rapidly, with products gaining successive approvals, registration and approval processes becoming increasingly standardized, and clinical applications gradually expanding. As market competition intensifies, it increasingly tests companies’ comprehensive capabilities in research and development, production, and commercialization. Leveraging its profound technological accumulation, well-established industrial layout, and abundant clinical resources, Huiwei is poised to achieve a leading position and advance toward its ambitious goal of becoming a “globally leading provider of AI technologies, products, and services for ‘dynamic medical imaging.’”
Liu Kangjian, Partner at Qingzhou Capital, stated: “Huiwei Intelligent Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as ‘Huiwei’) is a technology-driven enterprise. Built upon proprietary technologies with global intellectual property rights and supported by a comprehensive system encompassing design, R&D, testing, clinical validation, and manufacturing, Huiwei is well-positioned to provide high-end medical device products of international advanced standards to patients worldwide in the future. This is the primary reason we recognize Huiwei’s achievements in AI for digestive endoscopy and dynamic medical imaging. Qingzhou Capital has been actively seeking outstanding startups in the smart healthcare sector. Huiwei demonstrates innovation not only in its products but also in its delivery strategy and business model. We are highly optimistic about Huiwei’s growth and are committed to growing alongside the company. We look forward to Huiwei leading high-quality development in the field of AI-powered dynamic medical imaging, carving out a unique path for innovative Chinese-made medical devices, and accelerating its entry into the new blue ocean of the international market.”
Lan Shaoguang of Huzhou Yongkuan Capital stated, “The founding team of Huiwei boasts extensive industry connections and over two decades of senior experience across computer science, clinical practice, and evidence-based medicine, which deeply impressed us. The founders, who have been classmates and have studied, lived, and worked together for many years, demonstrate clear division of labor and complementary strengths, giving us confidence in the company’s potential for success. In evaluating Huiwei’s core technologies, we observed its continuously refined dynamic medical imaging datasets and artificial intelligence algorithm models. This leads us to believe that Huiwei is well-positioned to sustainably support hospitals’ digital transformation, help physicians reduce missed diagnoses and increase revenue, and enable patients to receive better medical services. Yongkuan Capital firmly believes that only through continuous innovation can the path to the future become increasingly broad. We are delighted to invest in Huiwei alongside both new and existing shareholders, and to assist the company in reaching new heights.”