MedImage Cloud Files for IPO: Empowering Radiologists with Intuitive, Mobile-First Imaging Tools
Among the specialized segments of healthcare, medical imaging is undoubtedly a highly promising field.
According to the report “Market Landscape and Industry Development Analysis of Medical Imaging,” if China’s overall healthcare expenditure over the past five years is taken as a basis, the market size of medical imaging in China will reach approximately RMB 600–80 billion by 2020. Driven by this vast market, the tiered diagnosis and treatment policy, and the liberalization of policies for independent imaging centers, traditional medical equipment manufacturers, healthcare IT providers, and emerging AI-driven healthcare companies have all entered this field.
The market is vast, with startups selecting their entry points based on diverse needs. From the perspective of demand scenarios, patients face issues such as repeated imaging examinations and high misdiagnosis rates; medical institutions struggle with difficulties in storing imaging data, as well as low accuracy and efficiency in image-based diagnosis; and physicians encounter challenges in professional communication and a scarcity of educational resources. These pain points and challenges represent significant opportunities.
From the perspective of the industrial chain, the upstream sector of medical imaging involves fields such as chemicals, metals, internet, and telecommunications; the midstream sector comprises enterprises engaged in the research and development of medical imaging equipment and the digitalization of imaging information; while the downstream sector includes end-users of imaging services, such as public and private healthcare institutions, as well as emerging offline independent imaging centers and online independent imaging platforms.
Recently, VCBeat connected with a high-quality medical imaging service provider, Beijing Yiyingshun Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yiyingshun”), which has developed a hospital-level mobile cloud PACS solution, providing patients and doctors with an efficient and low-cost tool for imaging examinations combined with medical history-based diagnosis.
PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems), fully named "Picture Archiving and Communication System," is a medical imaging technology that provides image storage and access. Based on modern computer and communication technologies, it replaces traditional film with digital formats for image processing, thereby enabling the efficient and cost-effective storage, management, transmission, and display of medical images and case information. Its primary task is to massively store various medical images generated daily by hospital radiology departments in digital format, allowing for rapid retrieval and use under appropriate authorization when needed, while also incorporating additional auxiliary diagnostic management functions.
In the increasingly competitive field of medical imaging, how has Yiying Cloud developed its products? What are its technological advantages? And how has it structured its commercial strategy? Recently, VCBeat conducted an exclusive interview with Yang Kun, founder of Yiying Cloud, to provide insights into these questions.
Yang Kun, the founder of Yiying Cloud, is a seasoned internet industry veteran. His decision to venture into healthcare entrepreneurship stemmed from two market pain points he identified during his family members’ medical consultations.
One challenge lies on the patient side: after undergoing examinations, patients receive only paper reports and physical films or CDs. To seek informal consultations from physician friends, they must repeatedly photograph the original films to ensure sufficient image clarity. The other challenge is on the physician side: doctors need to open specialized software on their office computers to interpret medical images, a process that heavily depends on the quality of digital infrastructure at their respective hospitals.
“In most cases, clinicians are heavily occupied with surgeries, ward rounds, and other duties. They strongly desire a convenient and efficient way to review medical images, and even perform professional tasks such as case analysis on top of that. It was precisely based on this need that my hospital colleagues and I explored whether mobile internet solutions could address the issue, enabling people to view medical images on smartphones or iPads,” Yang Kun told VCBeat.
Upon entering the wave of medical imaging startups, Yang Kun discovered that DICOM is the universal file format for medical images. To develop a user-friendly imaging tool, it was essential to go back to basics and invest in R&D focused on the file format itself. Thus, as soon as the project was launched, Yiying Cloud began with the parsing of the DICOM format.
“The project is progressing very smoothly. Upon completion of this work, our parsing capabilities have yielded impressive results,” said Yang Kun. “When parsing a large DICOM file (containing over 1,000 medical images), the Yiying Cloud Platform completes the task in under one minute, whereas some competing products tend to stall when handling such large files.” Currently, patent applications are being filed for this highly efficient medical image parsing algorithm.
In terms of technical advantages, MedImage Cloud enables the ultra-fast playback of hundreds to thousands of medical images on mobile phones and achieves cross-browser and cross-platform compatibility. By implementing encrypted transmission of medical images, it separates imaging data from patient information, thereby ensuring data security. In compression technology, MedImage Cloud employs a truly lossless compression algorithm based on mathematical coding, as well as an end-to-end deep learning-based lossy compression algorithm optimized for rate-distortion performance.
In terms of product form, Yiying Cloud offers a WeChat Mini Program for mobile devices; its SaaS services include an imaging management system, medical reporting system, image viewer, teaching management system, and image annotation tools; its hardware products include PACS workstations and image analysis workstations.
Excellent technology and products are inseparable from a high-quality team. In terms of team composition, 80% of Yiying Cloud’s staff are dedicated to research and development. The founder, Yang Kun, is a serial entrepreneur with 15 years of experience in the internet industry. He has served as a product manager at leading internet companies such as Sohu and JD.com, continuously providing management consulting and system integration solutions for traditional industries and enterprises. The medical director, Wayne, holds a master’s degree from Peking Union Medical College and the Tsinghua University School of Medicine. With ten years of frontline clinical experience in top-tier (Grade III Class A) hospitals, he has co-authored dozens of SCI papers and more than ten clinical medicine books. The technical director, Bill, also holds a master’s degree from Peking Union Medical College and the Tsinghua University School of Medicine. With ten years of experience in the information departments of top-tier (Grade III Class A) hospitals, he is well-versed in technologies related to medical image storage, transmission, and PACS deployment. Proficient in both front-end and back-end development as well as various medical imaging algorithms, he has independently developed several hospital-grade medical software applications used in top-tier hospitals.
In terms of the market, the primary users of the Yiying Cloud product are currently physicians. Since the launch of its consumer-facing (C-end) products in April this year, an increasing number of patients have also begun using Yiying Cloud. To better serve a broader user base, the Yiying Cloud team is actively engaged in community management and has continuously intensified its promotional efforts.
Regarding future development, Yang Kun stated that Yiying Cloud will continue to focus on technology and products while gradually expanding its market reach. The company’s goal for this year is to enter 100 hospitals, accumulate more consumer-end users, and build up relevant data reserves. “With the continuous optimization and iteration of product performance, we plan to use mobile PACS imaging cloud as a breakthrough point to enter the medical institution imaging services market, and expand into the medical education sector through academic conferences, surgical live broadcasts, and teaching courses,” said Yang Kun.
At the capital level, Yiyi Cloud has a financing plan in the near future, with an amount of around 15 million yuan. The funds raised will be used for product development, talent acquisition, market expansion, and other aspects.