Ezisurg Secures Hundreds of Millions in Series C Funding Led by Hillhouse Ventures to Advance Minimally Invasive Surgical Solutions

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that Shanghai EziSurg Medical Co., Ltd. (“EziSurg”) recently announced the completion of its Series C financing, amounting to hundreds of millions of RMB. The round was led by Hillhouse Venture Capital, with continued support from existing shareholder Xiamen C&D Emerging Investment.

ESM, founded in November 2011, is a high-tech company specializing in the research, development, and industrialization of high-end medical devices for minimally invasive oncologic surgery. It is committed to providing comprehensive surgical solutions for minimally invasive cancer treatment. ESM is recognized as a National High-Tech Enterprise and has been designated as a Model Unit for Brand Cultivation by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Shanghai Municipal Government. Over the past eight years, ESM has successfully developed and manufactured multiple high-value surgical consumables, including the easyEndo endoscopic stapler and the easyUS ultrasonic scalpel and hemostasis system. In the highly competitive surgical instrument market, which has long been dominated by foreign brands, ESM has rapidly emerged as the leading domestic brand, particularly in the endoscopic stapler segment.

Currently, multiple innovative products from ESM are under development and in the registration process, and its laparoscopic system with independent intellectual property rights is expected to obtain the registration certificate within the year. While continuously expanding its market presence, the company has been strengthening its management foundation. In 2020, following its receipt of the First Prize for Intellectual Property Innovation in Shanghai (Patent and Trademark Category), the company’s invention patent “A Surgical Instrument and Its Bending Control Mechanism” (ZL201510026576.X) was further honored with the Excellence Award at the 21st China Patent Awards. Meanwhile, the company’s third-generation laparoscopic stapler was selected for the “Shanghai Design 100+” list launched by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, becoming a new hallmark of Shanghai design.

To date, the Company has filed more than 190 patent applications, including over 40 Chinese invention patents and more than 90 PCT and international patents, as well as applied for over 100 trademarks. The Company’s continuously expanding portfolio of independent intellectual property rights not only serves as a strong endorsement of its capabilities in product R&D and technological innovation, but also reinforces its long-standing commitment to the philosophy of “clinically valuable technological innovation.”

In the 2019 Most Influential List of China’s Pharmaceutical Industry, released by the Pharmaceutical Chamber of Commerce of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, ESM was honored as the “2019 China Medical Device Technology Innovation Enterprise” and retained its places on two prestigious lists: “Top 50 Growing Enterprises in China’s Pharmaceutical Industry” and “Law-Abiding and Creditworthy Enterprises in China’s Pharmaceutical Industry.”

On August 18, the 2020 Top 100 Enterprises in Shanghai list was officially released. ESM was included in the “2020 Top 100 Private Manufacturing Enterprises in Shanghai” list due to its outstanding comprehensive strength and rapid performance growth, and ranked eighth on the “2020 Top 50 Fast-Growing Enterprises in Shanghai” list.

Nie Honglin, Chairman of ESM, stated, “The market potential for minimally invasive surgical devices in China is immense, with core products still dominated by foreign brands. Since its establishment, ESM has always prioritized product quality, continuously enhancing the clinical performance of its offerings, and possesses both the confidence and capability to compete in the market. We appreciate the recognition from both new and existing investors. Moving forward, ESM will remain firmly focused on minimally invasive surgical devices and related fields, developing more technologies and products that closely align with clinical needs. We aim to continually enrich our product portfolio, rapidly expand sales scale, and strive to become an industry leader in China’s minimally invasive surgery sector, as well as a significantly influential participant in the international market.”

Mao Jian, Board Secretary of EziSurg Medical Co., Ltd. (ESM), stated: “This round of financing was executed with remarkable efficiency and speed. The continued support from both existing and new shareholders will drive the company’s financial optimization, business transformation, and deeper integration with the capital market. The primary uses of the funds include: intensifying R&D and marketing efforts for existing product lines; accelerating the development and commercialization of new projects in the pipeline; and strengthening the executive team and talent pipeline. Meanwhile, through external growth strategies such as proactive mergers and acquisitions and strategic partnerships, the company aims to expand deep industrial synergies across its product portfolio, distribution channels, and supply chain.”

Yi Nuoqing, Co-Chief Investment Officer of Hillhouse Capital and Head of Biopharmaceuticals and Medical Devices at Hillhouse Ventures, stated: “Driven by our DNA of heavily investing in innovation, Hillhouse Ventures has been committed to identifying long-term partners with indigenous innovative capabilities in the biopharmaceutical and medical device sectors. In particular, within the field of minimally invasive surgical instruments—characterized by high barriers to R&D and manufacturing and significant potential for import substitution—leading enterprises such as ESM have prioritized product quality and innovation for many years. By continuously launching high-quality, innovative product portfolios that address clinical needs, they provide superior comprehensive solutions for minimally invasive surgery to clinicians and patients alike. We look forward to partnering with ESM over the long term, offering sustained strategic and resource support to help the company reach new heights in innovation within the minimally invasive surgical instrument sector and create greater value.”

Hillhouse Ventures is a venture capital fund under Hillhouse Capital, dedicated to early-stage innovative companies. It primarily focuses on four key sectors: biopharmaceuticals and medical devices, software services and original technological innovations, consumer internet and technology, and emerging consumer brands and services. Biopharmaceuticals and medical devices have long been Hillhouse’s core investment focus. Over the past decade, Hillhouse has invested in more than 160 outstanding pharmaceutical and medical device companies, including BeiGene, Innovent Biologics, Junshi Biosciences, I-Mab, Frontage Laboratories, Nanomicro Tech, Medcaptain Medical Technology, PINS Medical, Primarius Technologies, Peijia Medical, MicroPort CardioFlow, and Venus Medtech. We aim to partner with enterprises as “friends of time,” jointly driving innovation and development in the broader healthcare sector to benefit more patients.

Shen Yaping, Deputy General Manager of C&D Emerging Industries and Head of Healthcare Investment, stated, “Medical devices have always been a key strategic focus for C&D. ESM is a leading domestic company in minimally invasive surgical instruments, boasting a comprehensive and highly innovative product portfolio. The company’s strong execution capabilities, coupled with clinical recognition of its product quality and reputation, promise a bright future. We are delighted to invest in ESM and support its rapid growth.”

Xiamen C&D Emerging Investment, a corporate venture capital arm backed by Xiamen C&D Group—a Fortune Global 500 company ranked 234th in the 2020 Fortune Global 500 list—manages assets exceeding RMB 7 billion. Guided by its mission to “unlock new value and help more high-growth new-economy enterprises achieve better development,” the firm focuses primarily on healthcare, advanced manufacturing, TMT, and consumer sectors.