Maidu Liangzi Secures RMB 30 Million in Pre-A Funding to Fully Integrate Its Online-to-Offline (O+O) Therapy Service Model

VCBeat News: Maiduliangzi Completes RMB 30 Million Pre-A Financing Round Led by Fangsheng Capital, with Funds Already Received; Next Round of Financing Under Negotiation. This successful financing signifies the complete integration of Maiduliangzi’s home-visit and in-store services. The latest version of the Maiduliangzi APP is also scheduled for launch on March 22.

Maidu Liangzi is a joint-stock company co-funded by Guo Xu, the founder of Maidu Physical Therapy, and Liangzi, a physical therapy and massage enterprise. Its primary business model leverages community-based stores to extend door-to-door services, providing users with new service channels and methods. It has also established new model standards for the upgrading of traditional service industries. While maintaining Liangzi’s consistent quality standards, Maidu Liangzi distinguishes itself through high cost-performance ratio and plans to establish 3,000 new internet-enabled boutique community stores across China within three years.


On March 15, 2016, the first directly operated Maiduliangzi store in Beijing opened its doors. The second store is scheduled to open in late March, with the third and fourth stores set to follow in April. A total of 91 new stores are planned for opening in 2016, and preparations for their launch are currently underway.

VCBeat and Liangzi believe that this online-offline integrated strategy not only leverages Liangzi’s resource advantages, with over a hundred stores nationwide, but also capitalizes on the convenience of VCBeat’s digital platform. Furthermore, by relying on their team’s continuous exploration, they have developed a set of service standards suitable for the industry. Based on these standards, they can fully mobilize offline resources for rapid replication, achieving swift large-scale coverage in major cities and across China. At that point, premium flagship stores will support smaller outlets, which in turn will facilitate home-visit services, truly forming a comprehensive physiotherapy and massage network. Users can either choose a therapist for home service from nearby stores or visit the nearest store. This allows users to freely select their preferred service method while enjoying transparent pricing and meeting service needs in different scenarios. This approach not only addresses issues of user trust and habits but also serves as a beneficial supplement to pure home-visit models.

Unlike traditional physical therapy clinics, Maidu Liangzi’s internet-enabled community stores offer higher service efficiency and lower operating costs.

High service efficiency is reflected, on one hand, in the fact that its internet-based community stores are powered by a comprehensive intelligent system, enabling 24-hour operation without unnecessary waiting. During after-work hours, users and therapists who have made appointments through the Maidu Liangzi platform can unlock the store doors via WeChat Bluetooth at their scheduled appointment times, allowing them to experience services at any time. On the other hand, the core component of Maidu Liangzi’s online operations is its dispatch system. This system fully leverages location-based data to optimize appointment scheduling and comprehensively coordinate the schedules of both in-store and home-visit therapists, thereby enhancing therapists’ service efficiency.

In terms of reducing operating costs, the revenue of Maidu Liangzi’s stores is not constrained by floor space. By simultaneously offering in-home services, the company increases store revenue while lowering operational expenses. Furthermore, the company grants therapists equity stakes in the stores at no cost, making them the store owners. As a result, the stores operate without any management personnel, further reducing operating costs.

The distinctive feature of Maiduliangzi’s internet-enabled community stores lies in their ability to drive online traffic to offline locations. By collaborating with major location-based service (LBS) platforms, customers are directed to the nearest store. After a satisfactory in-store experience, users can schedule home visits, continue receiving services at Maiduliangzi community stores, or upgrade to Liangzi premium boutiques.

On the other hand, internet-enabled community stores can also drive offline customers to online platforms. Maidu Liangzi community stores attract users’ attention through exquisitely designed soft furnishings and interior decor. When consumers enter the store, therapists guide them toward purchases using professional expertise and standardized scripts. Subsequently, incentives such as scanning QR codes to receive red packets are used to direct users to online channels, thereby capturing user data. This mutual traffic generation between online and offline channels creates a true closed-loop ecosystem.

Furthermore, all Maidu Liangzi community stores adopt a local crowdfunding model to generate store traffic and acquire the first batch of seed users.

“Having worked in the internet industry for 17 years, Guo Xu stated, ‘We will not expand by burning cash like typical internet companies.’ In Guo Xu’s view, one must be strong oneself to forge iron. She prefers to build user reputation step by step through physical operations. This is how Liangzi has progressed over the past 20 years; although it has integrated internet technologies, the essence of its service remains unchanged.”

Guo Xu also revealed that Maidu Liangzi has launched its franchising system, which is more flexible and distinctive compared to the previous chain model of Liangzi’s premium large-scale stores. In this internet era that emphasizes win-win cooperation, Guo Xu stated that she is willing to work with friends in the health industry to realize the dream of establishing 10,000 Maidu Liangzi community boutique stores across China.