Ranran Sports Rehabilitation Files for IPO, Aiming to Become the 'Mayo Clinic' of Sports Medicine with Integrated Online-Offline Service Model
For most people, “rehabilitation medicine” remains an unfamiliar term. Although the World Health Organization defines it as the “fourth branch of medicine,” alongside preventive medicine, clinical medicine, and healthcare medicine, public understanding of it remains highly fragmented. As a subspecialty within rehabilitation medicine, the term “sports rehabilitation” appears even more novel.
What Exactly Is Sports Rehabilitation? The German MTT (Medical Training Therapy) System Explains It as Follows:Through systematic and targeted functional movement training, while fully considering the physiological recovery cycles of tissues, stimulation is applied to relevant tissue structures and the body’s overall organ systems, thereby promoting positive adaptations in both biological morphology and function.
In layman's terms, it is a method that employs medical approaches such as pathological inquiry, imaging analysis, postural assessment, movement testing, and palpation. By utilizing external tools (e.g., resistance bands, dumbbells, barbells, and other fixed equipment) and considering the tissue repair cycle, it implements targeted muscle training with appropriate volume. When necessary, manual joint mobilization techniques are supplemented to restore injured areas and promote physical rehabilitation.
Unlike other medical specialties, sports rehabilitation is a relatively prolonged diagnostic and therapeutic process that demands time and patience. Given its high technical complexity, it invariably requires guidance and practice by qualified professionals. In short, for the sports rehabilitation industry, “patience” and “professionalism” are both indispensable, and Ranran Sports Rehabilitation epitomizes these core elements.
In the summer of 2010, Ran Lingjun, founder of Ranran Sports Rehabilitation, graduated from Beijing Sport University. Driven by his passion for sports rehabilitation, he chose not to enter the workforce immediately but instead stayed at Beijing Sport University for further studies, earning a master’s degree in 2015.
Before officially graduating, Ran Lingjun, an innovative mind deeply immersed in his professional studies, had already achieved notable success in the field of sports rehabilitation.
Ran Lingjun, Founder of Ranran Sports Rehabilitation
During the 2012 London Olympics, Ran Lingjun assumed a new role, providing injury rehabilitation services to the National Swimming Team and helping athletes better prepare for competition. In 2013, during the Liaoning National Games, he served as the specially appointed rehabilitation expert for Wang Yihan, the badminton world champion.
Based on this accumulated experience, Ran Lingjun has gained deeper insights into the sports rehabilitation industry and is eager to make outstanding contributions with practical application value to the field.
A God-given opportunity.In 2014, the State Council issued the “Several Opinions on Accelerating the Development of the Sports Industry and Promoting Sports Consumption” (also known as “Document No. 46”), which pointed out that vigorous efforts should be made to develop sports medicine and rehabilitation medicine, actively research and develop sports rehabilitation technologies, and encourage social capital to establish various institutions such as fitness and health centers, physical fitness assessment facilities, and sports rehabilitation centers.
It was also in this year, driven by policy incentives, that Ran Lingjun embarked on his entrepreneurial journey, partnering with his alma mater, Beijing Sport University, to jointly establish the Excellence Sports Rehabilitation Center, the predecessor of Ranran Sports Rehabilitation.
At the time, starting a business seemed “ill-timed” for Ran Lingjun, who had not yet graduated. However, this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. “Personally, I have always been passionate about sports. Before entering university, I suffered an injury and underwent rehabilitation therapy. Through both personal experience and long-term academic accumulation, I have come to appreciate the importance of sports rehabilitation. It can indeed address certain issues, thereby making physical activity healthier. On the other hand, with the continuous promotion of relevant policies and the deepening public awareness of holistic health, the sports rehabilitation market has ushered in unprecedented development opportunities, emerging as a new wave of entrepreneurial momentum. Coupled with my own experience and resource accumulation in this industry, my determination to start a business was further strengthened.”
In 2017, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation was officially established and began independent operations, separating from Beijing Sport University. In the same year, the first Ranran Sports Rehabilitation Center opened in Sanyuanqiao, Beijing, and achieved profitability within that year.
However, entrepreneurship is destined to be an arduous journey of continuously meeting and responding to challenges. Ranran Sports Rehabilitation has successively encounteredInsufficient staffing and an imperfect operational systemSuch dilemmas have, to some extent, hindered the company’s development. Yet it is precisely these “pain points” that have enabled Ranran Sports Rehabilitation, currently in its growth stage, to identify a “breakthrough” for transformation. The company has rapidly adjusted its pace of progress, adopting the right operational system and service philosophy to adapt to future development.
At its inception, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation aspired to become the “Mayo Clinic”, the reason for ranking first nationwide in the U.S. “Mayo Cinic“As a benchmark, Ran Lingjun has his own considerations.”
Mayo Clinic Founded in the late 19th century, Mayo Clinic has evolved into a globally leading healthcare institution, consecutively retaining the title of “World’s Best Hospital.” Advocating a “patient-centered” approach, Mayo Clinic ensures that patients fully experience and recognize its brand value at every touchpoint, including the hospital environment, physician diagnostics, and products.
Image source: Mayo Clinic website
The Mayo Clinic logo features three shields, representingClinical Services, Education, and Research, these three points are precisely the value orientation that Ranran Sports Rehabilitation Center has always advocated. Ran Lingjun told VCBeat,“Mayo Clinic’s tremendous global success is largely attributable to its systematic development of an integrated industry-academia-research ecosystem. First, ‘industry’ refers to clinical services, which are key to demonstrating institutional value and earning a strong reputation. Second, ‘academia’ denotes education; as talent is the fundamental driver of development, establishing collaborative training mechanisms with higher education institutions can significantly alleviate concerns about internal staffing shortages. Finally, ‘research’ signifies scientific research; cutting-edge technologies are central to determining whether a healthcare institution can achieve industry leadership and sustain market growth, thereby helping to overcome barriers related to clinical technical limitations.”
Using the Mayo Clinic, the “academic overachiever” of the medical world, as a benchmark, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation has built an operational system tailored to its own development.
First is clinical services.As of now, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation has established a total of6 Offline Rehabilitation Centers, all located in Beijing, with main services includingSports Injuries, Chronic Pain, Post-Orthopedic Surgery Rehabilitation, Postural Correction, and Sport-Specific Conditioningand other core business segments. To deliver high-quality services to a broad user base, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation has made significant efforts in building its talent pool. It currently employs over 40 professional sports rehabilitation therapists, each with nearly a decade or more of experience in the field of sports rehabilitation.
In addition, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation has introduced consumer-grade rehabilitation and physiotherapy products, primarily including topical glucosamine applications and fascia guns—home rehabilitation devices that are easy to operate and come with quality assurance. In the view of Ran Lingjun, these convenient rehabilitation and physiotherapy devices not only better serve patients by enhancing rehabilitation outcomes but also establish a strong connection with offline rehabilitation centers, thereby generating greater added value.
Second is talent development.During the long-term recruitment process, Ran Lingjun identified shortcomings in China’s sports rehabilitation talent training system. These issues are mainly reflected in common problems such as a disconnect between practitioners’ skills and social employment demands, insufficient hands-on operational capabilities, and inadequate understanding of sports rehabilitation. For Ranran Sports Rehabilitation itself, the shortage of talent has always been a significant factor constraining corporate development. Therefore, addressing talent cultivation is an essential component of the company’s growth strategy.
In 2019, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation once again partnered with Beijing Sport University to jointly establish"Ranran Sports Rehabilitation Research Center of Beijing Sport University", with a plan to train 800 to 1,000 sports rehabilitation therapists annually over the next three to five years, thereby establishing itself as the “Whampoa Military Academy” of China’s sports rehabilitation sector. In addition, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation has partnered with the University of Hamburg in Germany to offer training and certification for German professional sports rehabilitation therapists, aligning with cutting-edge international technologies and core concepts to strengthen talent development and deepen professional expertise.
Third, business expansion.To date, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation has delivered approximately 80,000 rehabilitation service sessions, successfully trained over 1,000 sports rehabilitation therapists, and scaled its sports rehabilitation center operations to a multi-million yuan level, all of which have been made possible by its diversified market layout.
Offline, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation primarily relies on strong word-of-mouth referrals, including recommendations from orthopedic surgeons and client advocacy, to gradually expand its customer base. Online, the company leverages local lifestyle service platforms, Meituan-Dianping, Zhihu, Douyin, Weibo, and other new media channels to cast a wide net through internet-based strategies, continuously delivering brand value and identifying potential customers.
The integration of information technology into the healthcare sector is hardly a novel concept. With the rapid advancement and continuous optimization of emerging technologies, the highly efficient operational model of “Healthcare + Informatics” has become widely anticipated. This trend holds equally true for Ranran Sports Rehabilitation.
In 2019, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation independently developed“Smart Brain for Exercise System”Version 1.0 has been officially launched. At this stage, its core functionalities cover foundational business modules such as appointment scheduling and customer management. However, this is not the endpoint for the “Sports Brain Intelligent System”; it will be endowed with broader definitions and generate greater value in the future.
According to Ran Lingjun, the “Exercise Brain Intelligent System” is the key hub for Ranran Sports Rehabilitation to integrate its online and offline services, primarily manifested in the following three aspects:1. Data Recording and Analysis, accurately capture user personal information through methods such as data collection via rehabilitation equipment and manual entry, conduct scientific analysis of the data, and generate digital reports;2. Intelligent Solution Recommendations, data-driven and powered by algorithmic systems, to tailor personalized rehabilitation plans for users;3. Online consultations and remote guidance, sports rehabilitation is a therapeutic process that requires long-term communication and the establishment of a strong collaborative relationship between rehabilitation therapists and patients; therefore, the introduction of intelligent devices will build a bridge for communication between healthcare providers and patients, thereby enhancing the overall rehabilitation outcomes.
According to data from the “White Paper on China’s Sports Rehabilitation Industry,” the number of people engaged in physical exercise in China reached 430 million in 2020. Based on an estimated sports injury rate of 10%–20%, the number of individuals with sports injuries is projected to reach 100 million, indicating substantial potential for future demand in sports rehabilitation.
Driven by the vast market potential, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation is strategically positioning itself for the future, striving to fulfill its corporate mission of enabling 100 million Chinese citizens to engage in healthy physical activity.
First, we will expand the number of stores to more than 10 by 2021.In the past two years, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation has established five new offline rehabilitation centers, bringing its total number of locations to six and achieving a certain scale effect in the Beijing area. Looking ahead, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation will continue to expand its service coverage, with plans to open branches in first-tier cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, thereby enabling cross-regional operations and enhancing its brand recognition nationwide.
Secondly, we will vigorously promote the research and development as well as the implementation of intelligent systems.Currently, the “Smart Exercise Brain System” is still in the early stages of research and development, with many potential functional modules yet to be implemented. However, as a critical component in the development trajectory of Ranran Sports Rehabilitation, the subsequent R&D and deployment of this system are of paramount importance to the company. To this end, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation has entered into a cooperation agreement with a leading domestic technology enterprise to jointly develop the intelligent system, thereby enhancing customer service and driving the company’s high-quality growth.
Finally, we will solidify our positioning as a provider of intelligent sports rehabilitation technology services, with a plan to achieve an IPO within three years.For many years, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation has positioned itself as an “intelligent sports rehabilitation technology service provider,” driving the development of the entire sports rehabilitation industry through four core business segments: offline clinics, intelligent systems, talent development, and consumer-grade rehabilitation and physiotherapy products. Looking ahead, Ran Lingjun stated that, based on Ranran Sports Rehabilitation’s current business development and revenue performance, the company has initially met the relevant market conditions and projects achieving an initial public offering (IPO) within the next three years, which will also serve as its long-term strategic plan.
The goal is clear, but whether it can truly be realized requires strengthening and supplementation across multiple stages. Ran Lingjun told VCBeat, “For Ranran Sports Rehabilitation, the currentWhat is most needed are management professionals in the corresponding fields., an imperfect talent pipeline will significantly hinder the maintenance and implementation of a company's operational and service systems. In addition,The infusion of capital is also a critical need for enterprises at the current stage.“, on the one hand, it can better support the rapid advancement of various business segments within the enterprise; on the other hand, it can foster synergistic collaboration with investment institutions to jointly drive the continuous progress of both the enterprise and the entire sports rehabilitation sector.”
Sports rehabilitation is inherently a relatively lengthy process, yet Ranran Sports Rehabilitation, a rising player in this sector, has carved out a new path for rapid development. In just three years, it has captured a significant share of the market, demonstrating strong potential for future growth. It is believed that in the near future, Ranran Sports Rehabilitation will achieve what Ran Lingjun has stated: to become a leading force in the sports world.“Mayo Clinic”, will provide impetus for more people to engage in healthy exercise.