ManGu Tech Launches AI-Powered Health Service Robot to Address Elder Care Shortages in China

The immense popularity of the urban drama *All Is Well* reflects the challenges of elderly care in China: parents desire companionship from their children, who are often too preoccupied with work, careers, and daily responsibilities to provide it. According to statistics released by the National School of Development at Peking University, in 2005, there were 6.1 working-age individuals supporting each elderly person in China. By 2025, this dependency ratio is projected to become 2.5:1, and by 2050, only 1.6 working-age individuals will be supporting each elderly person. For both young people and the elderly, the pressure of elderly care will continue to intensify, making it increasingly difficult for seniors to enjoy a peaceful and secure old age.

On January 21, 2019, the National Bureau of Statistics released the latest demographic data, showing that in 2018, China’s population aged 60 and above reached 249 million, accounting for 17.9% of the total population, among which those aged 65 and above numbered 166.58 million, representing 11.9% of the total population. In the face of such a large elderly population, current resources in elderly care institutions are in short supply.

To address this gap, the prestigious magazine The Economist published an article titled “Robots to Care for Grandma,” pointing out that the world needs a “robot revolution” in the face of population aging. With robotic assistance, older adults can maintain independence and mobility for longer periods, which also helps alleviate loneliness and mitigate the effects of dementia, while making it easier to care for the elderly in nursing homes.

The International Federation of Robotics claimed that in 2018,Approx.20,000 units of robotics products designed for aging populations, including medical robots, assistive robots for people with disabilities, and exoskeleton robots. This figure accounts for less than 5% of the industrial robot market, indicating significant untapped market potential.

While there is no shortage of companies in China engaged in robotics, few specialize in the “robotics + elderly care” sector. Mangu Technology stands out as a typical startup in this niche. Its upcoming Zhengtai Health Service Robot targets elderly users, integrating health services, daily living assistance, entertainment and companionship, and children’s education to address seniors’ needs for both family connection and healthcare.

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) conducted exclusive interviews with Zou Jinglu, General Manager of Mangu Technology; Sun Chonghui, Deputy General Manager; and Zhang Jianyong, Product Director. The aim was to gain insights into how Mangu Technology plans to position itself in the elderly care sector and how its products address the genuine needs of the senior care market and older adults.

We know that there are numerous enterprises in the broad field of “technology + general health,” most of which were established between 2016 and 2018. The business logic of these companies largely revolves around connecting community physicians with households to build smart elderly-care platforms, with their intelligent hardware primarily taking the form of wearable devices.

Mangu Technology aims to bridge health and family bonds in the elderly care sector. “We are committed to leveraging technology to bridge the generational gap and effectively reconnect familial ties. Currently, we use smart hardware as an entry point to build a next-generation platform for synchronizing family health information, thereby strengthening the connection between seniors and their children,” said Zou Jinglu, General Manager of Mangu Technology, outlining the company’s strategic positioning.

Unlike other sectors, the elderly care market serves seniors as its end users, yet they are not the primary customers. At present, the true customers in this market are, first, the government, and second, the children of the elderly. However, while seeking payment from these customers, it is equally crucial to uncover the genuine needs of the target user group.

Family affection and health are the most urgent and essential needs of the elderly. According to data from the white paper “Development of China’s Health Undertakings and Progress in Human Rights,” life expectancy in China is 76.5 years, but healthy life expectancy is only 62 years. This means that for approximately 14.5 years, most elderly individuals require frequent medical consultations and medication, underscoring the need for earlier intervention in health management and disease prevention.

In response to such demands, Mangu Technology has partnered with companies including Alibaba, AISpeech, JD.com, and Dingdang Kuaiyao, and launched the Zhengtai Health Service Robot.

According to Zhang Jianyong, Product Director at Mangu Technology, the Zhengtai Health Service Robot features four major functional modules: health services, daily life assistance, entertainment and companionship, and children’s education.

Among these, health services include vital sign monitoring, online consultations, online medication purchases, disease prevention, and health education.

The vital signs detection feature supports the measurement of 11 health indicators, including heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation, within 60 seconds. Elderly users simply need to say “I want to check” to Zhengtai, and then place their hands on the robot as prompted to complete the test with a one-touch operation.

The online consultation feature enables elderly patients to seek medical care from home, including registering for appointments and scheduling consultations.

For elderly individuals with limited mobility who require long-term medication, the online pharmacy module supports home-based purchasing and door-to-door delivery.

Moreover, in terms of disease prevention, the Zhengtai Health Service Robot conducts health education through video lectures by renowned physicians and interactive Q&A sessions on health knowledge. The Zhengtai Health Lecture Hall boasts an extensive library of professional short medical videos and provides intelligent recommendations based on elderly users’ behavioral data. The interactive health knowledge Q&A feature leverages voice interaction capabilities to address users’ health-related inquiries.

Zhang Jianyong also stated, “There are many apps on the market today, but downloading and using multiple apps is a burden for the elderly. The Zhengtai Health Service Robot leverages voice interaction technology to enable the elderlyZero Thresholduse.”

Addressing the emotional needs of the elderly, the Zhengtai Health Service Robot also serves as a “gateway for familial connection.”

Through remote monitoring via mobile phones, children can obtain real-time data on all activities of their elderly parents, promptly detecting falls or sudden emergencies at home. Medication reminders can also be set up to help monitor the elderly’s health status. In case of an emergency, the elderly can send a distress call to their children with a single button press.

It is evident that Manggu Technology is building a new-generation home health information synchronization platform, using the Zhengtai Health Service Robot as an entry point, integrating high-quality internet medical resources as its output, and leveraging backend cloud data centers and AI computing capabilities as support.

In addition to the standard version of the Zhengtai Health Service Robot, Mangu Technology will also launch the Zhengtai (Custom Edition), which can be fully customized according to customer needs, such as personalized recommendations, health tips, uploading medical examination reports, and purchasing health checkup packages.

Creating customized products stems from Manggu Technology’s original vision. Sun Chonghui, the company’s Deputy General Manager, told VCBeat: “Manggu Technology was founded with the aim of positioning itself at the intersection of AI and digital health, to empower the traditional healthcare industry.” Empowering institutions is also a key market strategy for Manggu Technology, which not only targets consumers (C-end) but also establishes channels across both business (B-end) and government (G-end) sectors.

In the consumer market, there is a proliferation of “pseudo-technology” and “pseudo-intelligence” products that deceive the elderly population. Based on the distinct characteristics of elderly users and their caregivers, Manggu Technology does not target seniors directly; instead, it positions its primary customer base among the main consumer demographic born between 1975 and 1990, who possess strong discernment capabilities. In line with their consumption habits, Manggu Technology primarily leverages online channels for promotion and sales, while simultaneously driving market penetration through offline experience stores and community-based outreach.

Meanwhile, Zhengtai Health Service Robot has also established a membership operation system to stimulate users’ enthusiasm for product usage and enhance user stickiness.

In the B2B and B2G sectors, Mangu Technology empowers industry clients with smart health technologies and provides intelligent solutions to partners in the broader health industry through customized offerings leveraging its three core products: the AI Technology Open Platform, the Cloud Health Big Data Platform, and Smart Health Management Products and Services.

In terms of current market channels, Mangu Technology has already accumulated a certain number of B-side clients, such as physical examination institutions and health management companies. Compared with community hospitals and public nursing homes, physical examination institutions and health management companies have higher recognition and willingness to pay for technological products. Their primary demand for technological products is user retention, and the Zhengtai Health Service Robot can enhance the stickiness between health institutions and users, which is also beneficial for user maintenance. In addition, the deployment of Zhengtai in the C-side market can also drive traffic to health institutions.

The accumulation of superior resources is inseparable from the years of experience and expertise built by Mangoo Technology’s founding team. Zou Jinglu, General Manager, stated, “In the early stages of my career, I was primarily engaged in traditional industries such as real estate and manufacturing, where I accumulated substantial resources within government sectors and traditional industries. Sun Chonghui, Deputy General Manager, is a seasoned internet industry professional with extensive experience in market research. Zhang Jianyong, our Product Director, is a senior technical engineer in the consumer electronics industry. We founded Mangoo Technology because we share common values and philosophies.”

Zou Jinglu finally revealed to VCBeat that the Zhengtai Health Service Robot is only the first product, and Mangu Technology will iterate on it subsequently. She stated, “We will launch more smart health-related peripheral products, expand our product line supported by our AI and big data technology platforms, and arrange our product layout around the positioning of ‘AI + General Health.’”

Mangu Technology told VCBeat that it will continue to focus on more specific demographics in home settings and launch solutions, such as those targeting the health of pregnant women.

“As long as our parents are alive, we still have a place to come from; when they pass away, life only has the way back left.” As parents age, family bonds and health have become unavoidable topics. Manggu Technology’s smart solutions, centered on this issue, address an urgent market need. We hope that once Manggu’s products are officially launched, they can truly help alleviate some of the gaps in care for the elderly. Of course, the best way to meet the needs of the elderly is still to visit home often.