Wuweikang Launches New 12-Lead Portable ECG Monitor in June, Expanding Its Presence to Nearly 10,000 Grassroots Clinics

ECG monitoring can provide early warnings for heart diseases and reflect overall health. This sector has become a highly popular market in recent years, with mobile phone manufacturers such as Apple, Xiaomi, Huawei,Traditional medical device manufacturers are still striving to penetrate this market.

However, there remains a gap between existing wearable ECG solutions and hospital-grade professional ECG systems. A standard electrocardiogram requires 12 leads. The 12-lead fully automated ECG analysis system is capable of recording 12-lead, 6-lead, 3+1-lead, 3-lead, and long-term rhythm lead data. In routine ECGs, if an abnormal heart rhythm is detected, the system can automatically complete a one-minute waveform recording and extended recording for the rhythm lead.

Most dynamic ECG monitoring products use simulated leads. Taking the Apple Watch’s ECG feature as an example, it has only one lead. Furthermore, this single lead is not a standard lead acquired using conventional methods; instead, the signal is collected through alternative means and then computationally simulated by software algorithms to generate waveforms familiar to physicians, thereby constituting a simulated lead.

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that a Chinese company named We for Health is capable of providing portable 12-lead ECG monitoring. It is reported that We for Health’s second-generation ECG device, the “Heart UFO” Home Smart 12-Lead All-in-One ECG Monitor, was just launched this June. Since 2018, its first-generation ECG machines have been deployed in more than 6,000 clinics and health centers at the county, township, and village levels.

Founded in 2014, We For Health was established by Yu Haipeng, who graduated from the Clinical Medicine program at Beijing Medical University (now Peking University Health Science Center) in 1995. Prior to launching his venture, he served for many years as a cardiologist, frequently providing emergency care to patients suffering from myocardial infarction.

Yu Haipeng recalled, “At that time, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was being widely adopted in China, bringing great benefit to patients with myocardial infarction. However, many patients still missed the optimal window for treatment due to various reasons. Later, I started my own business in pharmaceutical agency sales, representing a wide range of imported and domestically produced medical devices, which also exposed me to advanced manufacturing technologies. While home-use glucose meters and blood pressure monitors had already become commonplace, among the diagnostic tools most frequently used by us internists, there was still no electrocardiogram (ECG) device suitable for home use. At that time, my parents, living far away in western China, were advancing in age, and I strongly desired an ECG device that I could teach them to use, enabling timely detection of critical cardiac conditions.”

According to World Health Organization statistics, up to 15 million people worldwide die from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases each year. In China, the number of patients with cardiovascular disease has reached 290 million, including 11 million patients with coronary heart disease. Deaths caused by cardiovascular disease account for approximately 40% of all deaths.

However, the onset of heart disease is not without warning; when the heart sends out abnormal signals, individuals may choose to endure the discomfort and let it pass. Studies have shown that 72% of patients experience significant discomfort before cardiac arrest, with 70% of these patients having symptoms lasting longer than 15 minutes. Therefore, real-time electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring for patients to promptly detect abnormal ECG changes is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

However, existing home portable ECG monitors have not yet fully met the demand.

Yu Haipeng pointed out, “I previously saw some portable electrocardiogram (ECG) machines already under development at overseas exhibitions. However, from the professional perspective of a cardiologist, these products are unsatisfactory. They are either too cumbersome to operate independently or have too few leads, making them incapable of detecting slightly more complex conditions such as myocardial ischemia, let alone myocardial infarction.”

To achieve precision on par with hospital-grade products while offering a portable alternative, We for Health has made significant efforts in technological breakthroughs.

After four years of research and development, supported by its proprietary integrated electrodes, We for Health’s portable 12-lead ECG machine eliminates the need for lead wires, adhesive pads, or suction bulbs. It requires no consumables during use and no specialized training. The device can be operated independently by a single user, unrestricted by indoor or outdoor settings or power availability. ECG data can be acquired in under one minute, with automatic generation of ECG reports that are simultaneously uploaded to the ECG management platform for review by professional physicians. This meets patients’ testing needs when alone at home, outdoors, or even while traveling.

In terms of accuracy, trial data indicate that the diagnostic accuracy of We for Health products is consistent with that of in-hospital ECG monitors.

The technological breakthroughs achieved would not have been possible without the technical team at We for Health. Yun Jingtao, CTO of We for Health, holds a Master’s degree in Computer-Aided Design from Tsinghua University and a Master’s degree in Engineering from the University of California, Davis. Shi Wei, Chairman and Deputy General Manager, graduated from the Department of Computer Science at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He previously founded Beijing Jiayuan Xingtong Technology Co., Ltd. and has extensive professional experience in software and hardware integration as well as electromechanical product manufacturing.

Yu Haipeng recalled the early days of the company’s founding: “At first, I shared my idea with classmates at a reunion, and we grew increasingly excited as we discussed it. Turning that idea into action required repeated discussions and even the development of preliminary design models. During this process, we also identified a talented hardware engineer specializing in electrocardiogram (ECG) machines, who was able to bring our concepts to life. Thus, our initial startup team was formed, consisting of just five members at the outset.”

In addition to investing in R&D for hardware, We For Health has also built a complete closed-loop service ecosystem.

We for Health equips users with expert ECG interpretation, a 24-hour call center, and round-the-clock monitoring by a team of professional physicians. In the event of abnormal ECG findings, the system triggers automatic alerts and enables rapid response by customer service representatives, thereby facilitating timely access to life-saving care for patients.

In terms of application scenarios, portable ECG monitors can be used not only by individuals with suspected heart attacks but also by patients with confirmed heart disease, those recovering from cardiac surgery, and high-risk patients for regular monitoring. Healthy individuals under high work stress or with heightened risk awareness can also use them for preventive screening.

In terms of market channels, We for Health focused on building its B2B distribution network in 2018. Since then, its first-generation ECG machines have been deployed in nearly 10,000 county, township, and village clinics and health centers.

Yu Haipeng told VCBeat, “In 2018, we primarily promoted our products in the third terminal market, including grassroots clinics and health centers, achieving remarkable success. In 2019, with the launch of our second-generation product (the Xinfedie ECG Monitor), which offers greater convenience for home use and is particularly portable for travel, we began to strategically focus on the consumer (C-end) market to directly reach end users.”

As it broadens its product portfolio, We for Health will continue to deepen its expertise in ECG products. The company plans to collaborate with research institutes to develop 12-lead wearable ECG devices that deliver genuine clinical diagnostic value.

Yu Haipeng, a physician by training, stated bluntly, “The vast majority of products currently marketed as wearable devices lack genuine medical value and are not what cardiologists truly need. This is precisely why we set out to develop a true wearable 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) device.”

Regarding future planning, Yu Haipeng stated, “Our next step will be to expand our product portfolio and continuously optimize service functionalities. Starting with software enhancements and the expansion of service offerings, we will develop smart devices aimed at integrating home-based elderly care, health monitoring, and daily life services. Furthermore, we plan to extend from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diagnostic equipment to the research and development of home-use cardiac rehabilitation devices. By upgrading our health service software, we aim to achieve comprehensive, full-course health management for heart disease patients, effectively enabling out-of-hospital crisis prevention and rehabilitation.”

Currently, We for Health is undergoing a new round of financing.