Nanochap
China · Healthtech · Hardware
Develops retinal and cortical brain-computer interfaces that use electrical stimulation to create artificial visual perception.
Product
Nanochap develops visual brain-computer interfaces for people with blindness. Its E-BCI system uses camera-equipped glasses to capture a scene, processes the images into encoded signals and sends them wirelessly to a retinal implant. An electrode array stimulates retinal cells to produce artificial visual perception through the remaining visual pathway.
The Hangzhou company also develops V-BCI, which stimulates the visual cortex directly for patients whose retina or optic nerve cannot provide that pathway. Its 320-channel retinal system is in clinical trials; the 1,280-channel cortical system remains in development. Nanochap designs the neural chips, electrodes, implant packaging and encoding algorithms used in these systems.
Funding history
2 rounds · 2 with disclosed amounts| Announced | Round | Amount | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series C+ | CN¥500M | Gaorong Ventures — LeadC&D Emerging Industry Equity Investment — ParticipantDanhe Capital — ParticipantDongfang Jiafu — ParticipantHangzhou Chantou Group — ParticipantLegend Capital — ParticipantMonolith Capital — ParticipantPICC Capital Equity Investment — Participant | |
| Strategic financing | CN¥300M | Legend Capital — LeadCaitong Capital — ParticipantGF Xinde — ParticipantHarvest Capital — Participant |