China is stepping up its effort to become a global leader in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), approving a series of brain-technology products this year as domestic start-ups seek to compete with overseas companies including Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
The devices, which can enable patients to control digital systems using thought alone, are being developed for a growing range of medical applications. The latest regulatory approvals come alongside increasing policy support from Chinese authorities, as Beijing seeks to strengthen the domestic brain-technology industry.
Competition in China’s sector has intensified in recent years, with local governments providing financing support while private investment has surged. Investors are increasingly focusing on technologies that could address rising healthcare needs associated with rapid population ageing.
One of the companies to receive recent regulatory approval is Tiankai Suishi (Tianjin) Intelligent Technology, which has developed a system designed to help doctors assess whether a patient’s cognitive functions have been impaired.
The system consists of a cap fitted with electrodes that sits over a patient’s scalp and reads electrical signals produced by the brain, according to an article published on the company’s official WeChat feed. China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved the device on August 19, according to official records.
Tiankai Suishi also markets BCI devices intended to support the early diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction associated with conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. The company is seeking regulatory approval for another product intended to assist in diagnosing depression.
Founded in 2023, the company has registered capital of 10.67 million yuan (US$1.59 million), according to the corporate database Qichacha. It is led by Gu Bin, who completed a doctoral degree at Tianjin University’s medical school, according to Chinese media reports.
Another recent approval was granted to StairMed Technology for a micro-electrode driver used to assist in implanting BCI devices during brain surgery. The start-up is backed by Chinese technology giants Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding, which owns the South China Morning Post.
The NMPA approval in June provided a boost to StairMed’s efforts to develop a working BCI implant. The company had implanted its device in 18 patients as it continued testing, according to domestic media reports in July.
The trials have produced promising results. Zhao Zhengtuo, StairMed’s co-founder, said during an event last month that one paraplegic patient had been able to communicate with customers on the Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com by using thoughts to operate a digital device.
Other Chinese companies are also advancing implantable BCI technology. Shanghai-based Neuracle Medical Technology secured China’s first regulatory approval in March for an implantable BCI device designed to help people with spinal cord injuries regain movement in their hands.
Hangzhou-based BrainCo, meanwhile, is developing BCI products for depression screening in partnership with a hospital affiliated with Beijing’s Capital Medical University.
The push is receiving increasing support from local governments. Zhejiang province in eastern China has announced plans to encourage related companies to go public, while Shenzhen, the southern technology hub, has pledged to help firms expand overseas and complete mergers and acquisitions.
The expansion of the sector comes as China faces a growing burden of neurological disorders. Cases of conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease rose from about 329 million in 1990 to about 468 million by 2021, according to a study published in the journal Med last year.
Against this backdrop, China’s BCI market is projected to reach 6.14 billion yuan by 2028, according to Xinhua, adding commercial momentum to Beijing’s drive to develop brain technologies capable of competing on the global stage.
