21st Century Entertainment Giant 37 Interactive Enters Brain-Computer Interface Arena with Strategic Investment in BrainCo

Source: Beijing Daily Client

37 Interactive Entertainment(Maintain Rights)Network Technology Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "37 Interactive Entertainment") has made another move in the brain-computer interface field. Recently, 37 Interactive Entertainment officially completed its investment in BrainCo, and both parties will promote the application of brain-computer interface technology in the entertainment, XR, and other fields. Relevant analyses have pointed out,The continuous investment actions of Sanqi Interactive Entertainment in the brain-computer interface field represent a strategic layout that positions the brain-computer interface as "the next-generation human-computer interaction portal." This aligns with the ecological framework of "technology empowering entertainment" and further demonstrates its determination to seize the core track of future transformations in the entertainment industry.

Xinhua News Agency

Explore applications in the pan-entertainment and other fields

On November 17, Sanqi Interactive Entertainment announced on the investor interaction platform that it had recently completed a $20 million investment in BrainCo. In the future, the two parties will explore commercialization paths for brain-computer interface technology, while upgrading corporate operations, and promote the application of brain-computer interface technology in fields such as entertainment, culture, and XR.

Officials at 37 Interactive Entertainment told Beijing Business Today reporters that as the underlying technology for a new generation of human-computer interaction, brain-computer interface technology has enormous market potential for future applications, reaching up to a trillion-level scale. This collaboration between the company and BrainCo will further expand the application scenarios of brain-computer interface technology and promote its diverse application layout. In the future, the company will further explore the integration of brain-computer interface technology in areas such as pan-entertainment and XR.

Public information shows that BrainCo, established in 2015, is engaged in the research and application of non-invasive brain-computer interface technology. Its product lines include intelligent bionic products (smart bionic hands/legs, bionic dexterous hands), intelligent health products (sleep improvement devices, sleep aid/mindfulness stress relief systems, attention training systems), and intelligent educational products (Brain AI artificial intelligence neuroscience courses).

In the view of Guo Tao, an angel investor and senior artificial intelligence expert, the most promising development prospect of the partnership between Sanqi Interactive Entertainment and BrainCo lies in the application of embodied intelligence in human-computer interaction within the pan-entertainment, XR, and other scenarios. This also aligns closely with Sanqi Interactive Entertainment's core gaming business. Brain-computer interface technology will bring about "thought-based interaction," revolutionizing traditional controller and touchscreen modes to create immersive gaming experiences. For instance, it could allow players to directly control virtual characters through brainwave signals, greatly enhancing the sense of immersion in games and creating a differentiated competitive advantage. Additionally, in the field of medical applications for autism assistance, this technology could further optimize the company’s existing functional game *Star Life Paradise*. This would not only expand the company’s business boundaries but also fulfill social responsibilities, achieving a win-win outcome in both commercial and social value.

In recent years, the development of brain-computer interface technology in entertainment, culture, and daily life scenarios has begun to show promise.For example, in the invasive brain-computer interface pathway, Neuralink by Elon Musk overseas has helped高位截瘫patients play chess, while Synchron allows patients to contact relatives and friends, read news, and even take virtual trips and create art via Apple Vision Pro using an iPad; in the non-invasive brain-computer interface pathway, Meta has released a new neural wristband to facilitate human-computer interaction with its AR glasses.

At present, brain-computer interface technology is mainly used in serious medical scenarios to address people's urgent needs, and is gradually being tested in consumer healthcare settings.In this regard, Guo Tao stated that the investment by Sanqi Interactive Entertainment will further enrich its To C application matrix, such as,To complement sleep and meditation scenarios, develop stress-relief interactive products in combination with cultural and entertainment IPs.

Focus on "The Next Generation of Human-Computer Interaction"

This investment in BrainCo is not the first time 37 Interactive Entertainment has entered the brain-computer interface field. As early as 2022, 37 Lexin (Guangzhou) Industry Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership), a holding company under 37 Interactive Entertainment, and Wuhu Taitong Business Operation Management Co., Ltd. invested in South China Brain Control (Guangdong) Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. ("South China Brain Control" for short), with a combined shareholding of 10%.

Guo Tao believes that Sanqi Interactive Entertainment's continuous investment in the brain-computer interface field sends a clear signal: the company is not just testing the waters in the short term, but is strategically positioning the brain-computer interface as "the next-generation human-computer interaction gateway." This aligns with the ecological framework of "technology empowering entertainment," responds to policy support for the brain-computer interface industry, and also aims to seize a core track in the future transformation of the entertainment industry, creating a new growth model for the company’s main business.

Looking at the investment layout of 37 Interactive Entertainment, it focuses on gaming as its core and continuously extends into the technology ecosystem, with "the next-generation human-computer interaction gateway" as a consistent strategic mainline.

According to the 2025 mid-year report of 37 Interactive Entertainment, at the level of large models and applications, the company has directly or indirectly invested in high-quality companies including Zhipu Huazhang, MoonShot, Baichuan Intelligence, Silicontech, DeepLang Technology, Yahaha, StarRiver Visual Effects, and Chenjing Technology.

Representatives from 37 Interactive Entertainment stated that as an important content carrier of the internet, entertainment and culture also serve as a crucial application scenario for technology. 37 Interactive Entertainment has been continuously exploring ways to create higher-quality products, more immersive content, and easier-to-use interactions. "Starting with investments in virtual reality in 2016, to betting on artificial intelligence in 2022, and further expanding into new forms of human-computer interaction, these investments have not only supported the development of our core business but also synergized with the group's strategy for diversified business layout."

"Hardware + Content + Service"

Brain-computer interfaces are accelerating from the laboratory to industrialization. In terms of policy,The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" recommends positioning brain-computer interface, quantum technology, and embodied intelligence as "new economic growth points."According to a research report released by Morgan Stanley on October 9, 2024, the future global market capacity of brain-computer interfaces in the medical field will reach 400 billion US dollars.

Senior researcher Jiang Han of the Pango Think Tank stated that game companies linking up with brain-computer interface technology can bring enormous commercial imagination. Brain-computer interfaces can reconstruct game interaction logic, give rise to new categories such as "AI-native games," and extend to fields like virtual socializing and XR entertainment, forming a profit closed loop of "hardware + content + services."

Many large game companies at home and abroad have also begun to turn their attention to brain-computer interface technology.It is reported that Dr. Mike Ambinder, the chief experimental psychologist of Valve, the developer and operator behind the digital distribution platform Steam for video games, delivered a speech titled "Brain-Computer Interfaces: One Possible Future Gaming Approach" at the Game Developer Conference 2019, introducing the company’s previous research on integrating brain-computer interfaces with gaming; MiHoYo established the Entropy Reversal Studio in 2018, specifically responsible for virtualDigital Human"Lu Ming" and the brain-computer interface project further invested in the Brain Disease Center of Ruijin Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, in 2021, focusing on the development and clinical application of brain-computer interface technology.

Guo Tao stated that, regarding the development of brain-computer interface technology, the main differences between China and abroad lie in the approach and ecosystem. Overseas, invasive technologies represented by Musk's Neuralink are currently focused on high-end medical scenarios; domestically, non-invasive technologies are dominant, with strong policy support, placing more emphasis on consumer-grade and industry application implementation, but core chips and encoding-decoding algorithms remain weak points. The competitiveness of 37 Interactive Entertainment lies in "ecosystem synergy + scenario implementation capability." On one hand, by investing to connect with technical parties like BrainCo, aligning with future technologies; on the other hand, leveraging existing gaming IPs and scene operation experience, it can consider integrating brain-computer interface technology into its products. Moreover, the closed-loop layout of the "computing power—algorithm—application" industry gives 37 Interactive Entertainment a stronger advantage in commercial implementation compared to other gaming companies that focus more on research and development.

"The essence of 'Gaming + Brain-Computer Interface' is integrating a dopamine meter into the payment system."Foreign countries follow the 'IP + Device' route, selling hardware at a premium; domestically, the focus is on using EEG data to train models and then reverse customizing content, earning profits from 'precise operation.' The gaming industry's advantage lies in 'channel penetration + fine payment granularity.' If EEG parameters can be further integrated with games, it is expected to open up larger commercial space and create a second growth curve." Li Fumin, a patent application engineer of the China Association for Science and Technology, further added.

Source: Beijing Business Today

Author: Liu Yang, Cheng Liang