Bloomberg reported that BrainCo is in talks to raise funds at a valuation exceeding $1.3 billion, followed by a potential initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong or mainland China. According to insiders, the company, founded in 2015 by Harvard alumnus Bicheng Han,In talks to secure approximately $100 million in pre-IPO funding.

Informed sources stated that this startup has begun preparing its IPO documents, but the listing location and other details have yet to be confirmed. Discussions regarding financing and the IPO remain highly variable, with specific details potentially changing based on market conditions. Representatives from BrainCo have not yet responded to requests for comment.

BrainCo, founded by Harvard alumnus Bicheng Han in 2015, competes with Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company Neuralink. BrainCo, alongside companies like DeepSeek, is known as one of Hangzhou's "Six Dragons," focusing on the development of bionic limbs and brain-controlled computer-related technologies.

In April this year, Chief Executive John Lee led a delegation to visit Hangzhou and met with Han Bicheng. During the meeting, Han Bicheng expressed his hope to strengthen cooperation and exchanges with Hong Kong. John Lee immediately stated that the Special Administrative Region government would provide assistance to help BrainCo expand into the international market while they can also promote Hong Kong's innovation and technology development.

On June 27, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government announced the list of members of the new term of the Chief Executive's Advisory Board. This time, 34 members were appointed, among whom Han Bicheng, an expert in the field of brain-computer interface, founder and CEO of BrainCo, was appointed as a consultant in the "Innovation and Entrepreneurship" field. He is also one of the three newly added members this time. The other two are Zhu Min, former Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Wang Xingxing, founder of Unitree Technology.

From July 9 to 11, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee met with members of the new-term Chief Executive's Advisory Council for three consecutive days to solicit opinions on the Policy Address and the overall development of Hong Kong. He pointed out that the new members made a special trip to Hong Kong to attend the meeting and expressed during the exchange that Hong Kong has the regional advantage of "connecting internally and externally," a sound education and research system, and an institutional environment where capital flows freely, making it highly attractive for mainland enterprises to list in Hong Kong and use it as a gateway to the international market.

John Lee also took this opportunity to encourage more technology innovation enterprises to use Hong Kong as a hub, accelerate their international layout, and promote a mutually reinforcing development pattern of "going public in Hong Kong" and "overseas expansion channels."

Han Bichen stated that Hong Kong, as an international financial and scientific research hub, combines policy openness with talent diversity, providing a unique environment for the implementation and internationalization of cutting-edge technologies like brain-computer interfaces. He expressed hope for deeper cooperation with Hong Kong in fields such as medical rehabilitation in the future, driving urban development through technology and ensuring that advanced technologies truly serve everyday lives.