Dongfang Qiyin Secures $23 Million Series C1 Funding to Advance Children's Speech and Autism Intervention Services

VCBeat (WeChat: vcbeat) has learned that OASIS, a leading domestic provider of pediatric speech rehabilitation and autism intervention services, recently announced the completion of its $23 million Series C1 financing round. The round was led by Cenova Capital, with continued participation from existing investors such as Northern Light Venture Capital and Long Hill Capital. Taihe Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor.

This round of financing will be used to expand directly-operated centers, develop system products based on evidence-based medicine and conduct clinical research, build an online service system, and further improve the training system for rehabilitation therapists. In the future, the company will continue to expand its middle-office support system to achieve integrated online-to-offline (O2O) management, provide one-stop solutions for rehabilitation and development to more children, establish international industry standards for speech therapy and autism intervention for children, and set a benchmark for the industry. Previously, the company secured Series A and B financing led by F-Prime Capital Partners, a globally leading healthcare investment fund, and its sister fund, F-Prime Capital.

Founded in 2007, Oriental Speech provides internationally standardized speech therapy, behavioral intervention, occupational therapy, and inclusive education services for children with speech disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and developmental delays. Currently, it operates more than 40 directly-managed centers across 20 cities in China, employing nearly 1,000 professionally trained therapists within its proprietary training system. Having served over 200,000 children to date, it is the largest pediatric speech rehabilitation and autism intervention institution in China. In response to the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company upheld its philosophy of sincere service and professional excellence by delivering high-quality online speech therapy and behavioral intervention services. This enabled thousands of children to receive remote intervention in home settings, working together with parents to achieve rehabilitation goals.

Over the past 13 years since its establishment, Oriental Speech has continuously increased strategic investments in content research and development, introduction of new technologies, and training of professional talents. It maintains close collaborations with renowned international universities, jointly conducting research and talent training in medical and education-related disciplines. The company categorizes and refines various indication groups to provide tailored treatment plans, thereby incubating internationalized, specialized, and diversified comprehensive services. Notably, the STAR Autism Teaching Strategy boasts 40 years of research accumulation and evidence-based support in the field of autism. Grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), it addresses six key instructional dimensions of children’s daily activities, covering more than 800 skills. This approach is suitable for quantifying the learning needs of autistic children at different developmental stages during preschool years, helping them better integrate into social life.

Based on the international standard of approximately 20 speech-language therapists per 100,000 people, China currently faces a shortage of around 300,000 qualified professionals. To address this shortfall in talent supply, OASIS has established an in-depth partnership with the School of Speech Pathology at the University of Newcastle, Australia, focusing on personnel training. By vigorously promoting the Speech Therapy Assistant (STA) certification program and jointly establishing clinical internship bases, the collaboration has successfully cultivated China’s first cohort of speech therapy practitioners meeting international standards. Looking ahead, OASIS plans to collaborate with leading Chinese universities on research initiatives to establish “competency standards for speech therapy practitioners,” thereby jointly advancing the development of the speech therapy field in China and ensuring a continuous pipeline of high-caliber professional talent.

With the growing societal awareness, inclusive preschool education has become an international trend in special early childhood education. To facilitate the integration of more children with special needs into mainstream settings, Dongfang Qiyin has long been committed to providing inclusive education and supporting children’s successful inclusion in mainstream classrooms. In collaboration with entities such as the Guangdong Early Childhood Education Industry Association, it has actively explored pilot programs for inclusive preschool education within early childhood education and care institutions in Guangdong Province, including initiatives such as assigning speech-language therapists to these institutions and establishing inclusive education classes.

From its R&D-centric origins to its current maturity and market-oriented expansion, Oriental Speech has witnessed the domestic rehabilitation industry’s journey from inception to robust growth. Its curriculum and product offerings now provide comprehensive coverage across all stages of rehabilitation, delivering speech training and speech therapy for individuals ranging from one year old to adults, tailored to age-specific needs through internationally standardized training methods.

Regarding the successful completion of this funding round, Mr. Yao Qiuwu, Founder of Eastern Speech, stated: “This round of financing is the strongest affirmation by investors of Eastern Speech’s years of accumulated teaching expertise and its reputation for therapeutic efficacy. In the future, Eastern Speech will continue to embrace new technologies, applying big data and AI to clinicians’ practice and curriculum research, thereby building a comprehensive, professional evidence-based support system to deliver more precise and effective diagnosis and treatment plans. We will also apply AR/VR technologies to home settings to enhance rehabilitation experiences and outcomes in the home environment. Additionally, Eastern Speech will extend upstream within the industry, integrating services from screening and diagnosis to rehabilitation therapy to provide seamless, one-stop solutions. We will further collaborate with more domestic universities possessing strong teaching and research capabilities, systematically exporting our 15 years of in-depth clinical practice experience to establish professional academic and research bases for speech therapy and behavioral therapy that meet national standards. Remaining true to our original mission and living up to the trust placed in us, we are committed to providing better services for these children, helping them learn more effectively and integrate into social life.”

As an industry pioneer, Eastern Speech places particular emphasis on continuous innovation and its mission within the sector. It actively promotes technical collaboration across the industry and professionally advances integrated education models. Its digital rehabilitation therapy platform, currently under development, has already demonstrated significant effectiveness, laying a solid foundation for the future refinement of industry rehabilitation standards and the widespread adoption of personalized, precision treatment plans.