Gestala, China's first deep-tech company dedicated to ultrasound-based brain-computer interfaces, has closed a US$21.69 million (CN¥150 million) Angel Round. The financing is the largest early-stage raise ever recorded in China's BCI industry. The round was co-led by Guosheng Capital and Dalton Venture, with additional participation from Tsing Song Capital, Gobi Partners, Fourier Intelligence, Liepin, and Seas Capital. China Renaissance served as the exclusive financial advisor for the deal.
Gestala completed this raise just two months after its official launch, and the round was heavily oversubscribed. In global terms, the financing puts Gestala second only to Merge Labs, the ultrasound BCI firm co-founded by OpenAI's Sam Altman, which secured a US$252 million Angel Round in January 2026 at a post-money valuation of US$850 million.
The global BCI sector is moving fast, and ultrasound technology is quickly becoming the approach of choice for serious investors. Traditional brain-computer interfaces rely on invasive electrical signals, which limits both their safety profile and their range of applications. Ultrasound-based BCI offers something different: non-invasive access to the brain with bi-directional, read-write capability and the ability to regulate multiple neural circuits at once.
This matters clinically. The ultrasound approach opens up treatment pathways for conditions including chronic pain, depression, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke rehabilitation, and epilepsy. These are not niche indications. They represent some of the largest and most underserved patient populations in medicine, which partly explains why capital is flowing in at this scale. In addition to Merge Labs, Nudge, co-founded by the founder of Coinbase, secured significant Series A funding in 2025, further signalling that ultrasound BCI is becoming a recognized investment category.
Gestala's first commercial target is chronic pain management. Clinical trials involving more than 30 subjects have already shown that a single stimulation session can cut pain scores in half, with effects lasting one to two weeks. The company plans to complete the first phase of its headquarters and production line in Chengdu by late May, with mass production scheduled for Q3 of this year. NMPA registration filing is expected to follow before year-end.
Proceeds from the Angel Round will go toward developing the company's flagship product, executing clinical trials, advancing AI integration, and building the regulatory foundation for next-generation technologies. Phoenix Peng, Founder and CEO of Gestala, stated that the focus will remain on "core technological breakthroughs, regulatory registration, AI integration, and the strategic roadmap for next-generation technologies, ensuring long-term competitive advantages."
Beyond its core clinical products, Gestala has entered a strategic partnership with embodied AI company Fourier Intelligence. The two firms are working to develop a closed-loop mechanism that links intention, execution, and sensory feedback. The goal is to shift rehabilitation from a model of passive compensation toward one of active, mind-driven recovery.
Gestala was founded with a single focus: developing an ultrasound-based BCI platform with bi-directional capability that can meaningfully address neurological disorders. The company's work sits at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence, and its long-term vision extends beyond therapeutic applications toward a broader understanding of how the human brain can interface with technology.
The company is led by Phoenix Peng, who serves as Founder and CEO. Peng has framed Gestala's mission around the principle of "Better Brain for Better Humanity," a formulation that reflects the company's commitment to both patient outcomes and scientific ambition. The successful raise, achieved so early in the company's life, suggests that investors share that confidence in both the technology and the team executing it.
Gestala's headquarters and production facilities are based in Chengdu. As a first mover in ultrasound BCI in China, the company is building both its technology stack and its regulatory pathway simultaneously, a strategy that reflects the clinical urgency of the conditions it is addressing. More information is available at gestala.com.
The Angel Round was co-led by Guosheng Capital and Dalton Venture. Additional investors include Tsing Song Capital, Gobi Partners, Fourier Intelligence, Liepin, and Seas Capital. The breadth of participation, spanning healthcare, technology, and generalist venture investors, reflects the cross-sector significance of what Gestala is building.
China Renaissance acted as the exclusive financial advisor for the transaction. The oversubscription of the round, achieved within two months of Gestala's public launch, adds weight to the view that capital markets are taking ultrasound BCI seriously as both a clinical and commercial opportunity.
