In a landmark development, Neuracle Medical Technology has secured the country’s first-ever approval for an implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) system designed to restore hand motor function in patients with spinal cord injuries, in a regulatory milestone that underscores China’s accelerating push in neurotechnology.
China’s BCI start-ups, seen as potential rivals to Elon Musk’s Neuralink, are gaining momentum as regulatory support and fresh capital fuel growth.
Shares of BCI companies rose on mainland Chinese exchanges on Friday, with Shenzhen-listed Inkon Life Technology surging more than 10 per cent.
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The approval awarded to Neuracle, a private firm founded in 2011, marked the first time globally that an invasive BCI could be sold and used on patients as a commercial product, according to China’s National Medical Products Administration.
The company’s founder, Xu Honglai, earned a PhD in biomedical engineering from Tsinghua University.
Another BCI start-up, Shanghai-based StairMed Technology, on Friday raised 500 million yuan (US$72.6 million) in a funding round led by Alibaba Group Holding. With this round, StairMed’s total funding in the past year crossed 1.1 billion yuan, the company said on its WeChat account.
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