China's BCI Boom: First Wireless Implants, $165M Fund, and Roadmap to Outpace Neuralink

China's brain-computer interface (BCI) industry is accelerating from research labs to clinical breakthroughs and commercialization.

The nation completed its first fully implanted, wireless BCI trial, allowing a paralyzed patient to control devices without external wires—only the second such achievement globally after Neuralink.

Government Initiatives Fuel Explosive Growth

In August 2025, China's industry ministry and agencies released a national roadmap targeting major BCI milestones by 2027 and a full supply chain by 2030.

Provinces including Sichuan, Hubei, and Zhejiang have set BCI medical pricing to integrate it into the national insurance system, speeding adoption.

A landmark 11.6 billion yuan ($165 million) brain science fund was announced at the 2025 Shenzhen BCI Expo to support companies through commercialization.

Leading Startups Secure Massive Funding

BrainCo raised $287 million and filed for a Hong Kong IPO, while StairMed Technology garnered $48 million in Series B funding.

Gestala, a noninvasive ultrasound BCI pioneer led by Phoenix Peng, reported 50% pain reduction in early trials with effects lasting weeks.

Over 50 flexible implantable BCI clinical trials were finished by mid-2025, advancing motor decoding, spinal reconstruction, and stroke rehab.

Global Competition and Transformative Future

China's unified insurance outpaces U.S. commercialization reliant on private payers, positioning it to challenge leaders like Neuralink.

The BCI market is forecasted to hit $530 million in 2025, surging to over $120 billion by 2040, revolutionizing healthcare and human augmentation.