Stanern Technology: Driving Rapid Growth in Rehabilitation Informatization Amid the Pandemic

For Li Jijia, CEO of Stann Technology, there are three things he takes pride in:

First, as a grassroots startup relying on an initial capital of 200,000 yuan, Sichuan Stann Technology Co., Ltd. has grown from a one-person operation to a team of over 40 employees; it has also expanded from having just one agency partner to currently partnering with nearly 60 agents and distributors of varying sizes.

Second, as a startup that encountered the “pandemic” in its early stages, Stann Technology has secured collaborations with numerous clients and won multiple “orders” by outperforming products from several industry veterans.

Third, despite the significant uncertainties that the pandemic introduced to corporate development, Sichuan Stann Technology Co., Ltd. maintained robust growth momentum. In the past two years, its total bid amounts and the number of successful clients have ranked among the top in the industry.

What enabled Stann Technology to rapidly forge partnerships with numerous clients and achieve swift growth during the pandemic? The answer may lie in Li Jijia’s account.

Li Jijia’s decision to launch a venture in the field of rehabilitation informatics was driven by his assessment of industry trends as well as his prior professional experience.

In his view, the field of rehabilitation informatics presents significant opportunities for development.

On one hand, the state is vigorously promoting rehabilitation medicine; however, there is significant room for improvement in the “standardization” of informatization construction within the rehabilitation sector, particularly in medical institutions. Since rehabilitation medical services can reduce clinical disability rates, enhance patients’ self-care abilities and quality of life, and even help lower hospitalization costs, both national and local authorities are placing increasing emphasis on rehabilitation medicine and continuously issuing policies to drive its development. In the current context where epidemics occur intermittently, there is substantial growth potential for providing “cost-effective” informatization solutions tailored to rehabilitation medical institutions.

On the other hand, driven by the growing emphasis on rehabilitation concepts and the aging population, rehabilitation medical services are poised for a new wave of development, creating a demand for hospitals to build their own rehabilitation information systems. In this process, most hospitals are grappling with how to better manage rehabilitation data and enhance patient outcomes through improved rehabilitation efficacy. In recent years, electronic medical record (EMR) grading assessments have imposed requirements on treatment data, leading to increased attention on specialized rehabilitation software. Furthermore, the funding source for these projects is shifting from rehabilitation departments to information technology departments within hospitals. This change in internal payers further reduces development barriers for companies specializing in rehabilitation informatization, such as Sichuan Stann Technology Co., Ltd.

Furthermore, data silos remain prevalent in the current healthcare sector. How to better achieve interconnectivity, further break down data barriers, and integrate patient rehabilitation data from both within and outside hospitals to better support patient recovery is a key focus and strategic direction for Sichuan Stann Technology Co., Ltd. This aligns with the industry’s development trends. According to the 2022 China Rehabilitation Medical Industry Report by VBInsight, the adoption rate of rehabilitation informatics is only 18.9% among tertiary hospitals nationwide, 9.7% among secondary hospitals, and 6.1% among other medical institutions. This not only highlights that rehabilitation informatics is increasingly becoming a “rigid demand,” but also indicates significant potential for future growth.

In fact, this perspective is closely tied to Li Jijia’s prior professional experience.

Li Jijia, who holds academic backgrounds in both computer science and accounting, made a decisive career shift into the healthcare industry to join the ranks of professionals advancing healthcare informatization. This move followed three years of work experience in his original fields and a reevaluation of his professional trajectory. Previously, he had briefly considered entrepreneurship, initially focusing on the elderly care sector. However, due to the complex demands within elderly care informatization and the potentially low transaction values, he chose to abandon this path after a short period of observation. Subsequently, he joined a company specializing in rehabilitation software, where he quietly accumulated industry insights and practical experience. Ultimately, he decided to launch his own venture in the field of rehabilitation informatization.

Currently, Stann Technology has grown from a single founder into a team of nearly 40 members, including several seasoned industry professionals. For instance, Huang Jin, the company’s CMO, previously served as the National Sales Director at a rehabilitation robotics equipment enterprise. Liu Wenxi, one of the CTOs, brings extensive experience in conducting informatization surveys, implementation, and after-sales support for over 300 rehabilitation institutions, along with rich product design expertise. The other CTO, Yang Jie, holds a Master’s degree in Computer Software Engineering from Sichuan University and has ten years of software R&D experience in the healthcare sector, including six years specifically focused on medical rehabilitation. He has participated in and led the development of multiple enterprise-level software systems valued at tens of millions of yuan.
 

After deciding to enter the field of rehabilitation informatics, Stann Technology has successively launched a series of “products,” primarily including:

# Information Technology Solutions for Rehabilitation Medical InstitutionsStann Technology provides tailored solutions for various types of healthcare institutions, including rehabilitation medicine departments (centers), specialized rehabilitation hospitals, and rehabilitation clinics, addressing their distinct clinical scenarios.

Functional Modules of Stann Technology’s Rehabilitation Informatics System

Launch of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Management System. Stann Technology noted that it is one of the few companies deeply committed to this sector. Currently, some top-tier Grade 3A hospitals are using Stann Technology’s Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Management System.

Relevant systems and solutions for departments such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture and tuina. These solutions have already been implemented in some hospitals.

From a strategic perspective, Stann Technology’s approach is well-founded. Currently, some directors of rehabilitation departments also oversee hyperbaric oxygen therapy and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) massage units. For hospitals that have already implemented Stann Technology’s rehabilitation information system, further expansion entails lower costs and shorter implementation cycles. Moreover, developing such integrated systems can reduce the time medical staff spend on non-clinical administrative tasks, thereby enhancing their overall work efficiency.

Furthermore, Sichuan Stann Technology Co., Ltd. also stated that it is currently investing in the research and development of intelligent gait assessment equipment, with production expected to commence after the Chinese New Year.

In fact, numerous industry players have previously entered the field of rehabilitation information technology development. According to Li Jijia, their ability to more effectively advance and implement these initiatives is attributable to the following factors:

First, Stann Technology has built a professional team that combines deep expertise in healthcare informatics with profound knowledge and understanding of rehabilitation and rehabilitation informatics. The core R&D team members all have over ten years of experience in developing Hospital Information Systems (HIS), enabling efficient integration with various HIS platforms to create stable rehabilitation informatics systems. Meanwhile, Stann Technology’s product team includes several product managers with extensive practical experience in rehabilitation informatics construction. From the initial design phase, they accounted for the diverse needs of different rehabilitation medical institutions. As a result, while the products are “new,” they feature an optimized framework and a high starting point.

Secondly, there is the high operational efficiency of Stann Technology. On one hand, its professional team ensures efficient implementation, rapidly meeting customer needs and achieving construction goals. On the other hand, the company employs a “dimensionality-reduction strategy” in its business philosophy. Stann Technology has actively addressed questions such as: How can requirements for human resources be lowered? How can optimization of the technical framework enable junior R&D staff new to the company to quickly become productive? How can implementation difficulty be reduced so that more fresh graduates can deliver high-quality services to customers through standardized and systematic training? And how can the “sales difficulty” for partners be minimized? Li Jijia confidently stated that Stann Technology is likely one of the few companies in the industry capable of achieving profitability. These concepts and their execution have effectively enhanced Stann Technology’s “resilience” amid the economic uncertainties brought about by the pandemic.

From the perspective of the entire ecosystem planned by Stann Technology, building an ecosystem that encompasses both hardware and software will facilitate the future integration of various intelligent rehabilitation devices. This will further promote broader coverage of related equipment, thereby enabling the convergence of clinical data, rehabilitation data, and other information, ultimately providing higher-quality rehabilitation services to both healthcare providers and patients.

Currently, Stann Technology has established partnerships with numerous institutions, including dozens of tertiary hospitals and other rehabilitation medical facilities. Moreover, over 180 primary-level and community rehabilitation centers in a certain province have adopted systems from Stann Technology.

Beyond an experienced team and a philosophy of efficient operations, innovation is the most core “secret” for Li Jijia.

He mentioned that an industry veteran once told him, “Old paths cannot lead to new places,” a remark that has remained deeply ingrained in his mind. Even though Sichuan Stann Technology Co., Ltd. is a startup, Li Jijia has chosen to continuously invest in the direction of “innovation.”

In terms of product innovation, since its establishment, Sichuan Stann Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Stann”) has continuously explored new solutions to meet the needs of many customers and even potential clients. Over the past two years, Stann has launched numerous “innovative” products, such as the IoT smart plug for rehabilitation equipment. This device monitors the usage of rehabilitation equipment by tracking current, power consumption, and voltage, thereby helping customers better manage their rehabilitation devices. Another example is the smart wearable watch designed specifically for therapists. According to reports, its inspiration came from a chief therapist at a large hospital. Additionally, in the area of data entry for rehabilitation software, Stann innovatively proposed an “offline speech recognition + terminology” solution, further improving user input efficiency. The company’s intelligent scheduling dashboard, which displays project status and progress in real time, has also enabled more refined departmental management.

In terms of market innovation, Sichuan Stann Technology Co., Ltd. officially launched the program “Product Managers Speak” in May this year. The program features popular science explanations of the functionalities of rehabilitation informatics products, as well as practical implementation summaries from various types of users. Through this initiative, Sichuan Stann Technology aims to further promote industry development and contribute to the widespread adoption of rehabilitation informatics.

In terms of business model innovation, Stann Technology officially launched the “Mercury Project” in May. The initiative aims to further shorten implementation cycles, improve implementation efficiency, and reduce customers’ costs for informatization applications. “By driving down costs and prices, we enable more rehabilitation medical institutions to benefit from the convenience of rehabilitation informatization.” For Li Jijia, this represents the core value of Stann Technology.

Li Jijia mentioned that over the past two years, Stann Technology has adopted a strategy of dedicating the first year to product development, followed by targeted regional expansion with a focus on several key provinces; thus, its market expansion has not yet been fully rolled out. In the past year, the company has established collaborations with numerous hospitals, including Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Chengdu Third People’s Hospital, The Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital, Gansu Central Hospital, Jiangsu Shengze Hospital, Hubei Rongjun Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Jiangning Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, and Jining Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Just as the name "Stann" is derived from Saturn, Li Jijia pointed out that the company hopes to emulate Saturn, with its distinctive ring system of satellites, by joining hands with a wider variety of partners for mutual development and progress. Since its inception, Stann Technology has not established a sales department, operating only with a marketing department, and plans to add only a customer service center in the future. This initial strategic design aims to help its partners better serve their customers.

It is understood that Stann Technology planned to conduct fundraising in early 2023, with target investors identified since the company’s inception. These include various partners across the rehabilitation industry chain, and even competitors. Through its “Mercury Project,” combined with fundraising and resource integration, Sichuan Stann Technology Co., Ltd. aims to rapidly achieve nationwide coverage of “rehabilitation informatization” construction among diverse medical institutions specializing in rehabilitation. Given the substantial number of benchmark hospitals already established, this may not pose a significant challenge for Li Jijia.