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News.com.au
3 hours ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Compumedics' dual-helmet brain tech hits a nerve in China's neuroscience boom
China Brain Project rolls out neuro-AI push Compumedics dual-helmet MEG lights up Tianjin labs ASX health stocks surge deeper into China A few years back, China kicked off what might be one of the most ambitious science missions you've never heard of: the China Brain Project. This is a full-scale national effort to figure out how the brain works, fix what goes wrong when it doesn't, and use all that insight to build the next generation of artificial intelligence. Launched in September 2021, the project strings together 59 headline studies, backed by about RMB 3.2 billion ($680 million) under a framework cheerfully called 'one body, two wings.' The 'body' focuses on fundamental neuroscience, how we learn, think, feel and remember. One 'wing' tackles brain disorders like epilepsy, autism and dementia, aiming to improve diagnosis and treatment. The other 'wing' is all about brain-inspired tech: building machines that mimic how humans learn and adapt, rather than just crunching data the old-fashioned way. But to get from elegant theory to real-world breakthroughs, scientists need to see the brain in action. Not just its structure, but its split-second activity as thoughts, memories and decisions light up the neurons. That's where brain imaging comes in. MRI gives you high-res still shots of the brain's anatomy – useful, but static. MEG, or magnetoencephalography, is the opposite: it captures the brain in motion, recording real-time electrical activity down to the millisecond. MEG listens to the brain's own magnetic murmurs, but legacy systems come with two big drawbacks. One-size-fits-adults helmets leave a child's head rattling around like a pea in a tin, so the sensors sit too far from the brain and the signal fizzles. Even worse, most MEG systems burn through liquid helium to keep the sensors cold. And when that coolant runs low, the whole scanner has to shut down until a refill arrives, usually in the form of a specialised delivery, which isn't always quick or easy. China's new brain labs wanted something nimbler. Enter an Australian outsider. Compumedics lands world-first dual-helmet MEG Compumedics (ASX:CMP), a med-tech company based in Melbourne, spent nearly ten years developing a new kind of MEG system with its research partners at Korea's KRISS institute. The result is the Orion LifeSpan, a scanner that holds two helmets, one for adults and one for children, inside a single cooling chamber (called a dewar). It uses advanced, patented sensors known as DROS-SQUIDs to pick up the brain's magnetic signals with high precision. Unlike older systems that need constant helium refills, Orion recycles almost all its coolant, so it can keep running around the clock without shutting down. It also has a 'hyperscanning' mode, which can record the brain activity of two people at the same time. That's useful, for example, if you're studying how a child's brain interacts with their parent's during a shared task. Tianjin Normal University (TJNU) secured the first Orion in late 2024. After months of tests, the university gave formal acceptance and called it the most advanced MEG lab on the planet. 'The Orion LifeSpan MEG recently installed by Compumedics at TJNU has been a revolution in our ability to study mental processes of both children and adults, or even the two simultaneously," said Vice-President Professor Xuejun Bai. 'The system has already proven itself to be extremely sensitive, accurate and reliable.' TJNU researchers sat a four-year-old under the Orion LifeSpan MEG and fed 200 quick tones into one ear, while the scanner captured her brain's magnetic response. With the paediatric helmet snug to her scalp, the auditory peaks popped up about 90 milliseconds after each beep – clear, high-amplitude waveforms that lit the display like a studio-grade equaliser. Then the team simply rotated Orion's dual-helmet dewar to bring the adult dome into place, and ran the exact same test. This time the signals barely rose above the noise floor; the larger helmet kept the sensors centimetres farther from her brain, and most of the field strength bled away before it reached the coils. That side by side comparison, all on a single machine, delivered what Compumedics later called 'the first time a single MEG system had given high-quality scans for both children and adults.' Compumedics has proven that shortening the brain-to-sensor gap and boosting the signal-to-noise ratio can unlock the precision that paediatric neurology has long been waiting for. China's brain labs line up The TJNU showcase set off a modest domino run. Tsinghua University signed on, a second Tianjin facility followed, and Hangzhou Normal University ordered its own Orion LifeSpan package. The four contracts total roughly $20 million, with Hangzhou's unit slated for delivery in early 2026. Compumedics isn't claiming to own the market; it's simply first out of the blocks. MEG scanners are still rare in China compared with the country's vast MRI fleet, and Orion's dual-helmet design halves both the hardware bill and the room it needs, exactly the kind of maths provincial governments like as they race to build new neuroscience centres. None of it turns Compumedics into a household name overnight, but it does explain why four Chinese universities have already signed purchase orders. And as the China Brain Project accelerates, the real-time windows provided by MEG are likely to move from niche to mainstream. China becomes launchpad for ASX health plays With its sheer scale, ageing population and a government rolling out the red carpet for cutting-edge medical tech, China has become a proving ground that's increasingly hard for ASX health outfits to ignore. Compumedics isn't the only Aussie med-tech with serious skin in the China game. Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX), for instance, is running several China-based Phase III registration studies. The ZIRCON-CP trial of its kidney-cancer imaging agent TLX250-CDx is being conducted at Beijing Cancer Hospital and other leading oncology centres, in conjunction with strategic partner Grand Pharmaceutical Group. The first Chinese patient was dosed late-2024, and the study remains active in 2025. Cochlear (ASX:COH) continues its three-decade clinical presence in China. In June, the company launched its Nucleus Nexa smart implant within the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, a government-sanctioned hospital hub that fast-tracks novel devices and collects clinical evidence for mainland approval. EZZ Life Science (ASX:EZZ), meanwhile, has quietly pulled off one of the sharpest China plays on the ASX, turning a niche Aussie wellness brand into a breakout star. In FY24, revenue surged 79% to $66.4 million, with a clean $10.4 million in EBITDA and zero debt on the books. And 80% of that cash came straight out of Greater China, thanks to a killer e-commerce strategy across Douyin, Tmall, Kuaishou and O'Mall, where its anti-ageing pills and children growth chews have become chart-toppers. Parents in China can't get enough of EZZ's kids' range, and the company just dropped a fresh $21 million deal to push into Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. At Stockhead we tell it like it is. While Compumedics and EZZ Life Science are Stockhead advertisers, they did not sponsor this article.
CNBC
8 hours ago
- Business
- CNBC
JPMorgan says shares of this little-known online lender can rally more than 50%
Strong fundamentals and the potential for robust returns make Chinese online lending platform Qifu Technology an attractive buy, according to JPMorgan. The bank initiated the stock with an overweight rating and a $65 per share price target. JPMorgan's forecast implies more than 51% upside from Tuesday's close. Analyst Katherine Lei said Qifu's return on equity — a widely followed profitability measure — will grow at a 9% clip from 2024 to 2027, while its earnings expand at a compounded annual growth rate of 24%. That's the highest growth rate among Chinese lenders covered by JPMorgan, Lei said. She also pointed to the company's loan growth in recent years, despite heightened volatility. QFIN YTD mountain Qifu Technology stock in 2025. "From 2020-24, Qifu reported 84% growth in the number of clients with credit lines and an average net take rate of 3.9% on facilitated loans," Lei said. "Qifu has shown stable new loan growth and EPS growth vs peers during the macro volatility since 2020, demonstrating its operating prudency." "Additionally, we expect credit cost to decline due to higher write-backs," she said. The analyst also highlighted the company's cash hoard as of the first quarter of 2025, which she said sits at 37% of equity. This supports the case for buybacks and dividends. "Qifu's management has committed to reducing share count by 30% from 2023-26," Lei said. "We estimate that cash dividends and share buybacks will amount to RMB 5.9bn/12.7bn from 2025-27, equating to 82% of 1Q25 equity, or 43% of the current market cap." Shares have advanced roughly 11% in 2025. Qifu shares are not widely covered, but they are well liked by those who do. LSEG data shows that all 12 analysts covering shares have a buy or strong buy rating. The average price target also signals upside of more than 25%.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Xiaomi made a cheap Ferrari EV. Who needs Porsche?
Watching the launch last week of Xiaomi Corp.'s luxury electric sport utility vehicle, the YU7, stirred up two strong emotions: wonder at its impressive technology, and deep foreboding for the future of Western automakers. The YU7 is the complete package — a stylish and tech-laden SUV with up to 835 kilometers (519 miles) of driving range, all for an affordable price. The entry-level version costs just RMB 253,500 ($35,400). Xiaomi scores few points for design originality — the YU7 looks like a cross between a Ferrari Purosangue and a McLaren, while its first model, the sporty SU7 sedan, bears a striking resemblance to the Porsche Taycan. Even so, these are astonishing achievements for a smartphone company that entered the automotive industry just four years ago. I was not in the least surprised the YU7 received almost 300,000 orders within one hour. While the YU7 directly competes with Tesla Inc.'s Model Y in China and isn't available in the US or Europe for now, Western premium and luxury automakers with far higher sticker prices should fear the increasingly sophisticated EVs China is churning out. How will they compete once the growling combustion engines that define their brands disappear? Investors appear confident Ferrari will retain its cache. Indeed, it's fortunate that China accounts for less than 10% of the Prancing Horse's global sales, because the V12 Purosangue starts at around $430,000 and once customized costs far more. Porsche and Germany's other premium automakers don't appear as resilient. Offering a fake V8 engine noise as Mercedes-Benz Group does on the electric hypercar concept it teased last week won't suffice. Electrification, automated driving and digital connectivity are turning autos into cellphones on wheels. Hence consumer electrics companies like Xiaomi and Huawei Technologies Co. are pushing into the EV marketand thereby offering seamless digital ecosystems, making Apple Inc.'s failure to develop a car appear like an even bigger omission. The danger for luxury automakers is their products become commoditized. Rapid acceleration, a chief selling point of Western sportscar brands, is now commonplace in EVs: Xiaomi's cars have achieved some blistering lap times at the Nürburgring (the industry's benchmark). Meanwhile, China's faster innovation and product development cycles threaten to make manufacturers that can't iterate as quickly appear old hat. Consumer perceptions are also changing. In China at least, luxury is increasingly about offering advanced software, voice recognition and artificial intelligence. However, customers aren't necessarily willing to fork out a lot for these features. 'An Apple Watch can do everything better: It can do a thousand more things; it's a lot more precise; it can measure your heart rate. But nobody would pay $200,000 for an Apple Watch,' Bugatti-Rimac Chief Executive Officer Mate Rimac said last year, explaining why sales of the more than $2 million electric Nevera hypercar have been disappointing and why Bugatti's new $4.5 million hypercar, the Tourbillon , offers analogue instruments and a hybrid powertrain to retain exclusivity. Although EV sales are booming in China, the very top segment of the market remains comparatively small, in part because consumers can get good quality tech and interior comforts at much lower price points. (Geely's high-end EV brand Lotus Technology Inc. has been forced to pivot to hybrids rather than remain in its small niche, while Nio Inc. has moved downmarket with its Firefly and Onvo sub-brands.) I've been impressed by some of BMW AG's EVs, and it's expected to build on that foundation with its upcoming Neue Klasse technology. But other Western manufacturers' products often aren't good enough considering how much they cost. Mercedes-Benz Group AG is reportedly struggling to sell the $160,000 electric version of its iconic G-Class SUV, the G580, due in part to the 3085-kilogram (6,800-pound) vehicle's limited range and towing capacity; this has added to the German manufacturer's lengthening roster of EV flops. Eye-watering depreciation of luxury EVs like the Porsche Taycan is also deterring customers. No wonder Lamborghini doesn't plan to launch its first EV until the end of the decade, while Ferrari NV is reportedly delaying its second EV until at least 2028 (the first will go on sale next year after a protracted launch). But there are risks in feet-dragging: Imagine what Xiaomi, Aito, Maextro, BYD Co.'s Yangwang and their ilk will be capable of in five years? Porsche CEO Oliver Blume has said he doesn't consider Xiaomi to be a competitor and claims to be 'very relaxed' about its achievements on the racetrack. 'Customers who love the sportiness, the driving dynamics of Porsche stick to the brand,' he told analysts in March. Nevertheless, the Stuttgart-based automaker seems to have accepted its best days in China are over. Rather than cut prices, it's closing around one-third of its local dealers after the comparatively expensive electric Taycan and Macan failed to sell well. And Blume isn't ruling out giving up on selling EVs in China entirely. For now, the US is essentially off-limits to Chinese EVs due to a combination of import duties and cybersecurity rules. And while European tariffs aren't as high, Chinese luxury brands have made only limited inroads here so far. Consumer loyalty to long-established brands, the slower pace of electrification, and the difficulties of establishing sales and service networks offer Western automakers some protection at home. But in emerging markets — which Chinese automakers are now aggressively targeting — it's a different story. Ultimately, the only way for luxury automakers to sustainably defend their premium pricing in the era of electric and software-defined vehicles is to show they can exceed the best that China can offer. From what I saw last week, that'll be a very tall order.
Business Recorder
17 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Yuan near 8-month high on support from softer dollar, hopes for easing trade tensions
SHANGHAI: The yuan held steady against the US dollar on Wednesday, trading near an eight-month high hit in the previous session, underpinned by weakness in the greenback and hopes for an easing of US-China trade tensions. The spot yuan opened at 7.1652 per dollar and was last trading at 7.1658 as of 0250 GMT, 8 pips lower than the previous late session close, and 0.16% weaker than the midpoint. 'We expect the Chinese yuan to continue its gradual appreciation against the US dollar, potentially reaching 7.1 by year-end and 7.00 by mid-2026, assuming the tariff truce holds and the dollar continues to weaken,' analysts at UBS Global Wealth Management's Chief Investment Office said in a note. 'The main risk to our outlook is a breakdown in trade negotiations,' they said, adding that broad dollar weakness should help limit down in the yuan. The yuan is 1.9% firmer this year against the dollar. The Chinese yuan has drawn support over the past two months from signs of easing trade tensions between Beijing and Washington. Ahead of the market opening, the People's Bank of China set the midpoint rate at 7.1546 per dollar, 77 pips firmer than a Reuters' estimate. The spot yuan is allowed to trade 2% either side of the fixed midpoint each day. Based on Wednesday's official midpoint setting, the yuan's trade-weighted value against its basket of currencies, as measured by the CFETS yuan basket index, fell to 95.09, the lowest level since January 4, 2021. The US dollar hovered near 3 1/2-year lows as investors weighed the prospect of US interest rate cuts and the scramble for trade deals ahead of President Donald Trump's July 9 deadline for tariffs. 'We don't expect the RMB to appreciate significantly given persistent deflationary pressures and need to keep monetary policy accommodative,' said Morgan Stanley analysts. 'Pursuing currency appreciation on its own would exacerbate deflation, might be insufficient to secure a trade deal, and wouldn't bring sustainable rebalancing.' The offshore yuan traded at 7.1637 yuan per dollar, down about 0.04% in Asian trade. Hong Kong's de facto central bank said on Wednesday it sold $2.25 billion against the Hong Kong dollar after it hit the weak end of its trading band.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meiwu Technology Company Limited and Shenzhen Zhinuo Weichuang Technology Co., Ltd Form Strategic Partnership
SHENZHEN, China, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meiwu Technology Company Limited ('WNW' or the 'Company'), (NASDAQ: WNW) announced today that today that it entered into an agreement with Shenzhen Zhinuo Weichuang Technology Co., Ltd. ('Zhinuo Weichuang') to enhance the Company's brand influence and market competitiveness. Zhinuo Weichuang, based in Guangdong China, primarily engages in the research, development, and sale of technology products in the fields of smart technology, AI-driven finance, and the internet, as well as the provision of intelligent services and investment-related activities. The Company engaged Zhinuo Weichuang for its comprehensive marketing services for a term from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. Through its resources across the entire internet, Zhinuo Weichuang aims to increase the Company's brand exposure and strengthen market competitiveness, and enhance the brand's premium. Leveraging digital marketing technologies and channel networks, Zhinuo Weichuang plans to assist the Company in the analysis of active user data, display data, and browsing behavior across both user and brand-facing channels. This approach will enable more precise targeting and performance insights for the Company's products. Zhinuo Weichuang also aims to help expand the Company's market reach across both domestic and international dimensions. The parties have agreed on a comprehensive service and fee structure. This includes a fixed upfront service fee of RMB 1,000,000 and monthly services fee of RMB 200,000. Zhinuo Weichuang agreed to provide services including (i) market research, strategic planning, and account setup; (ii) ongoing basic operational services, covering content planning, account management, and data analysis; and (iii) API connections and data interface development. Parties also agreed to a performance-based, tiered fee structure linked to the conversion results across major e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, Pinduoduo, Douyin, Kuaishou, and WeChat video channel stores. About Meiwu Technology Company Limited Meiwu Technology Company Limited is a British Virgin Islands company incorporated on December 4, 2018. Meiwu implemented a strategic transition of its business from online sales of selected high-quality food products and short message service to the skincare industry, and currently engages in the sale of the functional skincare products through Xiamen Chunshang Health Technology Co., Ltd. ('Chunshang Xiamen'), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Meiwu in China. Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements made in this release are 'forward looking statements' within the meaning of the 'safe harbor' provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words 'estimates,' 'projected,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'forecasts,' 'plans,' 'intends,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'may,' 'will,' 'should,' 'future,' 'propose' and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company's control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, are: the ability to manage growth; ability to identify and integrate other future acquisitions; ability to obtain additional financing in the future to fund capital expenditures; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions; costs or other factors adversely affecting our profitability; litigation involving patents, intellectual property, and other matters; potential changes in the legislative and regulatory environment; a pandemic or epidemic. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available for review at The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Such information speaks only as of the date of this release. ContactMeiwu Technology Company LimitedZhichao YangEmail: meiwuBS@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
