Report: Brain-Computer Interfaces Are Expected to Enter a Large-Scale Commercialization "Golden Window"

China Net Finance April 1 News—On April 1, the Beijing Fourth Wave Technology Think Tank and the Zhongguancun Tiancheng Innovation Research Center released the “China Brain-Computer Interface Commercialization Outlook Report.”

The report holds that, driven by the combined effect of three factors—support from industrial policies, technological breakthroughs, and heightened market demand—brain-computer interface technology is expected to enter a “golden window period” for large-scale commercial deployment, with 2026 becoming the first year of scaled brain-computer interface applications.

In 2026, “brain-computer interface” was written into the Government Work Report for the first time, and it is one of the future industries重点 cultivated in China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” period. The researchers in the report analyzed and conducted research on more than 80 brain-computer interface companies in China, broadly solicited opinions from industry experts, and made forecasts on the market prospects of this cutting-edge industry.

Source: “China Brain-Computer Interface Commercialization Outlook Report”

The report points out that brain-computer interfaces have already preliminarily met the conditions for large-scale application. First, key technologies have achieved breakthroughs. Second, favorable industrial policies have been released in a concentrated way. Third, capital inflow has accelerated industry development. Fourth, demand potential effectively supports market scale.

For example, invasive brain-computer interface clinical applications have entered a “quasi-commercial” stage, and breakthroughs in clinical trials are expected to land quickly. Companies represented by Huitiger Technology, Borrikon, and Jieti Medical have already accumulated rich case materials in clinical trials. Some semi-invasive and flexible invasive products have entered the National Medical Products Administration’s “innovative medical devices” green channel, and are expected to be officially approved for registration and上市 in 2026-2027. This means that invasive brain-computer interfaces are about to shift from “research samples” to billable “medical devices,” and the commercial closed loop is about to be opened.

The report points out that in the field of medicine, brain-computer interface applications have moved from laboratory exploration to large-scale clinical validation and the early stages of industrialization. A brain-computer interface commercialization boom, with medical applications being the most likely trigger point. The “Bebrain No. 1” plan of Xinzhida is expected to complete implant-related clinical surgeries for 40 patients with spinal cord injuries in 2026. Borrikon’s implanted brain-computer interface hand movement function compensation system has been approved for registration as a Category III medical device, becoming the world’s first approved invasive brain-computer interface medical device.

Source: “China Brain-Computer Interface Commercialization Outlook Report”

The report believes that the product forms of non-invasive brain-computer interfaces are also gradually maturing. Companies represented by Strong Brain Technology, for instance, have already achieved large-scale production of products such as intelligent bionic hands, attention training headbands, and sleep monitoring devices, with costs significantly reduced.

The market prospects of brain-computer interfaces have drawn widespread attention from research institutions. The China Merchants Industry Research Institute predicts that in 2026 the market size of China’s brain-computer interface industry may increase to 4.6 billion yuan. The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology calculates that by 2030 the industry scale of China’s brain-computer interfaces could reach 10 billion–14 billion yuan. According to McKinsey’s prediction, the global market size of brain-computer interfaces in the medical application field could reach 40 billion USD by 2030, and surpass 145 billion USD by 2040.

This report comprehensively assesses forecast data from multiple institutions. By referencing the 5.3 billion market size in 2026 for embodied intelligence as another future industry, it predicts that in 2026 the market size of China’s brain-computer interface industry is expected to exceed 5 billion yuan and maintain rapid growth. By 2030, the market size is expected to exceed 15 billion yuan.

Researchers believe that during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, the brain-computer interface industry chain will be further consolidated. Upstream material suppliers, midstream equipment suppliers, and downstream hospitals and rehabilitation centers will see vertical mergers, forming a large group with an integrated “soft-and-hard” and “medicine-and-engineering” combination.

The report judges that the brain-computer interface industry will show a head-effect. There will be 3–5 all-around leading enterprises with international influence. In segmented fields, such as specific disease types, specific materials, or specific scenarios, several “hidden champion” companies will also emerge. They will build relatively high technical barriers and drive the development of the entire industry.

At present, cross-industry tech giants are also expected to enter, accelerating mergers and acquisitions and reorganization. Companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Tencent, and Baidu, as well as medical device leaders such as Mindray and United Imaging Healthcare, can rapidly fill out the brain-computer interface industry map by acquiring high-quality start-ups that possess core electrode materials, dedicated chips, or decoding algorithms.

The report also notes that the brain-computer interface industry faces reshuffling, and teams centered on “fake demand,” “pure research,” or “jumping on the trend” may be quickly eliminated. Start-ups that rely only on storytelling, but cannot produce stable products, lack clinical data support, or overly focus on marketing, may be pushed out due to insufficient market competitiveness. Teams with a single technical route that cannot solve problems of long-term implant stability or signal noise will also be naturally eliminated by the market. Companies lacking product support will also fade out as the industry ecosystem becomes increasingly standardized.

Beijing Fourth Wave Technology Think Tank is a platform serving frontier technology. With in-depth news and vertical reports as its core business, the think tank conducts frontline research in fields such as AI, embodied intelligence, and brain-computer interfaces, analyzes market trends, and serves technology companies and investors. (End)

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