StairMed Secures RMB 500 Million Financing Led by Alibaba, Joined by Tencent

SHANGHAI, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Shanghai StairMed Technology Co., Ltd. ("StairMed" or "the Company") recently announced the closing of a strategic financing round totaling RMB 500 million. The round was led by Alibaba, with strong continued participation from existing shareholders including Tencent, Fountainbridge Capital, OrbiMed, Oriza Seed, Qiming Venture Partners, Lilly Asia Ventures (LAV), and Source Code Capital, etc. Springhill Fund served as the exclusive financial advisor. This latest round brings StairMed's total funding raised in the past year to over RMB 1.1 billion. This round also marks a rare joint investment by Alibaba and Tencent in the brain-machine interface sector.

Accelerating Clinical Milestones: Multi-Center Trials for BMI Systems Set for Mid-2026, Neuromodulation Pipeline Advances

With the closing of this financing round, StairMed plans to accelerate development of its technology platform and clinical programs, building on three successful clinical implants of its brain-machine interface (BMI) system completed last year. In early 2026, StairMed used its proprietary surgical robot to complete implantation of its 256-channel wireless high-throughput invasive BMI system (WRS02) as part of the registration process and successfully validated brain-controlled interaction functions. This milestone represents a significant technological advancement for StairMed and marks the first clinical trial of a 256-channel invasive BMI in China. The system is currently the only invasive BMI in China to receive access to the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) Green Channel for Innovative Medical Devices.

Looking ahead, StairMed plans to initiate the next phase of its clinical development program. Large-scale, multi-center registration clinical trials are on track to begin in mid-2026, with the goal of enrolling and implanting approximately 40 patients within the year. By the end of 2026, StairMed's cumulative number of patients implanted is expected to reach several dozen, representing a significant step in the clinical development of invasive BMI technology.

In parallel with its brain-controlled product development, StairMed is expanding its neuromodulation portfolio.

Drawing on its ultra-flexible microelectrode technology, StairMed has developed a closed-loop, ultra-low-damage deep brain stimulation (DBS) system, with performance comparable to leading international systems on core metrics such as microscale dimensions and flexibility. It has already been implanted in four patients as part of clinical research, validating its therapeutic potential. The Company plans to initiate formal clinical trials for this system in 2027, targeting transformative treatment options for patients with Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders, and further strengthening StairMed's position in the global BMI landscape.

Strategic Alignment with Technology Leaders Drives Next-Generation Human-Machine Interaction

The rapid evolution of the BMI industry is increasingly driven by advances in computing and artificial intelligence (AI).

Li Xue, founder of StairMed, commented, "We are grateful to our existing shareholders for their continued support since our early days, particularly Tencent as a core industrial investor. We also welcome Alibaba and SDIC Unity Capital to this round." Li noted the strategic importance of deep involvement from leading internet and technology companies, "BMI is not only an emerging medical technology, but also a point of convergence between life sciences and information technology. The deep expertise of these industry leaders in multi-modal large models, computing infrastructure, intelligent hardware, and ecosystem development aligns closely with StairMed's strengths in BMI hardware and clinical translation. This partnership will enable us to co-develop next-generation intelligent BMI systems and cutting-edge application ecosystems. This is more than an investment in medical innovation—it is a strategic bet on the long-term potential of human-machine interaction."

About StairMed

Shanghai StairMed Technology Co., Ltd., founded in 2021, is a pioneer in the field of minimally invasive implantable brain-machine interfaces (BMI).

StairMed has developed proprietary technologies for electrodes, systems, algorithms, and surgical robotics. The Company has created ultra-flexible electrodes as fine as one-hundredth the width of a human hair and the world's smallest wireless BMI implant. In 2025, it completed China's first prospective clinical trial for an invasive BMI, and its product has been granted access to the NMPA Green Channel for Innovative Medical Devices.

StairMed focuses on two primary areas—brain control and neuromodulation—to deliver innovative therapies for patients with movement disorders and neurological diseases. Its long-term mission is to achieve the integration of brain and machine intelligence.

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StairMed Secures RMB 500 Million Financing Led by Alibaba, Joined by Tencent

BEIJING, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- South China-located Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) is embracing tangible benefits from its high-level opening up represented by the island-wide special customs operations since December 18 last year.

In the past over 100 days, a number of new foreign trade businesses completed record-filing in the tropical island province, with the gross growth up 65.7 percent from a year ago and imported zero-tariff goods and departure duty-free sales stood at nearly 1.7 billion yuan and 15.6 billion yuan respectively.

Recently, a press conference was held in Boao of Hainan Province to celebrate the 100-day-long stable, orderly special customs operations of Hainan FTP, presenting to the world the new dividends of China's high-level opening up.

Currently, Hainan is emerging as one of the new frontiers for China's opening up and a favored destination for regional cooperation, noted Cai Qiang, spokesperson for the Hainan government.

The share of local zero-tariff items has surged to 74 percent, with the total number of zero-tariff items at 6,637 ones and an aggregate of 11,773 business entities were approved to enjoy the zero-tariff policy, showed public data.

When Siemens Energy's gas turbine assembly base and service center, the first solely foreign-funded local hospital and the first foreign-funded esports industry project started construction or operation, Hainan won vote of confidence cast by foreign enterprises.

Since December 18 of 2025, 737 foreign-funded businesses were registered in Hainan FTP in the past 3-plus months, up 33.5 percent year on year.

All of the outcomes are closely related to its island-wide special customs operations, which effectively turn policy dividends into tangible results. Total imports and exports in the period exceeded 80 billion yuan, up 32.9 percent on year.

At a time when global trade faces enormous challenges, building new bridges to link different regions is of critical importance, said Holger Bingmann, vice chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, highlighting the quintessential role of Hainan FTP in crafting an ecosystem that is stable, interconnected and full of opportunities.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/349995.html

 

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Xinhua Silk Road: Hainan FTP embraces tangible benefits since island-wide special customs operations