Gestala Secures RMB 420 Million Series Angel+ Funding and Officially Opens Shanghai Headquarters

Meanwhile, Gestala’s Shanghai headquarters, located in the “Brain-Intelligence World” in Minhang District, Shanghai, was officially inaugurated. “Brain-Intelligence World” is a key future industry cluster for brain-computer interfaces (BCI) developed by Shanghai. Gestala is not only among the first batch of companies to settle in the park but also the first headquarter enterprise to commence formal operations there. Guests from government departments, research institutes, investment institutions, and industrial partners attended the inauguration ceremony.

Following the completion of the largest angel financing round in China’s brain-computer interface (BCI) sector this March, and the official launch of its global headquarters and first ultrasonic BCI super factory in Chengdu this June, the closing of this funding round and the inauguration of its Shanghai headquarters mark Gestala Tech’s formal establishment of a “Chengdu + Shanghai” dual-headquarters strategy. The company is now fully committed to building Neolab, a cutting-edge laboratory at the forefront of brain science.

Among them, the Chengdu Global Headquarters is positioned as an R&D and production center, focusing on the core technology R&D, clinical translation, and device manufacturing of ultrasonic brain-computer interfaces; the Shanghai Headquarters is positioned as a NeuroAI Innovation Center, prioritizing the development of foundational AI brain models and the integration of global innovation resources, while continuously linking global innovative resources in brain science and artificial intelligence.

Peng Lei, founder and CEO of Gestala, stated that if the company’s global headquarters in Chengdu is tasked with the mission of translating ultrasonic brain-computer interfaces from the laboratory to industrialization, then its Shanghai headquarters is charged with exploring the transition from brain data to brain intelligence.

Chen Tianqiao, co-founder of Gestala, expressed his delight at seeing the Gestala team achieve a series of significant advancements and breakthroughs within six months through their strong execution capabilities. He believes that Gestala can demonstrate “China Speed” in the global field of ultrasound-based brain-computer interfaces.

The newly launched Shanghai headquarters is a key component of Gestala’s “Neolab” initiative. It will primarily undertake core functions such as the research and development of the AI Brain Foundation Model, international scientific collaboration, the recruitment of high-level talent, and the construction of an industrial ecosystem, with the aim of building a globally leading NeuroAI innovation platform.

Peng Lei, Founder and CEO of Gestala, has repeatedly stated, “Neuroscience and artificial intelligence are two sides of the same coin.”

As large model technology continues to evolve, an increasing number of researchers are recognizing that the human brain remains the only known general intelligence system validated by natural evolution. A true understanding of the brain not only promises new therapeutic approaches for neurological disorders but may also provide a new theoretical foundation and technological paradigm for the development of next-generation artificial intelligence.

Shanghai boasts a nationally leading artificial intelligence industry ecosystem, computing power infrastructure, and internationalized scientific research resources, having established a comprehensive innovation system in fields such as foundational model development, AI for Science, and biomedicine. Meanwhile, leveraging world-class research institutions like Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, along with a continuously improving brain-computer interface (BCI) industry ecosystem, Shanghai is accelerating its emergence as a key source of cross-disciplinary innovation in brain science and artificial intelligence.

For Gestala, Shanghai is not only an international city with a high concentration of global innovation resources but also a key strategic pillar for building its NeuroAI innovation platform. The company aims to fully leverage Shanghai’s comprehensive advantages in artificial intelligence (AI) basic research, industrial ecosystem, and international cooperation, promoting the deep integration of brain science and AI, and accelerating the exploration of future-oriented human-brain intelligent computing paradigms.

This strategic layout is also built upon the company’s continuously accumulated scientific research capabilities. Lei Peng, Founder and CEO of Gestala, holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI) at Fudan University. He has long been engaged in interdisciplinary research spanning brain-computer interfaces, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. His doctoral supervisor was Professor Jianfeng Feng, Dean of ISTBI at Fudan University and an internationally renowned computational neuroscientist. Professor Feng also serves as a member of Gestala’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and has extensively dedicated his career to research in brain science, artificial intelligence, and computational studies of brain disorders. In 2024, Professor Feng’s team launched the world’s first Digital Twin Brain platform featuring 86 billion neurons, accumulating one of the largest-scale data resources globally in human brain datasets.

Professor Feng Jianfeng stated in his address at the on-site ceremony,“The Shanghai headquarters will continue to advance the research and development of foundational AI brain models, explore the mechanisms underlying human intelligence, and build the underlying infrastructure connecting neuroscience with artificial intelligence, thereby providing a new paradigm from brain science for the development of next-generation AI,” said Peng Lei.

Since its official establishment on January 1 this year, Gestala has demonstrated “China speed” in the brain-computer interface (BCI) sector. Centered on its dual-headquarters strategy in Chengdu and Shanghai, the company has rapidly built out its R&D, industrial, and global talent ecosystems, securing a cumulative total of RMB 570 million in financing.

In terms of R&D and industrialization, Gestala’s global headquarters in Chengdu, along with its first ultrasonic brain-computer interface (BCI) super factory, officially commenced operations in June. This marks the company’s transition from the laboratory phase to a new stage characterized by parallel engineering-scale manufacturing and clinical translation. Concurrently, with the opening of its Shanghai headquarters, the company has established a dual-center R&D and innovation system synergizing Chengdu and Shanghai. This framework aims to build “Neolab” (Frontier Laboratory) in the global field of brain science, further strengthening its foundational research capabilities in the interdisciplinary domain of brain science and artificial intelligence, as well as its ability to link with global innovation resources.

In terms of talent and organization, the company has built an international core R&D team in a short period. In April, the former Head of Clinical at Neuralink joined Gestala as Vice President of Clinical and Research. In May, the Heads of R&D and Regulatory Affairs from Nano Retina, a global leader in visual brain-computer interface technology, joined the team. As of July, Gestala has gathered 29 top scientists and engineers from around the world and plans to expand the team to 45 members by the end of the year.

This pace is extremely rare among global brain-computer interface (BCI) startups, achieving in just six months a critical leap that traditional hard-tech companies typically take several years to accomplish. This not only demonstrates Gestala’s forward-looking layout in technology roadmap selection, R&D team building, and industrialization promotion, but also reflects China’s gradual formation of systemic advantages in the BCI field, driven jointly by engineering capabilities, clinical resources, and industrial chain systems.

This has also become the key factor making Gestala highly favored at the capital level. Officially established in January, the company completed a RMB 150 million angel round in March and a RMB 420 million angel-plus round in July, bringing its cumulative funding to RMB 570 million within half a year. This makes it one of the fastest-growing companies in terms of early-stage financing scale in China’s brain-computer interface (BCI) sector.

Jiangsu Meridian Capital stated that it is firmly betting on the immense opportunities arising from the integration of the human brain and AI. While the initial phase of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) focuses on medical devices, their potential extends far beyond this scope. At its core, BCI represents a composite sector featuring the deep integration of brain terminals, neural data, and AI algorithms. In the future, it will give rise to trillion-dollar market opportunities in areas such as medical diagnosis and treatment, scientific imaging, and wearable health technologies. Gestala’s primary focus on ultrasound technology has broken through physical modality limitations, achieving an optimal balance among invasiveness, spatial resolution, and penetration depth. It is the only non-invasive write modality capable of precisely reaching deep brain regions, and thus the sole pathway for realizing real-time interaction between AI and humans in the future. We expect Gestala, by汇聚ing top global talent, to lead industrial breakthroughs and soon spin the “two-sided coin” of AI and neuroscience into unity.

C Ventures stated that its investment in Gestala reflects its strong confidence in the development prospects of ultrasound brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). We believe that ultrasound BCIs are becoming a key direction for global technological innovation and a strategic high ground for next-generation human-computer interaction, where both China and the United States are competing to establish their presence. With technical advantages such as non-invasiveness, safety, and precise modulation, along with a clear path for clinical translation and broad commercialization potential, ultrasound BCIs are poised to become a significant technological route in the BCI industry. As a pioneer in this field in China, Gestala has built the world’s first super factory for ultrasound BCIs in Chengdu, establishing a full chain from basic research to large-scale production. We are optimistic about the international team led by Peng Lei and believe that, driven by continuous technological innovation, exceptional execution capabilities, and collaborative efforts within the industrial ecosystem, Gestala is well-positioned to grow into an influential innovative enterprise in the global ultrasound BCI sector.

Lens Technology (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. stated that brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are at a critical stage of transitioning from laboratory validation to engineering and large-scale application. The core of this transition lies not only in breakthroughs in frontier science but also in the systematic enhancement of precision manufacturing capabilities and supply chain collaboration efficiency. We have observed that Gestala has successfully advanced both its R&D system and industrialization capabilities in the cutting-edge field of ultrasonic brain-computer interfaces. We look forward to further exploring collaborations with Gestala in areas such as high-precision components, smart hardware, and supply chain synergy, jointly promoting the evolution of BCI technology from innovation to usability, and from usability to large-scale application, thereby providing a more solid industrial foundation for the global development of brain science.

CLP Health Fund stated that ultrasound brain-computer interfaces are at a critical stage of transitioning from scientific breakthroughs to systematic validation. The true challenge lies not merely in the translation of a single indication, but in the ability to continuously integrate capabilities in acoustics, neuroscience, hardware engineering, algorithmic models, and systemic product development around the long-term mission of "non-invasively understanding, reading, and modulating the brain." Gestala is an international team capable of both solidly advancing technical validation and product commercialization, while adhering to a long-termist organizational culture and global brand building. We believe that Gestala will become a global leader in the field of ultrasound brain-computer interfaces, and we are committed to standing by Gestala to jointly undertake difficult yet correct endeavors.

Innovation Works stated that brain science is a key investment area of long-term focus for the firm. As the substrate of human intelligence, the brain exhibits significant complexity, making it difficult to achieve comprehensive mapping and characterization of brain functions through any single physical or biological approach. Based on first principles, ultrasound-based brain-computer interfaces offer biological selectivity and high spatiotemporal resolution, forming a structural complement to other physical modalities such as electrical and magnetic methods. They thus hold irreplaceable and unique value in future AI-driven whole-brain representation systems. We look forward to Gestala achieving continued breakthroughs in product commercialization and market expansion, ushering in a new chapter in brain-computer integration.

Lingang Sci-Tech Innovation Investment stated, “We are delighted to participate in Gestala’s current round of financing. Neuroscience and artificial intelligence are jointly advancing our understanding of the nature of intelligence, with the potential to simultaneously drive progress in the treatment of neurological disorders and the evolution of next-generation technological paradigms. By leveraging focused ultrasound to enter the brain-computer interface and neurodata sectors, Gestala demonstrates significant potential for deep brain modulation and platform-based scalability. Lingang Sci-Tech Innovation Investment continues to strategically invest in AI and data infrastructure, focusing on the deep integration of cutting-edge technologies within life science applications. We look forward to the company’s continued advancement in clinical translation, building a future-oriented innovation platform for brain science.”

Furong Investment stated, “We are honored to participate in this round of financing for Gestala. Leveraging its unique advantages of non-invasive deep penetration and integrated ‘read-write’ capabilities, ultrasound technology is emerging as one of the most promising technological directions in the brain-computer interface (BCI) field. As an early-stage hard-tech investment firm originating from Fudan University, we will fully leverage the talent, research, and clinical resources of the ‘Fudan ecosystem’ in the interdisciplinary fields of ultrasound, artificial intelligence, and medicine. We remain committed to driving deep collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions, accelerating breakthroughs in key ultrasound-based BCI technologies, and jointly fostering innovative development in the NeuroAI industry.”

Guotai Venture Capital stated that ultrasound, as a highly promising frontier technology path for current brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), holds leading advantages in clinical accessibility, expandability of indications, and whole-brain decoding/intervention. Guotai Venture Capital is optimistic about Gestala’s professional team configuration, forward-looking strategic layout, and robust industrial resource support. It endorses Gestala’s approach of deeply integrating its core ultrasound BCI capabilities with AI to achieve prediction, simulation, and understanding of whole-brain activity through multi-modal data fusion and multi-paradigm representation. Guotai Venture Capital hopes that Gestala will continue to lead the domestic and even global ultrasound BCI sector, uncovering the ultimate code of the synergistic integration of neuroscience and AI.

China Renaissance stated that it is deeply honored to have witnessed and been extensively involved in Gestala’s development journey. Following our previous collaboration with Gestala in closing the largest angel financing round in China’s brain-computer interface (BCI) sector, today we have once again joined forces to complete the country’s largest Angel+ financing round for a BCI company, with an amount exceeding RMB 400 million. To date, Gestala has secured approximately USD 100 million in substantial capital support within a short period. This achievement not only sets a new industry record for fundraising but also fully demonstrates the capital market’s strong confidence in Gestala’s top-tier R&D capabilities and its promising prospects for industrialization and commercial deployment.

The deep integration of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and AI stands at the crossroads of technology and humanity’s future. Gestala has demonstrated remarkable foresight in constructing a cutting-edge business matrix that combines BCI with AI for Science (AI4S). The company has not only achieved breakthroughs in hardware-level neural signal modulation and acquisition but also, at the foundational level of software and science, is leveraging its state-of-the-art “Brain Bank” currently under full-scale construction in Shanghai to create an unprecedented Brain Foundation Model. This unique synergy of biological intelligence and computational science constitutes the competitive moat that enables Gestala to consistently lead the industry.

As a steadfast partner of Gestala, China Renaissance will continue to maintain a deep strategic partnership with Gestala in the capital markets. We will dedicate our core resources from our global capital network and industrial ecosystem to walk side by side with Gestala, working together to build it into a globally leading hard-tech giant in brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and brain intelligence, jointly ushering in a new era of human cognitive evolution.