GYENNO Science Completes RMB 100 Million Series B+ Financing to Expand Core Technology Leadership in Comprehensive Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Ecosystem

VCBeat (WeChat: vcbeat) has learned that Shenzhen GYENNO Technologies Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “GYENNO Science”), a global leader in innovative medical technologies and services for central nervous system disorders, has recently completed a Series B+ financing round amounting to hundreds of millions of RMB.

This funding round was co-led by Qiming Venture Partners and Sidao Capital, with participation from F-Prime Capital. Reportedly, the proceeds will be allocated to technological research, product development, international scientific collaboration, and global business expansion.

GYENNO Science was founded in 2013. With Parkinson’s disease as its entry point into the central nervous system (CNS) disease market, it is committed to building an advanced, all-encompassing diagnosis and treatment system that delivers innovative value to patients, clinical experts, and pharmaceutical and medical device partners in this field.

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a typical neurodegenerative disorder and the "third leading killer" among middle-aged and elderly individuals, following cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Due to its complex constellation of external symptoms, it severely impairs patients' work capacity and quality of life.

According to statistics, the incidence of Parkinson’s disease among individuals aged 65 and above in China is 1.7%. With nearly 4 million patients and approximately 200,000 new cases annually, China has become the country with the largest burden of this disease. Furthermore, the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease continue to face numerous challenges.

In terms of diagnosis, Parkinson’s disease often presents with subtle or atypical symptoms in its early stages, making it easy to confuse with other movement disorders. Furthermore, China has only 300 to 400 Parkinson’s disease specialists, resulting in a severely imbalanced doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:3,000. Current diagnostic practices rely heavily on the subjective observations and clinical experience of specialists, which frequently leads to missed or misdiagnoses in the early stages. This hinders the effective implementation of the principle of “early detection and early intervention.”

In terms of treatment, due to the unclear pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, there is currently no curative method, and the efficacy of pharmacological and surgical interventions in controlling symptoms is limited. Therefore, the primary goal of treatment is to optimally control patient symptoms to improve quality of life. However, given the significant inter-individual variability among patients, it is difficult to develop truly personalized treatment plans by relying solely on patient self-reports, expert visual observations, and clinical experience, particularly in the absence of effective quantitative assessment technologies for disease progression and treatment efficacy.

As the aging process accelerates, the number of individuals with Parkinson’s disease continues to rise, posing significant challenges for patients, their families, and society as a whole. Therefore, it is imperative to identify effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Addressing these critical challenges and guided by its core corporate value of “patient benefit,” GYENNO Technologies has focused on the research and development of novel technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease since its establishment in 2013. It has now become a company capable of providing the most comprehensive technological and service solutions to patients, clinical experts, and pharmaceutical and medical device enterprises in the field of Parkinson’s disease.

Over the years, GYENNO Science has engaged in deep industry-academia-research collaborations with numerous universities worldwide and Parkinson’s disease experts in China. Focusing on the diagnosis, assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and personalized chronic disease management of Parkinson’s disease, it has established a comprehensive spatio-temporal diagnosis and treatment system for Parkinson’s disease, encompassing innovative medical devices, clinical data platforms, and chronic disease management service platforms.

In the realm of innovative diagnostics, GYENNO has developed “RuiPing,” a wearable technology-based system for quantitative assessment and auxiliary diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease; “HEIMDALL,” a machine vision-based system for quantitative assessment and auxiliary diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease; and “RuiCloud,” a multimodal multi-omics clinical data management and intelligent analysis system for Parkinson’s disease. These solutions effectively help top-tier hospitals improve efficiency and assist lower-tier hospitals in addressing critical challenges.。

Among these, “RuiPing” has been widely adopted by major clinical centers for Parkinson’s disease in China. It leverages wearable sensor array technology to dynamically establish kinematic and kinetic models of patients, analyze relevant kinematic and kinetic parameters, and thereby assist specialists in quantitatively assessing patients’ spatial movement postures and related motor symptoms.

“RuiPing” Product Image. Source: GYENNO Science

The “HEIMDALL” system enables fully automated intelligent scoring of the MDS-UPDRS, a classic rating scale for Parkinson’s disease, through machine vision and artificial intelligence technologies.Previously, the international community commonly used the “Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS)” to assess the severity of various motor symptoms, medication efficacy, and disease progression in patients with Parkinson’s disease. However, a major limitation of this scale is that it requires visual observation of approximately 33 distinct assessment tasks, followed by subjective scoring based on expert clinical judgment.

However, the physical observational capacity of the human eye is limited, making subtle changes difficult to detect. Furthermore, different experts may vary in their assessment of the severity of the same symptoms, leading to issues such as strong subjectivity, poor consistency, and significant variability in such scale-based evaluations.

Therefore, in recent years, research institutions worldwide have attempted to replace manual assessment with artificial intelligence scoring by leveraging technologies such as wearables and machine vision. However, survey data indicate that the most comprehensive studies cover only approximately 40% of the scale items, and the combined coverage of all studies does not exceed 80%.

GYENNO’s “HEIMDALL” system is currently the world’s first and only technological framework capable of delivering comprehensive intelligent scoring for the MDS-UPDRS scale using a single machine vision technology, thereby filling a significant international technological gap. In addition to covering in-hospital scenarios, this system can be integrated with smartphones, enabling patients to undergo regular scale assessments from the comfort of their homes.

“Ruiyun” supports five National Key R&D Programs related to Parkinson’s disease, covering 217 Grade A tertiary hospitals across China, including 106 of the Top 120 hospitals. It is currently the most mainstream and widely used multimodal multi-omics clinical data platform for Parkinson’s disease in China.

“Ruiyun” Product Image | Source: GYENNO Science

Beyond the in-hospital setting, the majority of treatment and rehabilitation for Parkinson’s disease patients occurs in out-of-hospital environments, a process that relies on quantitative continuous monitoring, regular assessments, and interventions and support based on innovative therapies.

Therefore,In the realm of innovative therapies, GYENNO Technologies has developed a suite of solutions tailored for out-of-hospital settings: “RuiXing,” the world’s first gait assistance device capable of automatically detecting freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease and providing real-time intervention; “RuiCan,” China’s first smart rehabilitation device that assists Parkinson’s patients with eating and quantifies hand motor symptoms; “RuiMian,” a specialized evaluation system for nocturnal motor symptoms and sleep quality in Parkinson’s patients; and “YiDongLi,” a chronic disease management APP platform for Parkinson’s disease. Leveraging its comprehensive, closed-loop technology ecosystem refined over many years, GYENNO is also exploring digital therapeutics for Parkinson’s disease.

According to Ren Kang, Founder and CEO of GYENNO Technologies Co., Ltd., the company has built a multi-scenario, high-dimensional integrated quantitative assessment and monitoring closed-loop system based on its proprietary innovative medical devices and related artificial intelligence technologies, thereby truly realizing a personalized, whole-course patient management system grounded in multimodal data. Furthermore, this series of AI-based novel diagnostic, assessment, and therapeutic products and technical systems has been incorporated into the Chinese Guidelines for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (4th Edition), released in December 2020, marking a significant milestone in the broad clinical recognition of these technological concepts.

Ren Kang stated“From a global perspective, GYENNO Science is at the forefront of novel diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for Parkinson’s disease, often akin to venturing into uncharted territory. The term ‘uncharted territory’ refers to the fact that many of our technologies and related systems have no comparable counterparts worldwide, making them highly exploratory in nature. This presents a significant challenge, but conversely, it also constitutes a barrier to entry and a competitive advantage. In the future, we will continue to expand our disease coverage and business segments based on our exploratory experience with Parkinson’s disease.”

Ren Kang, Founder of GYENNO Science

“From a disease-area perspective, we will expand from Parkinson’s disease to other similar central nervous system disorders; from a market standpoint, GYENNO Science’s technology platform is fully capable of being exported to the global market; in terms of business scope, we are gradually extending from ‘patient value’ and ‘clinical value’ to ‘industry value’—that is, leveraging our technology platform to help pharmaceutical companies implement personalized patient management and improve patient adherence, and employing innovative technologies such as digital endpoints to accelerate drug development,” Ren Kang further stated.

To date, GYENNO’s software and hardware ecosystem has empowered over 90% of China’s leading Parkinson’s disease centers, while 40% of global originator pharmaceutical companies have partnered with GYENNO to explore real-world evidence and drive novel commercial models.Meanwhile, GYENNO Technologies has partnered with multinational pharmaceutical companies to develop an innovative Integrated Care solution for Parkinson’s disease patients, establishing a novel chronic disease management model centered on patient value.

It is reported that GYENNO has collaborated with over 100 major Parkinson’s disease centers across China, including Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing Hospital, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Union Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Union Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University. Its partners in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries include Sanofi, Eisai, UCB, Luye Pharma, and United Imaging Intelligence.

Furthermore, GYENNO Science is expanding its global business through international research collaborations. This year, it has partnered with a Member of the Academia Europaea, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, a Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Consultant Neurologist at the Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), and Professor of NeurologyProf. Bastiaan R. BloemEstablished global research partnerships to conduct international collaboration in the exploration and validation of comprehensive Parkinson’s disease management, the research and development of innovative medical technologies and devices, the discovery of digital biomarkers, and the development of innovative digital therapeutics.

Regarding this round of investment, Gao Jinda, Executive Director of Qiming Venture Partners, one of the lead investors, stated“Currently, the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease face widespread market pain points, including underdiagnosis, limited therapeutic efficacy, and long-term patient burden. Against this backdrop, technology-driven innovations in diagnosis and treatment present significant market opportunities. GYENNO Technologies leverages technological innovation to provide patients with an efficient and objective assessment and diagnostic system, novel intervention strategies, and continuous care management services, earning recognition from numerous major hospitals and leading pharmaceutical companies. We are honored to participate in this round of investment in GYENNO Technologies, supporting the company’s continued efforts in technological innovation, product upgrades, and business development, thereby delivering greater value to patients with central nervous system disorders and movement disorders.”

Yin Pengcheng, Executive Director of F2 Capital, a co-lead investor, stated“Starvest Capital has long focused on the field of neurodegenerative diseases and continues to support cutting-edge basic scientific research in this area. In the new normal following the pandemic, we firmly believe that leveraging technology to enhance medical service capabilities and continuously deliver value to patients is an inevitable industry trend. As a pioneer in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, GYENNO’s achievements in innovating diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for Parkinson’s disease have gained recognition from numerous top global clinical experts. We are honored to partner with GYENNO to support its robust growth and bring benefits to more patients and families at a faster pace.”

Xu Chong, Executive Director at F-Prime Capital, stated“Neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, impose a heavy burden on patients, families, and society. F-Prime has long been committed to supporting cutting-edge research in neurodegenerative diseases and has participated in founding and investing in multiple successful startups in the field. We are delighted to support GYENNO Technologies, which combines digital and medical technologies to provide solutions for patients, families, and physicians, improve disease diagnosis and treatment, and facilitate more clinical studies.”

Qiming Venture Partners was established in 2006 and has successively set up offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Hong Kong, Seattle, Boston, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Currently, Qiming Venture Partners manages nine U.S. dollar funds and six RMB funds, with total assets under management reaching $5.9 billion. Since its inception, the firm has focused on investing in outstanding early-stage and growth-stage companies in industries such as TMT and Healthcare.

To date, Qiming Venture Partners has invested in more than 380 high-growth innovative companies, of which over 130 have achieved exits through listings on exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), the Taipei Exchange (TPEx), the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE), as well as through mergers and acquisitions. More than 40 of these portfolio companies have become industry-recognized unicorns and super unicorns.

Fidelity Growth Partners is a global proprietary investment institution backed by Fidelity Investments. Leveraging its unique capital structure, Fidelity Growth Partners deploys capital with flexibility to support innovative enterprises in disrupting or leading their markets, empowering entrepreneurs to realize their ambitious visions. With investment teams across China, Japan, India, Europe, and the United States, Fidelity Growth Partners manages over $8 billion in assets worldwide.

FountainVest Partners focuses on investing in early- and growth-stage companies in the healthcare and technology innovation sectors, having invested in over 300 high-growth enterprises. With more than 25 years of venture capital experience in China, FountainVest Partners has invested in over 110 companies in the healthcare and technology innovation fields.

Over the past 50 years, F-Prime Capital has continuously invested in healthcare and emerging technologies worldwide, supporting innovative companies that disrupt markets. We currently manage over $2 billion in assets across more than 200 portfolio companies around the globe, and we remain committed to empowering entrepreneurs dedicated to building a better tomorrow. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, F-Prime Capital also maintains offices in London, UK, and San Francisco, California, USA.