Ancare Medical Secures Tens of Millions in Pre-A Funding from Sinopharm Capital with Harvest Capital as Exclusive Financial Advisor

According to VCBeat, Ankang Medical, a professional psychological healthcare group in China, announced that it had secured tens of millions of RMB in Pre-A financing from Sinopharm Capital, the investment platform under Sinopharm Group focused on the medical and health sector. Hywin Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor for this round of financing. Following the completion of this funding, Ankang Medical will continue its commitment to building the “Mayo Clinic brand” in China’s professional psychological healthcare sector.

According to statistics, the population in China with mental health conditions (including both mild and severe cases) has approached 200 million, among whom patients with severe mental disorders lacking autonomous awareness account for only 1%. Meanwhile, the vast majority of public and private psychiatric specialty hospitals in China currently admit and provide rehabilitation services exclusively for patients with severe mental disorders, leaving a shortage of specialized medical institutions dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of common mild mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

Ancare Medical was jointly established in 2016 by Kangning Hospital (02120.HK), China’s largest private psychiatric specialty hospital, and the founding team led by Dr. Yang Yi from Xiangya School of Medicine. “Our founding team consists of professionals born in the 1980s and 1990s from diverse fields, including clinical psychiatry and psychology, health administration, hospital management and operations, and internet operations, all united by a passion for professional mental healthcare,” explained Dr. Yang Yi, founder of Ancare Medical. The name “Ancare” conveys “peace of mind” and “affirmation.” Peace of mind represents trust, while affirmation signifies therapeutic efficacy. Earning clients’ trust is the most crucial first step in mental health services, and securing every client’s affirmation is our enduring goal. The English name “Ancare” symbolizes that there is always someone in the world who silently cares for and understands you; Ancare aims to fulfill this role for each of its clients.

Currently, the company comprises four major business units: O2O Operations, Physician Group, Medical Management, and Smart Healthcare. Anken Medical has established exclusive renowned physician studios for more than 10 top-tier specialists, forged in-depth collaborations with over 100 public hospitals, and built a team of more than 2,000 rigorously selected certified psychologists. Across China, up to 100,000 users are currently receiving high-quality mental health services.

As a healthcare management group deeply rooted in specialized psychiatric care in China, Ankang Medical currently manages and operates several psychiatric specialty hospitals. By establishing a Chinese Psychiatrist Group comprising top-tier experts across various subspecialties nationwide, along with an online psychological counseling and intelligent rehabilitation support platform, Ankang Medical provides professional, full-process “bio-psycho-social” diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients with common mental and psychological disorders.

“Our primary clients are individuals struggling with mental health issues who hope to return to normal work, study, and daily life through professional treatment. The services, scenarios, and connotations required by this group are clearly different from those for patients with severe mental disorders, and the public education and outreach targeted at this population also differ significantly from traditional approaches for those with serious mental illnesses,” said Dr. Yang Yi, founder of Ankang Medical. He noted that most specialized psychiatric hospitals currently place insufficient emphasis on serving individuals with mild conditions, or struggle with positioning and customer acquisition through marketing. Meanwhile, general psychological counseling agencies in society lack medical qualifications and are unable to provide professional, medical-grade services.

Through the localized practice of the Western biopsychosocial treatment model, Ankang Medical’s affiliated hospitals have achieved a significantly higher improvement rate among clients with psychological issues compared to pharmacotherapy alone. It is reported that the Ankang Medical Psychiatric Physician Group has assembled more than ten top-tier Chinese experts in psychiatry and over 100 representative chief specialists from various subspecialties. The group has provided professional mental health services to nearly 10,000 clients and online counseling services to more than 100,000 clients. Its primary service recipients are patients with common mild mental and psychological disorders, including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, sleep disorders, and eating disorders.

Dr. Yang Yi stated that Anken Medical’s growth over the past two years has been driven by the support of industry experts and the dedicated efforts of its team. Following the completion of this financing round, Anken Medical will leverage the backing of Sinopharm Capital to continuously develop and build an intelligent, specialized mental health brand grounded in patient data. By empowering psychiatric hospitals and psychiatry and psychology departments within general hospitals across China through multiple dimensions—including expert resources, management models, brand operations, and artificial intelligence—the company aims to provide reliable and assured mental health services to 1.3 billion people in China.

Kangning Hospital stated that as the public’s material living standards continue to improve, there is a growing demand for physical and mental health services. Ankang Medical positions itself to provide specialized services for mild mental health conditions, which differentiates it from Kangning Hospital’s scope of business while offering strong complementarity. Kangning Hospital is optimistic about the youthful vitality of Dr. Yang Yi’s team and will coordinate group resources to support the development of Ankang Medical.

Mr. Zhuo Guangsong, Managing Director of Sinopharm Capital, stated that China’s mental health care market holds immense potential, with individuals suffering from mild mental and psychological disorders being particularly concentrated in first-tier cities, provincial capitals, and other economically developed regions. Guided by its core investment philosophy of value-driven healthcare innovation, Sinopharm Capital is optimistic about Anken Medical’s professional team and focused positioning. It will join hands with Kangning Hospital Group to provide continuous investment and leverage the resources of the Sinopharm Group. By employing an integrated business and capital strategy centered on “innovation + integration,” the parties aim to synergize with Anken Medical to establish it as a leading institution in China’s mental health care sector, thereby benefiting society.

Haoyue Capital stated that the current supply volume and structure of mental health services in China are far from meeting the needs of the vast patient population. Through two years of practice, Ankang Medical has established an advanced and effective service model. Haoyue Capital remains optimistic about Ankang Medical leveraging its advantages in talent, management, operations, and technological innovation to build China’s most professional psychotherapy service brand.

—Introduction to Stakeholders—

Founded in 2016 through a joint venture between Kangning Hospital (02120.HK), China’s largest private psychiatric hospital, and the founding team led by Dr. Yang Yi from Xiangya School of Medicine, Ankang Medical has emerged as a healthcare management group deeply specialized in professional psychological care within China. Currently, Ankang Medical manages and operates several specialized psychiatric hospitals. By establishing the Chinese Psychiatrists Group, which comprises top-tier experts across various psychiatric sub-specialties nationwide, and by developing an online psychological counseling and intelligent rehabilitation assistance platform, Ankang Medical provides comprehensive “bio-psycho-social” diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients with common mental and psychological disorders.

Founded in June 2013, Haoyue Capital’s team comprises senior investment bankers from China’s healthcare and medical industry. Since its inception, the firm has successfully completed over 50 private financing and M&A projects, with total transaction value exceeding USD 1.2 billion, ranking first among domestic peers in the number of healthcare deals. Haoyue Capital is dedicated to providing comprehensive capital solutions to top-tier entrepreneurs in China’s healthcare and medical sector, helping them expand their businesses and maximize value in the capital markets.