Rotex Secures Tens of Millions in Pre-A Funding to Advance Commercialization of Flexible Bioelectronics

VCBeat has learned that Rotex (Zhuhai) Technology Co., Ltd. (“Rotex”) has announced the completion of its Pre-A financing round, raising tens of millions of yuan. The round was led by Qirong Venture Capital, with participation from Shanghai Aisi Investment, Hengqin Jin Tou, and Shenzhen Taiji Investment. The proceeds will be primarily used for product research and development, production capacity expansion, and market promotion.

Previously, Rotex secured tens of millions of yuan in angel-round financing from Heli Investment in 2016.

Rotex, established in 2015, is a high-tech company specializing in flexible bioelectronics and related product solutions. Its core flexible bioelectronic skin technology finds wide application across multiple fields, including transdermal drug delivery, topical physical therapy, flexible electronic implants, bioelectrical signal sensing, and flexible mechanical signal sensing.

As one of the top ten frontier technologies worldwide, flexible electronics technology endows electronic devices with unique flexibility and stretchability. It represents one of the future directions of electronic science and technology and serves as a foundational technology in the era of human intelligence. Ranked alongside major breakthroughs such as the Human Genome Project draft and biological cloning technology, it has prompted numerous countries to formulate significant research initiatives dedicated to flexible electronics.

In the realm of flexible electronics, flexible bioelectronics represents a frontier research direction. This field involves the development of nanometer-thick flexible electronic devices based on flexible materials and integrated with micro- and nano-fabrication technologies. These devices exhibit a Young's modulus comparable to that of human tissues such as skin and muscle. Their applications span multiple domains, including physiological signal sensing, health monitoring, neural interfaces, transdermal drug delivery, electrical neural stimulation, and human-computer interaction.

While the technology has garnered significant attention, the industry faces the reality that most domestic and international research remains at the laboratory stage, with room for improvement in the commercial translation of scientific achievements. Taking flexible sensors as an example, on one hand, it is necessary to consider achieving mass production through reliable manufacturing processes; on the other hand, alternating stress and fatigue strength are also critical issues to address during the research and development of flexible sensors, as they typically collect real-time data while the human body is in motion.

In 2016, Professor Hu Xuefeng from the National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials at Sichuan University joined Rotex as Chief Scientist. Addressing challenges in product industrialization and biomedical applications, Professor Hu leveraged the research resources of the National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials to assist Rotex in achieving mass production. This involved assembling an experienced equipment manufacturing team and establishing a large-scale material production line. Furthermore, by analyzing the application scenarios of existing medical devices on the market and evaluating the feasibility of replacing conventional materials with flexible bioelectronic materials, the direction for innovative product development was determined.

As a leading institution in the field of biomaterials research, the National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials was founded by Academician Zhang Xingdong of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and is directed by Professor Wang Yunbing. It is China’s first national-level professional R&D institution dedicated to biomedical materials. Anchored at the international forefront of biomedical materials science and engineering, the Center aims to advance the fundamental and translational research on biomaterials for tissue regeneration and functional reconstruction, as well as medical implants. Its key research areas include biomaterials and implantable devices for regenerative medicine, surface modification of biomaterials, and drug-controlled release carriers and systems.

Currently, Rotex has established a deep strategic partnership with the National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials. This collaboration not only facilitates the steady marketization and industrialization of its products but also ensures the mature development of flexible bioelectronic technologies. It is reported that Rotex has filed 20 invention patents, 20 utility model patents, and one design patent, including five PCT patent applications.

Leveraging flexible bioelectronics as a foundational platform technology, Rotex has developed a series of technological products for applications in transdermal drug delivery, health monitoring, and human-computer interaction. While advancing the research and development of medical devices, Rotex has also launched consumer-grade products to achieve early-stage profitability. Reportedly, Rotex’s titanium electronic skin mask, developed based on its flexible bioelectronic materials for transdermal drug delivery, has been successfully introduced to the market through collaborations with numerous domestic and international brands. The product has received widespread acclaim and currently faces demand that outstrips supply.

Rotex has developed an electronic skin facial mask by using nano-metallic titanium membrane as the base material and integrating delivery algorithms, enabling non-invasive transdermal delivery of microcurrent-assisted cosmetic essences. Extensive animal studies, volunteer trials, and testing by accredited third-party institutions have been conducted to evaluate the absorption efficacy of essences following use of the electronic skin facial mask. Experimental results have demonstrated that the essences can penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis, significantly improving skin condition.

Beyond the realm of cosmetic skincare, Rotex is also actively implementing transdermal drug delivery technology for medical applications in anesthesia.

Electrical stimulation, as a therapeutic modality in its own right, has been widely applied in the treatment of various diseases. Therefore, while steadily advancing its transdermal drug delivery technology products, Rotex is simultaneously conducting product research and development and innovation in electrical stimulation technology based on flexible bioelectronics, with a focus on promoting tissue repair and superficial non-pharmacological anesthesia.

Clinically, chronic wounds are typically defined as wounds caused by various factors that fail to heal after more than one month of treatment and show no tendency toward healing. In practice, although electrical stimulation has been used for many years to treat wounds and promote muscle healing, there are few commercialized products that integrate electrical stimulation technology with portable dressings.

In response, Rotex has developed a conductive material-based dressing for chronic wounds that delivers microcurrent stimulation to the wound and surrounding skin. This not only promotes cellular regeneration but also extensively stimulates blood circulation in the surrounding tissues, enhancing nutrient delivery and accelerating tissue repair.

By implanting dressings into the body in conjunction with growth factors, tissue and muscle regeneration can be promoted. Currently, Rotex is actively advancing the commercialization of its chronic wound dressing products, primarily targeting diabetic foot ulcers.

To address various clinical pain conditions, Rotex has developed flexible electrodes by integrating transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) technology. These electrodes utilize microcurrents to block the transmission of nociceptive signals, effectively closing the gate to pain input, thereby alleviating pain symptoms and achieving superficial non-pharmacological analgesia.

Regarding future development, a Rotex executive stated that while the company’s current primary market focus is on transdermal drug delivery, it will continue to leverage its years of research achievements to advance the commercialization of flexible electronic materials in areas such as flexible pressure sensors and implantable bioelectronic neural interfaces.

Meanwhile, Rotex will deepen its collaboration with the National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials and West China Hospital to develop next-generation innovative flexible bioelectronic medical products, expanding into broader healthcare domains such as epidermal sensing and therapy, and electronic implantable medical devices.

Yu Yongping, General Manager of Qirong Venture Capital Medical Fund, stated: “Rotex has long focused on the healthcare and wellness sector, with in-depth research into high-tech medical solutions and medical aesthetics. RouDian integrates its flexible electronics mass-production technology platform with healthcare applications, entering the market through medical aesthetic masks and transdermal drug delivery, and gradually expanding into other medical fields to effectively address unmet clinical needs, holding promising prospects.”

Qirong Venture Capital, established in 2017, is a healthcare investment fund jointly founded by Tus-Holdings Science & Technology Services, Huarong Rongde, and Yunhao Capital. It has invested in more than ten outstanding enterprises, including Kemai Diagnostics (in vitro diagnostics, with its STAR Market listing application submitted), Ribobio (nucleic acid therapeutics, planning to apply for the STAR Market in the near future), HaiChuang Pharma (small-molecule targeted drugs, planning to apply for the STAR Market in the near future), Zhongke Weiguang (coronary imaging), ZhiDao Bio (innovative peptide drugs), and ZhiDao Medical Management (third-party hospital evaluations), delivering substantial returns to its investors.