Bilinx Ventures Welcomes Chengtai New Materials: A Breakthrough Force in Domestic Hip Joint Ceramic Materials

Jan 16, 2025 08:01 CST Updated 08:01

TrendTec

Orthopedic Artificial Joint R&D and Manufacturer

Recently, Proxima Venture announced the successful completion of a strategic investment in TrendTec (formerly known as "Chentai New Materials"), and through this investment, Proxima Venture has smoothly obtained a board seat in TrendTec, further deepening the cooperation and integration between the two parties.

TrendTec specializes in the research, development, production, and sales of high-performance ceramic materials for medical use, providing high-performance bioceramic materials and components to medical device companies both in China and internationally. The company's founder, Dr. Zhang Lin, and co-founder, Dr. Cao Xiaogang, both graduated from the Materials Science program at Tsinghua University. They are currently members of the Ceramic Implant Materials Standards Working Group (WG3) under the National Technical Committee for Standardization of Surgical Implants and Orthopedic Devices (SAC/TC110) in China, responsible for formulating relevant industry standards. The company’s senior management team possesses exceptional R&D capabilities and extensive technical expertise, with a deep understanding of the unique aspects of the medical device industry, as well as profound insights and precise grasp of its development trends and business dynamics.

TrendTec owns more than thirty independent intellectual property rights, and has been approved for the 2023 MIIT and NMPA "Challenge Leader" project, as well as the 2023 Jiangsu Province Major Achievement Transformation Project. It has been honored with titles such as Jiangsu Province Double Innovation Talent, Double Innovation Doctor, Gusu Entrepreneurship Leading Talent, Suzhou New District Entrepreneurship Leading Talent, National Technology-based and Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprise.

Source | TrendTec

With the advent of an aging society, the compound annual growth rate of the domestic joint market has exceeded 20% over the past decade. After the introduction of the national volume-based procurement policy in 2022, the market share of ceramic hip joints rose to approximately 95%, becoming the dominant product in the market. In China, whether imported or domestically produced, the core components of the joints—the ceramic femoral heads and liners—are 100% sourced from a foreign company, which holds an absolute monopoly. China's "ceramic femoral head" industry is entirely in a situation of being "strangled" by this company.

In response to this situation, in the 2022 notice issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) titled "On Organizing and Carrying Out the 'Biomedical Materials Innovation Task Contract System (First Batch)'", it was explicitly stated that "Zirconia-Toughened Alumina (ZTA) Ceramic" would be one of China’s "Biomedical Materials Innovation Task Contract System" projects. TrendTec's core technology, "Zirconia-Toughened Alumina (ZTA) Ceramic Femoral Heads and Liners," has officially been approved as an MIIT and NMPA "Task Contract System" project. This project fills a gap in the field of medical ceramic production in China, breaks the monopoly of foreign enterprises, and accelerates import substitution.

Source | TrendTec

As of August 2024, TrendTec's flagship powder ceramic products have completed the main documentation filing with the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). As one of the first material manufacturers in China to complete the main documentation filing, TrendTec meets the requirements for downstream manufacturers' registration. With its entire production process localized in China, TrendTec offers significant price advantages compared to similar products from foreign companies, providing downstream manufacturers with more cost-effective material solutions.

In addition to fine alumina powder, the company has also developed various innovative ceramic material products, which will provide higher quality upstream raw materials for more manufacturers. TrendTec is committed to becoming an outstanding domestic enterprise that breaks the monopoly of imported products and contributes to the development of China's high-performance composite ceramic industry.

The introduction of two rounds of well-known investors within a short period of one month reflects the high recognition of TrendTec by the capital market. With the support of several star investors, it is hoped that TrendTec's business development will reach new heights.

Source | TrendTec

Dr. Zhang Lin, founder of TrendTec, stated:We are very grateful for the continuous recognition from the capital market for TrendTec and the strong support from our new and existing shareholders. We will continue to work hard with the mission of "envisioning the future of medical technology and providing quality health support to more people" and the vision of "becoming a leader in the field of bioceramics." We will deepen technological innovation and enhance core competitiveness, living up to the trust placed in us by the country and our shareholders, and contributing to China.Development of High-Performance Composite Ceramic Industry。

Li Qian, the project leader of Proxima Venture, said:In the upstream of the artificial joint industry, the "powder ceramic" ball head and liner fields have long been monopolized by imported manufacturers. Relying on two Tsinghua University materials science Ph.D.s,With over 20 years of profound technical accumulation, TrendTec has successfully developed and mass-producedTrendTec's ceramic femoral heads and liners match the performance of leading international companies but at a significantly lower cost compared to imported products. We firmly believe that TrendTec, which shoulders the responsibility of solving the "bottleneck" problem, is poised to break the monopoly of imported joint materials with its excellence.The cost-performance ratio has become the preferred partner of joint manufacturers, enabling them to continuously provide high-quality products to the market.

About Proxima Venture Capital

Proxima Venture manages multiple RMB funds and USD funds, focusing on discovering, investing in, and developing outstanding medical technology innovation companies with tremendous growth potential. The Proxima Venture team possesses diversified and international expertise, professional backgrounds, and resource networks, along with extensive clinical resources, industrialization experience, and entrepreneurial history. The fund has invested in more than 70 enterprises, among which it has assisted in establishing over 30 companies and supported more than 50 globally pioneering products.