Broncus Secures Tens of Millions in Series C Funding to Lead Precision Interventional Pulmonary Therapeutics

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that Broncus, a leader in precision interventional therapy for pulmonary diseases, recently announced the completion of its tens-of-millions-of-dollars Series C financing round. The round was led by Lake Bleu Capital, with participation from Baidu Ventures, Ascendum Capital, CIF Investment, DCP Capital, and Qiming Venture Partners. Broncus has previously received continuous investment from globally renowned venture capital firms such as Qiming Venture Partners and Intuitive Surgical, as well as industry giants.

The proceeds from this round of financing will be primarily used to strengthen and expand Kunbo Medical’s core product portfolio for the diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases, accelerate R&D, clinical trials, regulatory approvals, and diversified global market deployment, thereby helping Kunbo Medical maintain its leadership in the field of precision interventional therapy for lung diseases.

Kunbo Medical owns three R&D and manufacturing enterprises: U.S.-based Broncus Medical, Inc., Uptake Medical Technology, Inc., and Hangzhou Kunbo Biological Technology Co., Ltd. The company focuses on precision minimally invasive interventional diagnostic and therapeutic products for pulmonary diseases such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), driving disruptive changes in the diagnosis and treatment models of lung diseases, improving patient survival rates, shortening diagnostic and treatment cycles, and saving medical resources. Kunbo Medical has established strategic partnerships with Intuitive Surgical and Olympus Europa in various fields.

Lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) both affect vast patient populations and pose serious health threats. Taking lung cancer as an example, it is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality rates worldwide. According to the Global Cancer Report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018, lung cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer globally in 2018, accounting for 11.6% of all new cancer cases that year. In China alone, there are approximately 100 million individuals with pulmonary nodules, and nearly 800,000 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed annually, among which 70–80% of patients are already at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. The five-year survival rate for early-stage lung cancer is approximately 90%, which is six times higher than that for advanced-stage lung cancer. Early diagnosis and treatment represent the most effective means of prolonging survival in lung cancer patients. However, due to their size and location, most nodules detected via low-dose spiral computed tomography (CT) are difficult to biopsy for histological examination and pathological analysis at an early stage.

Clinicians have long sought to diagnose and treat severe pulmonary diseases, such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), through precise, minimally invasive interventional procedures. However, factors including pulmonary anatomical structures and lesion locations have made accurate localization and precise access to lesions difficult, thereby hindering the widespread application of interventional surgery in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary diseases. The introduction of a navigation platform capable of reaching lesions throughout the entire lung represents a critical technological breakthrough for advancing interventional diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary diseases.

LungPro® is the world’s only navigation system capable of reaching the entire lung, protected by the sole global patent for transbronchial out-of-airway navigation technology. This system enables clinicians to perform interventional procedures throughout the entire lung via an airway approach for the first time. It has received clearance from the U.S. FDA, European CE marking, and China’s NMPA, and has been granted over 100 patents worldwide. In addition, interventional consumables such as the InterVapor® thermal vapor therapy system for emphysema, FleXNeedle® biopsy needles, BioStar® disposable endoscopic aspiration biopsy needles, and the Diaokeeda™ steerable sheath have been approved for market launch in various countries and regions. Projects including radiofrequency ablation for lung cancer treatment have also entered pre-market clinical trials, providing a comprehensive suite of solutions for respiratory interventional therapy.

Kunbo Medical CEO Zhan Guowei stated, “In recent years, international medical device companies across various sectors—including industry giants such as Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, and Olympus—have made significant inroads into the pulmonary field. This trend validates Broncus’s forward-looking vision and its early leadership in interventional pulmonology. Recognition and support from top-tier industry players, physicians, and investors have further solidified Kunbo’s pioneering position. Compared with other products, the LungPoint® and LungPro® systems demonstrate clear advantages. Leveraging whole-lung navigation as its platform, Kunbo is accelerating the development and commercialization of minimally invasive, precise interventional diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, continuously providing innovative solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of serious pulmonary diseases for physicians and patients alike.”

Dr. Li Bin, Founder of Lake Bleu Capital, stated, “Kunbo Medical represents another significant investment layout for Lake Bleu Capital in the medical device sector this year. Globally, there is a substantial unmet medical need in the interventional diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary diseases. Kunbo possesses a globally leading pulmonary navigation system, extensive data accumulation, and cutting-edge analytical technologies, which serve as the foundation for integrating related interventional biopsy consumables and therapeutic tools. We believe that, as a global technology leader in the field of pulmonary disease diagnosis and treatment, the vast amount of data accumulated by Kunbo’s navigation platform on detection and interventional therapy will help clinicians both in China and abroad provide patients with less invasive, personalized diagnosis and treatment more effectively, thereby benefiting the large global population of patients with lung diseases.”

“With the explosive growth of information technology, the pace of transformation in the healthcare industry is accelerating. The next decade will be an era where artificial intelligence, big data, and deep learning drive the upgrading of the healthcare industry,” said Wang Yu, Head of the Healthcare Team at Baidu Ventures. “We are optimistic about Kunbo Medical’s absolute leadership in the diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases in the new era. We also believe that the deep integration of Kunbo’s augmented reality lung navigation platform’s core technologies with AI and big data management will drive a significant transformation in the business model of China’s smart healthcare industry, improve full-lifecycle management for global patients with lung diseases from early diagnosis to follow-up treatment, expand coverage to reach more people, and create greater value for society.”

Yingyu Liang, Managing Partner at Qiming Venture Partners, stated, “Qiming Venture Partners has always been a steadfast supporter of Kunbo Medical. Positioned in the field of precise pulmonary intervention, Kunbo has emerged as a true industry leader with its smart pulmonary diagnosis and treatment solutions that feature disruptive innovation and compete with global giants. We look forward to Kunbo continuing to provide better options and support for patients with pulmonary diseases worldwide.”

Liu Haifeng, Chairman of DCP Capital, stated: “DCP Capital has long been highly optimistic about the development prospects of precise pulmonary interventional therapy and strongly recognizes Kunbo Medical’s management team for their profound insights into industry trends and their top-tier R&D capabilities. Built upon its globally leading pulmonary navigation system, Kunbo Medical has evolved into a platform enterprise integrating early lung cancer diagnosis with multiple therapeutic solutions. We believe that Kunbo Medical will become an industry giant in the field of pulmonary diseases.”

Chen Zhengyu, Head of CIF Investment, stated, “This investment in Kunbo Medical is a classic example of the synergy between commercial banking and investment banking, leveraging CIF Investment’s role as the overseas flagship investment banking platform of China CITIC Bank. We are optimistic about the precision minimally invasive pulmonary intervention market where Kunbo operates, which holds immense potential. As an innovative medical device manufacturer with Chinese backing, Kunbo has leveraged its internal R&D platform to launch multiple globally first-in-class and exclusive devices and consumables, breaking the monopoly held by multinational corporations in the innovative medical device sector. Moving forward, CIF Investment will collaborate with China CITIC Bank’s Hangzhou Branch to provide Kunbo with comprehensive financial services integrating ‘commercial banking + investment banking,’ thereby supporting the company’s growth.”

Shao Ying, Founding Partner of Ascendum Capital, stated that Kunbo Medical was the first investment made by Ascendum Capital since its establishment earlier this year. As an emerging fund focused on global innovation in healthcare, we highly recognize the professionalism and innovativeness of the Kunbo team in the field of medical devices for pulmonary diagnosis and treatment. The proprietary technology platform owned by Kunbo is not only leading in China but also globally. We believe that the market potential of this platform will be gradually unleashed, and Kunbo is destined to disrupt the hundred-billion-level market for interventional pulmonology diagnostics and therapeutics, ushering in a new era of precision diagnosis and treatment for lung diseases.