Shanghai Step Medical Secures RMB 500 Million Strategic Financing Led by Alibaba, with Continued Support from Tencent and Others to Accelerate Global Leadership in Brain-Computer Interface

Recently, Shanghai StairMed Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "StairMed" or "the company") announced the completion of a 500 million yuan strategic financing round, led by Alibaba, with SDIC Chuanghe following on as an investor; existing shareholders Tencent, FountainBridge, OrbiMed, Oriza Holdings, Qiming Venture Partners, Lilly Asia Ventures, Source Code Capital, and Shanghai Guotou XianDao also continued their support. Qifeng Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor. In the previous round of financing, Source Code Capital and Shanghai Guotou XianDao were the co-leading investors. Notably, StairMed's cumulative financing in the past year has exceeded 1.1 billion yuan, making it the first company in this field that both Alibaba and Tencent have invested in.

Following the strong injection of this round of financing, StairMed has demonstrated robust explosive power in technological breakthroughs and clinical progress. After successfully completing three brain-computer interface clinical trials last year, StairMed’s clinical progress has continued to accelerate: by early 2026, relying on its self-developed surgical robot, StairMed successfully completed the clinical implantation of a 256-channel wireless high-throughput invasive brain-computer interface system (WRS02) intended for registration, achieving effective validation of brain-controlled interaction functions. This is not only a technological leap for StairMed but also marks China's first clinical trial of a 256-channel invasive brain-computer interface, signifying a revolutionary step forward in the field of high-performance invasive brain-computer interfaces in China. This system is also currently the only invasive brain-computer interface product in China to have been granted access to the National Medical Products Administration’s (NMPA) Innovative Medical Device “Green Channel.”

Building on this success, StairMed is preparing for a broader clinical layout. The company plans to launch a large-scale, multi-center registration clinical trial by mid-2026, aiming to complete the enrollment and implantation surgeries for approximately 40 patients within the year. By the end of 2026, the total number of clinical implants performed by StairMed is expected to approach or even surpass the current total of Neuralink’s clinical trials (currently around 21 cases), marking that Chinese brain-computer interface companies are making a push toward becoming global leaders in commercialization and clinical implementation.

While actively promoting the clinical implementation of "brain control" products, StairMed is also expanding its product layout in the field of neuromodulation.

Relying on the globally leading ultra-flexible microelectrode technology that rivals or even surpasses Neuralink in core metrics such as micro-size and flexibility, StairMed successfully developed a closed-loop ultra-low damage deep brain neuromodulation system (deep brain stimulation system). This system not only won the first prize (First Place) in the 2025 China Disruptive Technology Innovation Competition Brain-Computer System Championship, but has also completed four clinical research implant surgeries, achieving functional verification of regulation. It is planned to initiate clinical trials in 2027, providing disruptive treatment solutions for patients with Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and more, further highlighting the company’s comprehensive strategic value in the global brain-computer interface field.

The rapid development of the brain-computer interface industry is inseparable from the collision and integration of underlying hardcore technologies.

StairMed founder Li Xue expressed gratitude for the steadfast support of long-term shareholders from the early stages, as well as Tencent's continued investment as a core industry shareholder. She also warmly welcomed the participation of Alibaba and SDIC Chuanghe (Hangzhou) Venture Capital Management Co., Ltd. in this round. The deep involvement of leading internet and technology giants marks a milestone: "Brain-computer interface is not only a cutting-edge medical technology but also the ultimate integration of life sciences and information technology. These tech giants' extensive expertise in multimodal large models, computing power infrastructure, smart hardware, and ecosystem deployment can deeply integrate with StairMed’s globally leading brain-computer interface hardware capabilities and clinical transformation experience. This powerful collaboration will jointly build a new generation of intelligent brain-computer interface systems and foster a rich, cutting-edge application ecosystem. This is not only a boost to medical innovation but also an early strategic move toward next-generation human-computer interaction capabilities."

Meanwhile, closely following the guidance of China's "15th Five-Year Plan" for key future industries, the significant participation of "national team" capital from SDIC Chuanghe not only provides a solid strategic endorsement for the company's development but also marks that StairMed has become a core innovative force under China's national brain-computer interface strategic layout.

Shanghai StairMed Technology Co., Ltd. was founded in 2021 and is a leading hard-tech company specializing in minimally invasive implantable brain-machine interface (BMI) technology.

With strong original R&D capabilities, StairMed has mastered several globally leading technologies, covering electrodes, systems, algorithms, and surgical robots. The company independently developed ultra-flexible electrodes with a thickness of 1/100 of a hair strand and the world's smallest wireless brain-computer implant. In 2025, it will be the first in China to complete a prospective clinical trial of an invasive brain-computer interface, and its products have entered the National Medical Products Administration’s innovation “green channel.”

StairMed has comprehensively laid out two business directions: "brain control" and "neuro-modulation," providing innovative therapies for patients with movement disorders and neurological diseases. The long-term goal of StairMed is to achieve brain-machine intelligence integration, "becoming a stepping stone for human progress and evolution."