BCI-Sonics raises $29.9M Seed

The ¥ in the headline is Chinese yuan, not Japanese yen. Chinese outlets also describe the round as a Pre-A, not a seed. Shanghai-based BCI-Sonics, known in China as Huachao Shenkong, raised RMB200 million ($29.87 million) in a Pre-Series A round co-led by HSG, formerly Sequoia China, and Yunqi Capital. Proxima Investment, Yuanhe Holdings, Xuhui Science and Technology Venture Capital, and Deshi Investment participated, while existing investors Matrix Partners China and Delian Capital increased their positions. The money is earmarked for product R&D, core hires, multi-center clinical trials, and AI infrastructure. The company was founded in 2025 by Dr. Li Xin, a former China site leader for GE Healthcare's global R&D center. It closed a roughly RMB 100 million angel round in June, led by Matrix. Its system combines focused ultrasound stimulation with brain-signal reading and AI decoding. Across China, brain-computer interface startups disclosed RMB 5.38 billion (approx. $750 million) over 38 rounds in the first half of 2026. For AI founders, Li's stated thesis matters most. He argues that brain data at sufficient scale and quality will become the foundation of the next generation of AI. That makes proprietary neural datasets a growing target for well-funded Chinese competitors.