Private investors across Asia, including family offices in Hong Kong, are increasingly allocating capital toward advanced medical technologies such as brain-computer interfaces and surgical robotics amid a surge in healthcare deal activity in the region. This trend coincides with China’s expanding biotechnology sector and growing structural demand for innovative healthcare solutions driven by Asia’s aging population.
William Chow, deputy group CEO of Raffles Family Office, which manages approximately US$2 billion in assets across Hong Kong and Singapore, noted that innovations in surgical robotics and brain-computer interfaces have become much more prominent investment themes compared to a few years ago. “A lot of the innovation is happening right here in Asia,” Chow said, highlighting the region as a hub for medical technology development.
Data from Bain & Company show that healthcare private equity funds engaged in Asia-Pacific dealmaking nearly doubled in the first half of 2026, rising to 129 from 66 during the same period in 2025. This growth outpaced the global increase, where healthcare buyout deals totaled 184 but total disclosed deal value declined 18 percent year-on-year to US$51 billion. In the Asia-Pacific region, healthcare buyout transactions rose 24 percent year-on-year to 41 deals during the first half of 2026, surpassing the global growth rate of 6 percent.
At the MedTech World Asia conference in Hong Kong, Charles Hu, founder and CEO of Ryoden Medical Holdings, emphasized the growing investor interest in neurotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI). Hu outlined how AI applications are expanding beyond drug discovery into enhancing surgical workflows with tools that provide real-time feedback to surgeons, enabling more informed intraoperative decisions.
Supporting this growth, Noah Medical, a surgical robotics company backed by SoftBank Corporation, has announced plans to pursue a public listing in Hong Kong as early as next year, aiming to capitalize on regional investor enthusiasm.
Irene Hong, founding partner at CEC Capital Group, observed a global trend toward fewer but larger healthcare deals, with capital increasingly targeting emerging technologies such as AI, surgical robotics, and brain-computer interfaces. However, Pak-Seng Lai, chairman of global wealth solutions APAC at EQT, cautioned that despite a robust initial public offering (IPO) market in Hong Kong and mainland China, fund managers face challenges exiting older assets due to regulatory uncertainty and a backlog of unsold investments.
To alleviate exit difficulties, some investors are turning to secondary funds, which facilitate liquidity by allowing the purchase of existing stakes in private equity and credit portfolios before the end of the typical 10-year fund lifecycle. Lai noted that in Hong Kong, increasing numbers of private equity firms and family offices are exploring this option as an alternative route to monetize investments.
The secondary market has experienced rapid growth globally, with transaction volumes hitting a record US$240 billion in 2025. Market participants anticipate continued expansion in 2026, reflecting a broader shift in private equity exit strategies amid ongoing healthcare sector evolution.
Ty Choon Chong, managing partner at Vertex Ventures China, highlighted the revival of Hong Kong’s IPO market as a key driver of liquidity. He reported that five to seven companies in his portfolio, spanning AI, robotics, semiconductors, and photonics, are preparing to list this year, up from two last year, signaling renewed confidence in public markets for exits and capital recycling.