StairMed
Developer of Implantable Brain-Computer Interface Technology
2025 is unanimously recognized by the industry as the first year of China's brain-computer interface, with policy and capital empowerment driving the industry into a period of explosive growth.
In terms of policy, the "Guidelines for the Establishment of Medical Service Price Projects for Neurological System (Trial)" was introduced in March, which initially included brain-computer interface into medical insurance, forming a preliminary commercial closed loop. In July, seven departments jointly issued the "Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Innovative Development of the Brain-Computer Interface Industry," elevating it to a national strategic level. In November, the "15th Five-Year Plan" further listed it as one of the "Six Future Industries."
The capital aspect remains unprecedentedly hot. According to relevant data statistics, as of November 20th, there were 28 financing deals completed in this field within China during the year, with a total amount exceeding 5 billion yuan. Among all the financed companies, only StairMed has reached the B-round stage.
Under this industrial upsurge, StairMed receives another significant capital boost.
December 22,StairMed Announces Completion of B+ Round Financing, Led by "SDIC Pioneer" under Shanghai SDIC, but the Specific Amount of Financing Was Not Disclosed.
Clearly, it can be seen that state-owned capital strongly endorses the "invasive brain-computer interface + clinical transformation" pathway, which will accelerate the advancement of China's brain-computer interface technology from clinical validation to industrial implementation.
丨Focus on Three Core Battlefields
According to official disclosure, the funds from this round of financing will be mainly used in three directions: continuously increasing investment in the R&D iteration of the "high-precision flexible brain-computer interface technology platform," accelerating the clinical trial process of core products, and laying out a global industrialization system.
StairMed was founded in August 2021, focusing on the research and application of minimally invasive implantable brain-computer interface technology. Generally speaking, a brain-computer interface establishes a direct connection pathway between the human brain and external devices, enabling "communication" between the brain and machines.
As a benchmark enterprise in China's invasive brain-computer interface field, it has chosen the same technical path as Neuralink and successfully developed the first domestically produced high-throughput implantable brain-computer interface system that meets medical device standards, assisting paralyzed patients in achieving complex brain-controlled operation tasks. Meanwhile, it is also the first invasive brain-computer interface product in China to complete registrational type inspection.
The system consists of three parts: the implant, the external device, and the brain-control software. Its core product has currently achieved three major technological breakthroughs:
1) The ultra-flexible electrode is only 1/100 the size of a hair strand, with a softness hundreds of times superior to similar products, effectively avoiding the formation of immune scars in brain tissue;
2) The implant's volume is only half that of similar products, and the surgery requires only a 3-5 mm cranial micro-hole, making it the world's smallest and least invasive implantable brain-computer interface system currently available.
3) Through semiconductor micro-nano processing technology, the challenge of scaling up the production of medical-grade electrodes has been addressed. By 2025, the first domestic MEMS production base for brain-computer interfaces will be completed in China, achieving a full-chain closed loop of "R&D - production - quality inspection."
"For invasive brain-computer interface companies, financing serves as a dual guarantee of 'lifeline + acceleration.' In fact, the long R&D cycle and high investment intensity in this field require continuous financial support for technology iteration, clinical progress, and quality system establishment. This involvement of state-owned capital can be seen as providing financial backing to pave the way for product launches."
Record-breaking Two Rounds of Financing Within the Year, Leading the Industry in Clinical Translation
Notably, this is already the second large financing that StairMed has secured in 2025.
As early as February this year, the company completed a B-round financing of 350 million yuan, setting a record for the highest single financing in China's implantable brain-computer interface industry. Adding to the previous Series A financing of several hundred million yuan and an angel round of tens of millions of yuan, the company has established a continuous and stable capital support system.
Behind the capital's favor lies the company's leading clinical transformation achievements.
As the first invasive brain-computer interface enterprise in China to complete registrational type inspection, StairMed has collaborated with several top-tier hospitals in China to conduct over 50 investigator-initiated clinical studies (IIT), establishing the world's largest human single-cell dataset using flexible electrodes. In March 2025, StairMed successfully completed the first-in-human (FIH) prospective clinical trial for the long-term implantation of an invasive brain-computer interface system in China at Huashan Hospital Affiliated with Fudan University.
More notably, its core product has entered the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) special review process for innovative medical devices in November, becoming the first invasive brain-computer interface product in China to enjoy this "green channel."
In addition, StairMed plans to launch the first-in-human (FIM) prospective clinical trial for long-term implantation of invasive brain-computer interfaces in China in 2025, and further advance large-scale clinical trials in 2026, paving the way for product registration and market approval!
丨Sprint Towards Large-Scale Clinical Trials, Industry Enters the First Year of Industrialization
State-owned capital participates in StairMed's B+ round of financing, sending a clear industrial guidance signal.
As companies like StairMed achieve technological breakthroughs and advance industrialization, China's invasive brain-computer interfaces are moving from laboratories to clinical applications, poised to secure a significant position in the global arena. "By 2025, the industry has transitioned from technological exploration to a new phase of proving clinical value," noted Liu Bing, founder of MingVision Brain-Computer Interface. "Continuous capital infusion and policy support will help the true 'long-distance runners' navigate regulatory and payment loops, making brain-computer interface technology accessible to more patients."
However, it is worth noting that as a long-term and high-investment frontier field, the scaled development of brain-computer interface cannot be separated from the full-chain collaboration. Only by promoting the deep integration of R&D, clinical practice, regulation, and capital, solving technical bottlenecks and talent shortages through collaborative innovation, and supporting long-term R&D investment through risk sharing, can we accelerate the transition from "laboratory breakthrough" to "large-scale clinical implementation." It is predicted that the market size of brain-computer interface will reach 5.692 billion US dollars by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 15.61% during the period, indicating great market potential.
With the combined support of policy, capital investment, and technological iteration, China's brain-computer interface industry is steadily advancing towards the goal of being "safe, effective, and affordable." It is believed that in the future, with increased capital and resources, StairMed's development will become even more promising.