This issue places Peng Lei in the 'Perspective' section, not because of his dramatic shift from the internet to brain-computer interfaces, but because he has demonstrated the same rare quality in two vastly different fields: the courage to reset to zero at the peak of commercial success, and the ability to endure long solitude and repeated setbacks in uncharted territory, insisting on doing difficult but right things. The archival value of Peng Lei lies in his providing a sample of 'technology mission' — when most chase traffic and quick money, he chooses to anchor technology on life dignity, using clinical needs to drive innovation and long-termism to counter capital short-sightedness. His story is not a heroic narrative, but a clear choice made by a rational entrepreneur at the crossroads of the times.
Peng Lei's entrepreneurial career began in the local life sector, where he built Keruyun, a benchmark restaurant SaaS company, and led it to scale, eventually achieving a full acquisition by Alibaba, becoming a core manager in the Alibaba ecosystem. [1] At the peak of his career, he chose to pivot, co-founding BrainCo Tech with scientist Tao Hu in October 2021 to enter the field of invasive brain-computer interfaces. [1] In the early days, he visited over a hundred investment institutions, almost all of which rejected him; at the most difficult time, the company had only three months of operating funds. [1] However, Peng Lei persisted with a clinical landing approach, leading the team to gradually break through in the uncharted territory, achieving multiple milestone technological advancements. [2]
Peng Lei's business philosophy centers on 'technology must serve life.' He has clearly stated that BrainCo Tech focuses on clinical needs and is committed to advancing technology toward practical application. [1] He contrasts Neuralink's frontier exploration, emphasizing that BrainCo Tech is always rooted in clinical practice, not showing off, but making technology truly serve life and protect dignity. [2] In terms of technical route, he adheres to a minimally invasive, safe, and clinically usable original Chinese route, not following or imitating, achieving multiple technological breakthroughs. [2] He believes that the future of brain-computer interfaces is to allow everyone to equally embrace the intelligent era, so he promotes the extension of technology from severe rehabilitation to broader application scenarios. [4]
Peng Lei's cross-industry entrepreneurship has had a profound impact on the industry and society. He led BrainCo Tech to achieve multiple technological breakthroughs in invasive brain-computer interfaces, providing new approaches for domestic related research and bringing hope to countless patients. [2] His clinical application cases, such as paraplegic patients controlling wheelchairs with their thoughts and ALS patients recovering language communication, demonstrate the protection of life dignity by technology. [2] Peng Lei's choice has also inspired more entrepreneurs to focus on hardcore technology and life health, and his story has attracted media attention. [1]
The business proposition Peng Lei leaves behind is: in the field of hardcore technology, how to balance commercial sustainability and life ethics? He has provided a preliminary answer through BrainCo Tech's practice — using clinical needs as the entry point, technological breakthroughs as the barrier, and universal accessibility as the endgame. His choice also shows entrepreneurs that true vision is not about holding onto existing gains, but daring to turn at the peak and move toward difficulty. As brain-computer interfaces move from labs to hospital wards and then to daily life, Peng Lei's archive will become a footnote: the highest realm of technology is gentleness, and the ultimate destination of entrepreneurship is responsibility.