Shanghai-based StairMed has raised 350 million yuan (US$48 million), marking the largest funding round for a Chinese startup in implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCI).

Qiming Venture Partners led the round, with participation from OrbiMed and Lilly Asia Ventures.

The funds will support clinical trials, R&D, and a new production facility.

StairMed’s implantable BCI uses ultra-flexible neural electrodes, one-hundredth the diameter of a human hair, designed to minimize brain tissue impact.