Dongfang Qiyin Secures $25 Million Series B Funding to Advance Speech and Language Therapy Services Across China

December 19,VCBeat (WeChat: vcbeat)It has been learned that OASIS Speech & Language Therapy (China) Co., Ltd., the first professional institution in China dedicated to Speech & Language Therapy, announced that it had secured $25 million in Series B financing. The round was co-led by Northern Light Venture Capital, Fidelity International’s private equity arm Stoic Capital (formerly Fidelity Asia Ventures), and F-Prime Capital (formerly Fidelity Biosciences), with Changling Capital participating as a follow-on investor.

Among them, Starling Capital and F-Prime Capital were the Series A investors in Acadsoc.

Ostara is China’s first institution dedicated to speech and cognitive development. Registered in Hong Kong in 2007, it established its first pilot speech therapy center in Nanhai, Foshan, the same year. Over the past decade, Ostara has been exploring advancements in the field of pediatric speech and cognitive rehabilitation.

Adhering to the service philosophy of “empowering children to communicate with the world with ease,” Dongfang Qiyin provides personalized training programs for children in China with speech disorders associated with developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and hearing impairment. These programs include oral-motor speech training, cognitive development and logical expression training, sensory integration therapy, and social communication skills training. The organization also offers speech enhancement courses for typically developing children and has launched speech rehabilitation programs for adults, addressing conditions such as stuttering, aphasia following stroke, and post-surgical aphasia.

Speech therapy is widely utilized in developed countries such as the United States, yet it has not gained widespread recognition or attention in China. Oriental Speech introduces and promotes internationally advanced professional speech therapy techniques, providing oral motor and cognitive training guidance to individuals with speech disorders through both online and offline services.

Mr. Yao Qiuwu, Founder and CEO of Oriental Speech, stated, “Our goal is to introduce internationally advanced speech therapy techniques and curricula to China, contributing to the cultivation of professional speech-language pathologists in the country. Moreover, we aim to provide assistance to children in need, improve their quality of life, and bring hope to their families. The successful completion of our Series B financing will further reinforce Oriental Speech’s strategic direction, injecting new momentum and strategic resources into the company’s long-term development.”

In China, few colleges, universities, or rehabilitation institutions are truly dedicated to research and projects focused on speech-language therapy training. How to conduct localized technological research and cultivate talent amidst industry gaps and training deficiencies has become a focal point of attention for international observers.

In April 2017, Ostomy Speech & Language officially launched an international collaboration with the University of Newcastle, Australia, on speech therapy curricula and training programs.

In 2016, OASIS entered into a strategic partnership with STAR Autism Support, a leading U.S. authority on autism, to jointly develop Mandarin-language training programs for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dedicated to advancing the professional development of autism rehabilitation in China. Its first specialized facility for individuals with ASD, the “OASIS STAR Center,” opened in Beijing in December. In February 2017, the Guangzhou STAR Center was officially established and commenced operations.

Currently, the team’s practicing speech-language pathologists consist of undergraduate and graduate professionals with backgrounds in medicine, psychology, education, and rehabilitation sciences. The majority of them graduated from key universities in China, as well as from prestigious institutions in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Hong Kong.

Ostwin has established over 20 directly-operated centers in 11 cities across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, building a comprehensive speech therapy and rehabilitation system that encompasses staff training, curriculum development, and instructional services. Since its inception, Ostwin has registered more than 20,000 students and served over 300,000 families.

According to public information, Dongfang Qiyin’s speech therapy courses are offered in various formats, including one-on-one, multi-to-one, small-group sessions, monthly packages, and STAR packages. In strict accordance with the fee schedule, the number of course hours varies from over 100 to 400, depending on the therapist’s level.

Deng Feng, Founder and Managing Director of Northern Light Venture Capital, one of the lead investors in this round, stated, “We are honored to become an investor in Eastar Speech and are pleased to invest in a company that delivers both financial returns and social impact. We believe that following this round of financing, Eastar Speech will achieve more stable growth and truly bring hope to Chinese families affected by autism and speech disorders.”

Ms. Lin Rui, Partner at STO Capital, stated, “We are delighted to lead Oringual’s Series B financing round, following our participation in its Series A investment in 2015. As the most internationalized and professional institution in China’s speech and rehabilitation sector, Oringual has pioneered exploratory practices in the field of speech therapy, accumulating extensive clinical experience. It has brought hope to countless Chinese children with special needs and their families, thereby creating significant social value. We are honored to collaborate with the Oringual team, led by Mr. Yao Qiuwu and Ms. Cui Guangli, to witness the company’s rapid growth and support its development through STO Capital’s localized professional resources and global healthcare network.”