Shenzhen DeepZhi Technologies Secures Tens of Millions in Strategic Funding Within a Month to Advance AI-Powered Ultrasound Solutions
VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that Shanghai Shenzhi Information Technology Co., Ltd., a leading enterprise in AI-powered ultrasound, has completed a strategic financing round worth tens of millions of yuan. This round was exclusively invested by Zheshang Venture Capital. It is reported that the funds raised will primarily be allocated to two areas.On one hand, Shenzhi Technology will continue to strengthen its R&D capabilities for specialized clinical products, focusing on the innovative development of intelligent ultrasound-related hardware and software while expanding their applicable fields. On the other hand, Shenzhi Technology will continuously enhance AI-driven medical service capabilities at the primary care level, empowering the deployment of its products in grassroots healthcare settings.
At the end of 2018, Shenzhi Technology, a company dedicated to intelligent ultrasound diagnostics and AI applications in ultrasound, was officially established. In less than two years, Shenzhi Technology has built an imaging database with algorithm models covering more than ten categories and over 30 disease types, and has established a cloud center for ultrasound imaging. Based on in-depth AI research and development, its AI-assisted ultrasound diagnostic capabilities now cover more than twenty disease types, including thyroid, breast, and liver conditions. Furthermore, Shenzhi Technology has obtained more than 50 domestic and international patents in areas such as ultrasound hardware, artificial intelligence systems, chips, and cloud computing.
In just one month, Shenzhi Technology secured another strategic financing round worth tens of millions of yuan, demonstrating investors’ recognition of the intelligent ultrasound diagnostics sector and their confidence in Shenzhi Technology’s growth potential.
As the only ultrasound AI company in China currently possessing proprietary underlying algorithms, Shenzhi Technology’s strategic positioning has enabled it to forge collaborations with numerous leading medical device manufacturers, Meinian Onehealth, large Grade A tertiary hospitals in Shanghai, top-tier experts, and teaching hospitals. The company is not only targeting the existing installed base of ultrasound equipment but also expanding into future clinical departments and primary care clinics, aiming to equip more medical institutions with pocket-sized ultrasound devices powered by AI. Its services now cover over 600 hospitals, and its grassroots operations continue to achieve significant monthly growth. Shenzhi Technology has undoubtedly achieved both commercialization and industrialization of its products.
When discussing the significance of choosing between clinical specialization and primary care tracks, Zhu Ruixing, CEO of Shenzhi Technology, shared his insights with VCBeat.: “Through our continuous dedication to the development of intelligent hardware and software, we have steadily reduced costs and optimized the operational efficiency of primary healthcare services. Only by lowering prices can we truly enhance the economic viability of products in highly fragmented specialized and primary care applications.”
Shenzhi Technology clearly recognizes that,At this stage, artificial intelligence technology is not designed to challenge physicians, but rather to better assist medical professionals at healthcare institutions of all levels in addressing work-related challenges and alleviating their workload, thereby enabling them to focus on the most critical tasks.rather than allocating 70% of one’s energy to detailed tasks and only 30% to decision-making work, as was done in the past.
This decision not only significantly enhances the accuracy of ultrasound diagnostic results and lowers the technical barrier to using ultrasound technology, thereby enabling the product to better serve clinical departments, but also makes it truly feasible for deployment at the primary care level. To some extent, it streamlines physicians’ workflows and boosts end-user adoption willingness.
As stated in its core positioning, “making it affordable for users and easy to use for those unfamiliar with the technology,” the company continuously develops AI hardware and software, leveraging artificial intelligence to reduce product costs. This enables broader adoption across more clinical departments, thereby expanding profit margins and enhancing utilization rates in primary care markets.
In February 2020, the U.S. FDA approved Capture Health’s first AI-based ultrasound imaging assistance system, bringing new opportunities to the ultrasound imaging sector. Shenzhi Technology has also boarded this high-speed train of ultrasound imaging development. Leveraging its robust R&D and industrialization capabilities in AI-powered ultrasound, it has become the first company in China to achieve dynamic medical ultrasound analysis.
In product R&D, Shenzhi Technology chooses to start from two aspects: artificial intelligence, big data, and usage scenarios.
First, Shenzhi Technology leverages artificial intelligence to enhance image quality. Assisted by big data and deep learning, it processes low-resolution raw ultrasound images to optimize imaging, enabling intelligent segmentation and precise measurement of lesions. This allows physicians to rapidly achieve accurate diagnoses with the aid of ultrasound systems, thereby lowering the technical threshold for ultrasound utilization.
Secondly, Shenzhi Technology adheres to a use-case-driven approach. By establishing a standardized workflow for portable ultrasound operations tailored for physicians, the company transforms the potential of portability and ease-of-use into reality. This enhances the operational fluency of ultrasound devices, enabling auxiliary diagnostic software to effectively serve clinical practice while empowering primary care institutions.
As stated by You Xiangdong, Managing Partner and Executive President of Zheshang Venture Capital“The Shenzhi Technology team is a group of passionate, capable, and idealistic young professionals who are dedicated to innovation and proactive advancement, with the belief that they will create greater value in the future.” The team serves as a crucial driving force behind its continuous breakthroughs in ultrasound systems.
Shenzhi Technology has assembled an R&D team composed of top-tier, multidisciplinary, and cross-functional experts from both China and abroad, with backgrounds in artificial intelligence, ultrasound hardware and software, and medicine.The team comprises PhDs from world-leading institutions such as Harvard University, MIT, Columbia University, the University of California, and China’s top universities including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Additionally, Shenzhi Technology boasts a substantial reserve of domestic ultrasound physicians, who help the company address operational issues and enhance user experience, thereby further optimizing its technology.
Zheshang Venture Capital’s exclusive investment in Shenzhi Technology is underpinned by a clear strategic rationale.
In 2016, Dr. You Xiangdong, a renowned expert in cardiovascular ultrasound medicine and former Vice President of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, as well as former Deputy Director of its Heart Center and Director of its Department of Cardiac Ultrasound, chose to transition into venture capital by joining Zheshang Venture Capital as Executive President. His previous professional affiliations included serving as a Committee Member of the Ultrasound Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Vice Chairman of the Ultrasound Medicine Branch of the China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care, Standing Committee Member of the Ultrasound Medicine Expert Committee of the Cross-Strait Medical and Health Exchange Association, President of the Ultrasound Physicians Branch of the Zhejiang Medical Doctor Association, and Immediate Past Chairman of the Ultrasound Medicine Branch of the Zhejiang Medical Association. Through his role at Zheshang Venture Capital, he aims to facilitate deep integration between the healthcare system and the broader external world.
Nearly 30 years of experience in clinical practice, teaching, scientific research, and hospital management have endowed You Xiangdong with profound insights into healthcare and a forward-looking perspective on investment enterprises.
You Xiangdong, Managing Partner and Executive President of Zheshang Venture Capital
When discussing the investment rationale behind this deal, You Xiangdong, Managing Partner and Executive President of Zheshang Venture Capital, stated:
It is a great honor to become a member of the Shenzhi Technology family. Shenzhi Technology is a high-tech company dedicated to the application of artificial intelligence in the field of ultrasound medicine, continuously iterating and innovating to improve the efficiency, precision, and standardization of clinical diagnosis and treatment. In particular, the integration of Shenzhi Technology with Siduoke’s handheld ultrasound devices has demonstrated that the empowerment of primary care physicians and clinical specialists through point-of-care (POC) ultrasound is finally achievable. This is a milestone achievement and an inevitable trend in the expansion of application scenarios for global ultrasound medicine. It also represents the dream I have pursued over my 30-plus years of experience in clinical practice, management, and ultrasound quality control. As the new round of investors, Zheshang Venture Capital will work alongside other shareholders to further support and empower Shenzhi Technology in areas such as technological innovation, physician groups, training academies, and “Internet+” initiatives, fostering deeper collaboration across industry, academia, and research.
Ma Jinbo, Investment Director at Zheshang Venture Capital, stated:
As a provider of AI-enabled portable imaging products for digital radiology, Shenzhi Technology will continue to connect with primary healthcare terminals, stimulate demand for imaging services at the grassroots level, and provide robust support for the government’s “Two Descents, Two Improvements” reform initiative. We look forward to Shenzhi Technology’s integration of medical devices, AI, and physician groups to shape the future industrial internet in healthcare.
Currently, Shenzhi Technology’s hardware products have obtained NMPA and CE certifications, and its software has also received CE certification. In the future, Shenzhi Technology will continue to focus on artificial intelligence technology to better serve clinical departments and extend its reach to grassroots healthcare facilities.
The Future Medicine Innovation Fund of Zhejiang University was initiated under the personal advocacy of Academician Wu Zhaohui, President of Zhejiang University, and established by Zheshang Venture Capital. The fund primarily invests in early-stage projects, with a focus on high-quality domestic alternatives to imported products, the discovery of next-generation innovative technologies, and strategic layout in specialized medical service terminals or platforms. Fifty percent of the fund’s returns will be donated to Zhejiang University to establish funds for the recruitment of innovative talent and for non-profit medical research.