Hype or Breakthrough? Domestic Brain-Computer Interfaces Still Face Hurdles Before Mass Production

Cailian Press, January 5th, by reporter Fan He and Chao WuMusk's Official Announcement of Mass Production Sparks Brain-Computer Interface Concept; Over the Past Year, Clinical Trials of Brain-Computer Interfaces in China Have Achieved Remarkable Successes, Bringing Hope for Major Brain Diseases Like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s That Were Previously Difficult to Treat with Traditional Medicine.

But the domestic brain-computer interface industry in China is still constrained by fundamental science, material science, ethical issues, and more. Some industry insiders believe that it will take time for brain-computer interfaces to truly mature into a developed industry. Amid the current hype surrounding the concept of brain-computer interfaces, it is necessary to differentiate and focus on truly top-tier technologies.

The Concept of Brain-Computer Interface is Heating Up

Musk recently stated on social media that his brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, will begin "mass production" of brain-computer interface devices in 2026. Musk said that the device's electrode threads will pass directly through the dura mater without needing to remove it, a move of significant importance. On January 28, 2024, Neuralink completed its first human implantation of a brain-computer interface device. As of September 2025, a total of 12 people globally have been implanted with the "Neuralink" device, with a cumulative usage time of 2,000 days and a total usage duration exceeding 15,000 hours.

The company recently indicated that clinical trial participants have extended their control capabilities to physical devices, such as assistive robotic arms. Over time, the company plans to further expand the range of devices controllable through "Neuralink."

Or perhaps influenced by this news, the first trading day of China's A-share market in 2026 saw a surge in the stocks of brain-computer interface concept companies, triggering a wave of limit-up trading. As of the time of writing by the reporter from the Financial News Agency, the Wind Brain-Computer Interface Theme Index (866495) had risen by 9.79%. In terms of individual stocks, companies such as Lepu Medical (300003.SZ), Sanbo Brain Science (301293.SZ), GuanHao Biotech (300238.SZ), and Medprin Medical (301033.SZ) hit the 20cm limit-up.

In fact, the just-passed year of 2025 is regarded by the industry as the "inaugural year for the development of brain-computer interface in China." As the year drew to a close, there were even more milestone events reported one after another.

In terms of clinical validation, the team led by Zhao Zhengtuo and Li Xue from the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with relevant enterprises, has completed three invasive brain-computer interface clinical trials this year. In the trial cases, patients with high-level paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries were able to control three-dimensional physical peripherals such as smart wheelchairs and robotic dogs through thought after being implanted with a brain-computer interface system. This indicates that the assistance provided by brain-computer interfaces to patients has extended from virtual to physical realms and expanded from basic control to integration into daily life.

Zhao Zhengtuo and Li Xue are the founders of StairMed, which also participated in the aforementioned clinical trial. At the previously held Brain-Computer Interface Conference, Zhang Shiqiang, Executive Director and Chief Product Officer of StairMed, explained to reporters from the Financial News Agency the foundation for achieving such precise control: "The actual depth of our implant into the cerebral cortex is 5 millimeters, the width is over 100 micrometers, and the thickness is 1-3 micrometers. It causes minimal damage and displacement to the cortex, resulting in a very mild immune response post-surgery, ensuring stable and continuous acquisition of single-cell signals. This is the most crucial foundation for achieving fine-grained control of external devices." This long-term, stable acquisition of neural signals is the lifeline for brain-computer interfaces moving from laboratory demonstrations to everyday use.

From the corporate perspective, the investor relations activity record published by Lepu Medical in October 2025 shows that the company's implantable deep brain stimulation (DBS) device is expected to obtain certification soon. The company is currently building its sales team. Although the company has subsidiaries producing neuro-interventional products, there are slight differences in channels. Therefore, the company will consolidate existing channels and develop new ones to commercialize DBS. Shenzhen Ruihan mainly focuses on non-invasive brain-computer interfaces, and its products are currently undergoing clinical trials. At this stage, the focus is primarily on data collection, analysis, and evaluation, with subsequent plans to extend into intervention, aiming to create a closed-loop solution within the product.

Today, a staff member of the Securities Department of Lepu Medical told the reporter from the Financial News Agency, who called in the identity of an investor, that they have not yet paid attention to Musk's related brain-computer interface devices. "In general classification, they should belong to the same field as our products, both falling under the category of brain-computer interfaces, but in terms of specific use, I understand that they are not the same type of product." They further explained that Lepu's products include DBS, which regulate abnormal neural activity through electrical stimulation of the brain and alleviate diseases such as Parkinson's disease and bradykinesia. "It is quite effective for (alleviating) Parkinson’s, and the market is also good. Now the whole world is paying attention, especially after the aging population." In addition, there is another post-operative rehabilitation product, which can help patients recover injured limbs, brain nerves, etc., when worn on the head.

From Clinical to Daily Life: More Problems Await Solutions

Despite the glimmer of hope, for brain-computer interfaces to truly mature into a robust industry, they must systematically navigate through a series of intertwined "deep waters" in science, engineering, and commerce.

From the perspective of China's reality, how far is the brain-computer interface industry from commercialization and large-scale production?

As a leading company in China's brain-computer interface industry, StairMed has recently successfully completed its B+ round of financing, raising several hundred million yuan. The company told reporters from the Financial News Agency that due to strict medical procedures, the company’s implantable wireless brain-computer interface system is expected to receive certification by the end of 2027. In terms of mass production, the company owns a standard GMP workshop dedicated to the production and testing of the implantable wireless brain-computer interface system. It is currently building China’s first MEMS production base for brain-computer interfaces, which is expected to commence operations by mid-2026, at which point it will possess full-process independent and controllable mass production capabilities.

For brain-computer interface companies, selling a device is only the beginning of the service. Ning Yihua, Chairman of StairMed, is acutely aware of the complexity of the commercialization path. He once told the Financial News Agency: "As an emerging technology, brain-computer interfaces need to closely cooperate with clinical institutions and hospitals during the clinical application process to form a complete treatment system. This process still requires further exploration and maturation."

Sanbo Brain Hospital Group once stated on an investor interaction platform that the company had completed one brain-computer interface surgery, which was an interventional brain-computer interface experimental surgery previously carried out at its Fujian branch. Today, a staff member from the company’s securities department told Caixin that, apart from the aforementioned trial, last year the company invested in several brain-computer interface special funds, targeting some small startups, including those engaged in electrode and chip technologies, such as materials used during surgeries performed by Sanbo Brain Hospital Group. "If possible, we aim to create an end-to-end effect from the startups we invest in. We can also guide them to research and invent what we need. For our hospital, we will definitely focus on implantable brain-computer interfaces, which is the direction of the future."

But the staffer also revealed that, compared with the brain-computer interface mentioned by Musk, there is still a gap. Conducting brain-computer interface trials requires very suitable subjects. Different from other indications, this industry has many requirements in this aspect, such as the physical and emotional conditions of the subjects, etc. Additionally, regulatory requirements are important, and there are also technical difficulties.

In addition to the aforementioned challenges, the bottleneck of brain-computer interfaces is far more complex than simply issues of chip computing power or the number of channels. In a previous interview, Liu Bing, founder and CEO of MingVision Brain Interface, which focuses on visual brain-computer interfaces, told reporters from the Financial Associated Press: "The fundamental challenge in creating visual presentations lies in how to enable electrodes to coexist with the brain in a long-term, stable, and safe manner. Invasive electrodes used for motion signal acquisition face a serious issue: signal attenuation or even disappearance. This remains an unsolved foundational scientific problem."

"Clinical application, mass production, and commercial implementation of brain-computer interface products will still take some time," Li Qiang, General Manager of Jiutai Medical Devices, a subsidiary of Boji Medicine (300404.SZ), told reporters from the Financial Associated Press. He pointed out that there is currently a noticeable generalization of the brain-computer interface concept—some articles broadly categorize traditional products like intracranial electrodes and brain signal acquisition devices as part of the brain-computer interface category, which is not a rigorous classification. As a high-risk innovative medical device encouraged by the state to address significant disease diagnosis and treatment challenges, the critical role of brain-computer interfaces in advancing fundamental neuroscience research and clinical translation is undeniable. China's medical device industry should seize this technological opportunity, similar to overcoming bottlenecks in the chip field, to build an independent innovation brand and catch up with advanced levels in Europe and America. "I believe the core of brain-computer interfaces is to establish a direct communication pathway between the brain and external devices. The key development path starts with decoding relatively clear neural signals (such as movement intentions) to restore impaired physiological functions, gradually moving towards interaction and regulation of more complex cognitive and emotional states. The ultimate goal is to provide patients who have lost functions due to illness or injury with comprehensive enhancement and alternative solutions ranging from basic motor communication to advanced cognitive assistance."

"Over the past two years, the concept of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) has gained significant attention, with these Class III high-risk innovative medical devices becoming a hot topic. I believe the industry should focus more on truly groundbreaking core BCI technologies: First, at the fundamental research level, China still has considerable room for improvement and needs to emphasize original innovation rather than mere technological imitation; second, rigorous scientific clinical studies with sufficient sample sizes must be conducted—this requires not only continuous financial investment but also an interdisciplinary team of clinical experts capable of precise operation of BCI products, full-process quality control, and long-term follow-up," Li Qiang added.