China’s brain-computer interface sector is shifting from laboratory research to early-stage commercialisation, as coordinated policy support, clinical capacity and capital flows position the country as a rising force in neurotechnology.
Start-ups developing both implantable and non-invasive BCIs are advancing in parallel. According to Phoenix Peng, co-founder of NeuroXess and founder of Gestala, provinces including Sichuan, Hubei and Zhejiang have already set medical service pricing for BCI treatments, accelerating their pathway into the national health insurance system. In August 2025, China’s industry ministry and six other agencies issued a roadmap targeting key technical milestones by 2027 and a full supply chain by 2030, alongside plans to build globally competitive companies.
Clinical progress has followed policy backing. Researchers have completed the country’s first fully implanted, wireless BCI trial, the second globally after a similar milestone by Neuralink. More than 50 flexible implantable BCI trials had been completed by mid-2025, spanning motor and language decoding and stroke rehabilitation. Peng expects healthcare applications to dominate over the next three to five years, with the domestic market projected to exceed 3.8bn yuan in 2025 and expand substantially by 2040.
Investment activity is intensifying. Shanghai-based StairMed Technology raised 350m yuan in February 2025, while BrainCo has reportedly filed for a Hong Kong listing after raising 2bn yuan. State-linked funding has also expanded, including an 11.6bn yuan brain science fund announced in Shenzhen.
China’s manufacturing depth in semiconductors, AI and medical hardware is supporting rapid prototyping and scale-up. Regulators are expected to tighten oversight of invasive devices and data governance while easing approval for non-invasive systems. As standards increasingly align with international frameworks, the country’s push into BCIs signals a strategic effort to compete directly with US leaders and to define the next frontier of human-machine integration.
