Maibu Robotics, a Shenzhen developer of medical and elderly-care exoskeleton robots, has closed a new strategic round of nearly RMB 100 million, with CICCI (China Jianyin Investment) leading, 36Kr reported. The proceeds will speed up product iteration and the commercialisation of frontier areas such as brain-computer interfaces, and extend coverage from hospitals and communities into home-based care, the so-called last mile of rehabilitation.
The company had already won backing from top-tier investors. Lenovo Capital has now invested across four consecutive rounds, joined by Taiyou Fund, Sihuan Pharmaceutical, Star Fund, Dening Industrial and Shangshan Capital.
Founded in 2016 by a team of returnee PhDs, Maibu supplies exoskeleton products and solutions for medical rehabilitation and elderly care. Its new CEO, Chen Kangning, previously worked at multinationals including Johnson and Johnson and brings experience across product registration, channel building and scaled commercialisation.
Maibu has built a product matrix around flexible-actuator human-machine interaction: the H, A and C (paediatric lower-limb) rehabilitation series, a 3,000-step daily-walk wellness series and a MAX assisted-walking series, spanning in-hospital rehab, home care and daily mobility. The 3,000-step series uses lightweight, portable design to fit hospitals, communities, parks and homes, encouraging a daily 3,000-step brisk-walk habit.
The company holds more than 200 patents, and its core products have won China’s Class II medical-device NMPA certification and are in volume production. In 2025, Maibu’s revenue grew nearly 200 per cent, with overseas markets contributing over a third.
The sector is heating up fast. IDC data shows China’s exoskeleton market exceeded RMB 1.6 billion in 2025 with shipments of about 26,000 units; medical rehab led in value while consumer-assisted mobility drove over 70 per cent of shipments. In 2026, the Ministry of Commerce says domestic smart-exoskeleton demand rose 458.4 per cent year on year in the first half, and JD.com data shows transaction volume jumped more than 15,000 per cent. Policy is catching up: the National Healthcare Security Administration’s 15th Five-Year plan explicitly promotes smart exoskeletons in long-term care. The convergence of policy, market and consumer demand is turning exoskeletons from niche tech into essential care equipment.
Editor’s note: This is an adapted translation of the original OFweek Robot report. It has been trimmed and restructured for readability for an international business audience.
Translated and adapted from OFweek Robot (https://robot.ofweek.com/2026-08/ART-8321203-8120-30700672.html).