Lifeshield Medical Secures Hundreds of Millions of RMB to Advance Development and Industrialization of Life Support Systems

Lifeshield Medical, which owns two wholly-owned subsidiaries—Germany-based enmodes GmbH and Suzhou Feidun Medical—recently announced the completion of a financing round worth hundreds of millions of RMB. The company is committed to becoming a leading enterprise in China with a diversified product portfolio of life support systems.This round of financing was led by PICC Capital, with existing investor Proxima Ventures continuing to invest, and Baicui Capital, Guojun Holdings, and Naxin Capital participating as co-investors.

This round of financing will be used for the research and development, production, and human clinical trials of multiple products, including the company’s new generation of intracorporeal cardiac support systems, extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) systems for the treatment of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) systems. The company will also actively collaborate with clinicians in China to continue the R&D and commercialization of innovative life support system products and solutions for the heart, brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys, thereby meeting clinical demands in the Chinese and EU markets and serving more patients.

Lifeshield Medical owns two wholly-owned subsidiaries: enmodes GmbH in Germany and Suzhou Feidun Medical.enmodes GmbH serves as the global R&D center and is responsible for market expansion in Europe; Suzhou Feidun Medical is responsible for the R&D of select products, operates the global production base, and handles market expansion in the Greater China region.

The founders of enmodes GmbH are Professor Tim Kaufmann and Professor Ulrich Steinseifer.

Professor Ulrich Steinseifer is the Director of the Institute for Cardiovascular Engineering at RWTH Aachen University, with over 30 years of experience in the research and development, testing, and commercialization of artificial organs.

The Company’s Chief Executive Officer is Professor Tim Kaufmann, who holds a Ph.D. in Medical Engineering from RWTH Aachen University and is the youngest professor at the university. He has established a global biomedical engineering network and serves as a board member of three major international associations: ISMCS, ESAO, and ASAIO. Professor Kaufmann was honored with the Top 3 Startup CEO Award across the European Union. In 2019, he received the Suzhou New District Science and Technology Innovation Talent Award and the Gusu Innovation Leading Talent Award.

enmodes GmbH boasts a team of more than 20 world-class scientists and engineers,Ranked No. 1 among European medical device startups by the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology)。

Over the past decade, the company has provided R&D and design services to numerous renowned multinational medical device companies, supporting some clients in conducting clinical trials and large-scale technology transfer for mass production. Its product portfolio includes interventional left ventricular assist systems, extracorporeal blood pumps, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) systems. Multiple products have successfully completed human clinical trials and received regulatory approval for entry into European and American markets, with some becoming among the most advanced products globally.

Suzhou Feidun Medical was established in 2018, with its headquarters located in Suzhou New District.A GMP- and ISO 13485-compliant manufacturing facility has been established, along with a comprehensive procurement, production, and quality management system.The Chinese management team of Suzhou Feidun Medical comprises a group of partners who share the same beliefs and entrepreneurial dreams.

The Company’s Chief Executive Officer has over 20 years of experience working at multiple multinational medical device companies. He served for many years as the Head of Medtronic’s Structural Heart Disease business unit, accumulating extensive expertise in strategic development and team management within the cardiovascular field. He has established long-term collaborative partnerships with leading clinical experts in China, facilitating the promotion and widespread adoption of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) products and therapies in the Chinese market.

The Director of the Clinical Marketing Department previously served as Head of Marketing at LivaNova, a globally renowned manufacturer of life support systems, for many years. He/She possesses extensive experience in strategic market planning and promotion for cardiac surgical valves, cardiopulmonary bypass, and ECMO products.

The Quality Director previously served as Head of Quality at Baxter and Maquet, a global leader in ECMO technology, for many years. He possesses extensive experience in managing quality systems for R&D and manufacturing. His accomplishments include overseeing the transfer of Maquet’s ECMO production line, leading material localization initiatives, and establishing the quality system for Maquet’s manufacturing facility in China.

The Director of Regulatory and Registration Affairs previously held clinical registration roles for multiple passive and active medical devices at St. Jude (acquired by Abbott), Tyco (acquired by Medtronic), GE, and Terumo. The Production Director formerly served as the project leader for Nipro and B. Braun Medical’s manufacturing facilities in China, bringing extensive experience in factory production and operational management, along with in-depth expertise in the manufacturing processes and certification requirements for Class III hemodialysis products.

Suzhou Feidun Medical has also recruited R&D teams in related fields such as blood pumps, catheter-based interventional therapy, and coating processes.Following this round of financing, Suzhou Feidun Medical plans to recruit an additional 20–30 R&D professionals in China.

Dr. Kaufmann, founder of Lifeshield Medical, stated:“I am delighted to announce that two companies under Lifeshield Medical have jointly established a new global partnership, through which we will provide first-class medical solutions to China and other countries. First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our investors and partners for their strong support, and to our employees for their outstanding work and exceptional dedication to fulfilling our mission.”

At Lifeshield Medical, we believe we have the ability and responsibility to improve the quality of life for patients worldwide.

“Cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases are among the leading causes of death in our era. It is our mission and responsibility to provide patients, clinicians, and caregivers with innovative and improved treatment options. Through this newly formed partnership, we have taken a significant step toward achieving this goal!”

Shu Wanting, Head of the Investment Department at PICC Equity, stated:“PICC Capital, as the lead investor in this round, continues to focus on short-term mechanical circulatory support devices within the life support systems sector. Lifeshield Medical is an emerging enterprise in China’s life support systems industry, boasting a world-class R&D and engineering team, along with extensive experience and technological expertise in developing multiple globally leading products.”

“Multiple products in the life support systems sector have long seen their core technologies and raw materials monopolized by European and American countries, resulting in expensive equipment and consumables. Breakthroughs in the independent research and development of high-performance, domestically produced life support systems will break this foreign monopoly, significantly reduce the domestic prices of international products, benefit more patients with critical and severe conditions, and hold substantial strategic significance and social benefits.”

Sun Xiaolu, Partner at Proxima Ventures, stated:“Proxima Ventures began planning in 2017 to invest in and support a company specializing in life support systems. We conducted systematic research into the major clinical needs for human life support, as well as the related devices and consumables. We also visited numerous renowned companies and key opinion leaders (KOLs) in Germany, Italy, Canada, the United States, and Israel. As our understanding of clinical practice and these products has deepened, our enthusiasm for this endeavor has grown, accompanied by a profound sense of reverence.”

These products are classified as high-complexity interventional devices. Their design requires careful consideration of numerous aspects and details, such as hemocompatibility and overall performance, embodying substantial proprietary know-how. Clinical applications impose extremely stringent requirements on product performance and stability. The development also involves critical materials and manufacturing processes, while production and quality control standards are exceptionally rigorous.

If a startup team has not previously experienced the successful R&D, clinical development, and manufacturing of a product, any issues arising in subsequent stages will necessitate starting over from scratch, thereby repeating the entire process of R&D, animal testing, type testing, and first-in-human trials...

On the other hand, as clinical practice deepens, these products are increasingly being used for more indications and in a wider range of supportive scenarios. This requires the founding team to have an ingrained mastery of materials, processes, design, and numerous know-how elements, enabling them to conduct continuous R&D improvements and develop serialized products for industrial-scale production.

“We are delighted to have partnered with the enmodes GmbH team two years ago, leveraging their proven track record with over 20 products, combined with recent advances in hardware technology and updated clinical application experience, to develop a new generation of innovative products. By capitalizing on China’s advantages in product iteration, manufacturing capacity, clinical trials, and financial support, we aim to serve the Chinese market while simultaneously expanding our reach globally, building an aircraft-carrier-sized enterprise in the life support systems sector.”

Tan Kuangming, Head of the Equity Investment Department at Bazhuo Capital, stated:“The application prospects for life support systems are vast, and the technical barriers are high. We highly recognize Lifeshield Medical’s world-class team of scientists and engineers, as well as its extensive experience in product design, development, and clinical translation accumulated over many years in the industry. By researching, developing, and manufacturing internationally advanced extracorporeal life support systems, we aim to provide high-quality treatment solutions for patients with cardiovascular diseases and respiratory failure, while creating high-performance, independently developed domestic products. Since its establishment, Baicui Capital has consistently focused on and remained optimistic about medical technology innovation in China and globally, supporting enterprises in addressing substantial and unmet clinical needs.”

PICC Science and Technology Innovation Fund is an insurance private equity investment fund focused on technological innovation, managed by PICC Equity Investment Company, a subsidiary of PICC Capital. The fund has a size of RMB 3 billion for its first phase. Adhering to the investment philosophy of “research-driven, future-insightful, and change-leading,” PICC Equity Investment Company gains deep understanding of innovation through rigorous research, identifies value with a forward-looking perspective, and drives transformation through impactful investments. By focusing on technological innovation and promising new technologies, the company strives to meet people’s aspirations for a better life.

Proxima Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on the clinical application of major innovative technologies, dedicated to serving exceptional innovative medical technology enterprises with significant growth potential. Managed and operated by a professional team with extensive experience in the healthcare industry, Proxima Ventures boasts diverse and international expertise, professional backgrounds, and industry networks. The firm currently manages multiple RMB and USD funds. Proxima Ventures has been building an ecosystem for medical technology innovation to make healthcare startups easier, faster, and more successful. Adhering to global collaboration, the fund leverages China’s advantages in engineering development, clinical research, manufacturing, and market resources to accelerate the translation of global innovations into clinical practice.

Bacchus Capital was jointly founded by Mr. Sun Xinrong, former Head of the Hong Kong Branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Sanjie Investment Group Co., Ltd., and a group of senior bankers from mainland China and Hong Kong. As a rapidly growing comprehensive asset management group, Bacchus Capital focuses on asset management and investment banking-like services. Its equity investment team specializes in precision medicine, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and fintech, adhering to the philosophy of “value investing.” By taking steady steps toward long-term goals, the firm grows alongside innovative enterprises to create sustained value.