On October 28, the Hurun Research Institute released the "2025 Hengchang Shaofang Hurun Rich List," with Regencell Bioscience CEO Ou Yijia making his debut with a fortune of 44 billion yuan, ranking 130th. Regencell Bioscience is positioned as an early-stage bioscience company, focusing on the research, development, and commercialization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating neurocognitive disorders and degeneration, particularly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Ou Yijia's entrepreneurial journey is closely tied to his personal health experiences. Diagnosed with ADHD and ASD in childhood, he underwent TCM treatments developed by his father for over 30 years. This experience inspired him to establish Regencell Bioscience, dedicated to developing TCM formulations for neurocognitive disorders. The company's core technology is based on the "TCM Brain Theory" founded by Ou's father, though the company acknowledges that this theory "has not been recognized in general TCM literature or other fields," and its efficacy "lacks support from clinical control data or trials."
The company exhibits a distinct family-oriented structure. Beyond his father's role as the technical source, Ou Yijia's brother serves as Chief Commercial Officer, participating in operations. However, the founder's immense wealth contrasts sharply with the company's lean structure. As of June 2024, Regencell Bioscience employs only 12 staff in Hong Kong, with four in R&D, one in sales and marketing, and the remaining seven handling administrative tasks.
Over its decade-long existence, Regencell Bioscience has yet to commercialize any products and continues to operate at a loss. In fiscal years 2023 and 2024, the company reported net losses of $6.06 million and $4.36 million, respectively. R&D expenses during the same period dropped from $1.58 million to $1.07 million, a 32% year-on-year decline. In its 2024 financial report, the company stated, "We have not generated revenue from any TCM candidate formulations, nor have we sought regulatory approvals. We lack distribution capabilities or experience and hold no granted or pending patents. There is no guarantee we will ever achieve profitability."
Ou Yijia's debut on the rich list highlights market interest in innovative TCM pathways. However, Regencell Bioscience must still demonstrate its value through R&D breakthroughs and commercialization to justify the market's expectations tied to its $44 billion valuation.