Baijiayun Announces Plan to Invest Tens of Millions of Dollars Over Five Years to Build New Ecosystem for Autism Rehabilitation

Rhea-AI Summary

Baijiayun Group (NASDAQ: RTC) has announced plans to invest tens of millions of dollars over the next five years to establish a new ecosystem for autism rehabilitation, following its partnership with Xinlantian. The initiative aims to address the growing autism challenge, with China reporting over 13 million autistic patients and approximately 2 million children aged 0-14 affected.

The company will focus on three main areas:

• Developing an intelligent diagnostic assistance platform using AI and VR technologies
• Creating standardized curriculum systems and professional teacher training programs
• Empowering rehabilitation institutions through integrated technology and service solutions

The global autism spectrum disorder market, valued at $6.94 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $13.14 billion by 2033, with a CAGR of 8.5%. Baijiayun aims to leverage its experience in AI and audio-visual technology to create new growth opportunities while addressing this critical social need.

Positive

• Significant market opportunity with global autism spectrum disorder market projected to reach $13.14B by 2033
• Strategic partnership with established player Xinlantian brings expertise in autism rehabilitation
• Company's existing AI and audio-visual technology infrastructure can be leveraged for new revenue stream
• Large addressable market in China with 2 million children affected and 160,000 new cases annually

Negative

• Substantial capital investment required (tens of millions over 5 years)
• Long-term investment horizon before potential returns
• Entering new, specialized market segment with different operational requirements
• Competition from existing rehabilitation service providers

Insights

Healthcare/Special Education Expert

Baijiayun's investment in autism rehabilitation technology addresses a significant market gap but faces substantial implementation challenges in a specialized healthcare field.

Baijiayun's planned tens of millions dollar investment over five years to build an autism rehabilitation ecosystem targets a substantial need. With 13+ million autistic individuals in China alone and approximately 2 million children aged 0-14 affected, the company is addressing a significant healthcare gap.

The company's approach encompasses three key elements: an AI-powered diagnostic assistance platform, standardized curriculum development, and technological empowerment of rehabilitation institutions. This comprehensive strategy acknowledges the multifaceted challenges in autism care, particularly the shortage of specialized facilities and inconsistent intervention quality.

Baijiayun's partnership with Xinlantian brings needed clinical expertise through their "Targeted Neural Training Method," complementing Baijiayun's technological capabilities. However, this venture represents a significant pivot from educational technology to clinical intervention, which entails distinct regulatory requirements and efficacy standards not addressed in the announcement.

The global incidence trends cited (1 in 31 children in the US) align with recognized public health data, correctly identifying autism as a growing challenge. However, developing effective technological interventions for autism is notoriously complex due to the highly individualized nature of the condition and the intensive human interaction typically required for effective therapy.

While the company references personalized intervention plans through AI and machine learning, successful implementation will require sophisticated clinical validation processes and careful integration of human expertise with technological tools.

Financial Analyst

Baijiayun's strategic diversification into autism rehabilitation represents potential long-term growth but with unclear near-term financial impact and execution risks.

Baijiayun's announced tens of millions dollar investment over five years to build an autism rehabilitation ecosystem represents a significant strategic diversification from its core AI video solution business. This move targets the global autism spectrum disorder market, valued at approximately $6.94 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $13.14 billion by 2033 with a 8.5% CAGR.

The company plans to leverage its existing technological capabilities in education and AI to develop specialized tools for autism rehabilitation, potentially creating synergies with its established business. The announcement outlines a three-pronged approach: developing an intelligent diagnostic platform, creating standardized curriculum systems, and empowering rehabilitation institutions through SaaS solutions.

From a financial perspective, this represents a substantial long-term investment without clearly defined revenue projections or timeline to profitability. While the company mentions creating "new growth points," specific financial targets or expected market share are notably absent.

The partnership with Xinlantian (founded 2014) provides specialized clinical expertise but adds complexity to execution and potential revenue sharing. Additionally, entering healthcare markets typically involves navigating complex regulatory environments not addressed in the announcement.

The autism rehabilitation market in China presents significant opportunities given the reported 2 million affected children and 160,000 new cases annually. However, questions remain about reimbursement pathways, pricing models, and the company's go-to-market strategy for this specialized service.

While promising, this initiative represents a long-term growth strategy rather than an immediate revenue driver, with success dependent on effective execution in an adjacent but distinct market segment.

BEIJING, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Baijiayun Group Ltd ("Baijiayun" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: RTC), a one-stop AI video solution provider, announced a Letter to Investors, in which Baijiayun CEO Mr. Yi Ma stated that following its partnership with Xinlantian, the company plans to invest tens of millions of dollars over the next five years to establish new ecosystem for autism rehabilitation.

Baijiayun CEO Mr. Yi Ma stated that over the past decade, Baijiayun has continuously deepened its presence in the education sector, possessing a strong technological moat and ecological synergy. Leveraging its experience and advantages in technological research and development, platform construction, and market operations, Baijiayun is confident in achieving significant results in the field of autism rehabilitation, creating new growth points for the company's performance, bringing new possibilities for more "children of the stars" in the field of special education, and achieving a win-win situation for both corporate and social values.

According to data from the 2023 China Disability Census Report, the number of autistic patients in China has exceeded 13 million, making it the leading cause of mental disabilities among Chinese children. Currently, there are approximately 2 million children with autism aged 0-14 nationwide, with an annual increase of about 160,000. The latest report released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in April this year also shows that about 1 in 31 US children is affected, indicating that the significant increase in the incidence of autism has become a global issue.

The full text of the open letter is as follows:

Letter to Investors: Explanation and Prospects on Partnerships in the Field of Autism Rehabilitation

Dear Investors and Partners,

Firstly, we sincerely thank you for your continued attention and support for our company. Last week, after the company announced its in-depth collaboration with Xinlantian in the field of autism rehabilitation, we received enthusiastic encouragement and valuable suggestions from investors, partners, and various sectors of society. And a large number of positive discussions emerged on social media platforms.

We understand that this attention stems from the deep expectations of investors and various sectors of society regarding technology empowering social issues. We feel a great social responsibility for this and therefore wish to interpret the motivations, planning, and future actions of the partnership, and we looking forward to witnessing the long-term value of this cause with you.

Background and Opportunities for the Company's In-Depth Exploration of the Autism Field

Autism, as a neurodevelopmental disorder, is increasingly becoming a global public health concern. According to relevant data, the global incidence of autism is on the rise year by year.

According to data from the 2023 China Disability Census Report, the number of individuals with autism in China has exceeded 13 million, making it the leading cause of mental disabilities among Chinese children. Currently, there are approximately 2 million children with autism aged 0-14 nationwide, with an annual increase of about 160,000. The latest report released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in April this year also shows that about 1 in 31 US children is affected, indicating that the significant increase in the incidence of autism has become a global issue.

At the same time, society's acceptance and awareness of children with autism remain low, and many public places lack special facilities and services for them. Such a large patient population not only imposes a heavy mental and economic burden on families but also has a profound impact on social development.

The growing population of individuals with autism lacks corresponding relief pathways. On the one hand, there is an insufficient number of professional child rehabilitation institutions, especially in grassroots and rural areas. On the other hand, among existing rehabilitation institutions, there are significant differences in service levels and treatment outcomes. Due to technological and personnel quality limitations, some institutions struggle to provide high-quality rehabilitation plans that meet the individual needs of children.

In addition to the relative scarcity of quality rehabilitation services, high rehabilitation costs, limited training resources, and inconsistent training programs also place a heavy burden on many families. Many "children of the stars" thus miss the best intervention opportunities due to ignorance or helplessness.

Care for vulnerable groups and marginalized populations often reflects the level of civilization in a society. The issue of autism urgently needs more attention and emphasis from various sectors of society.

As a US-listed company, we have always believed that enterprises are not only entities pursuing economic interests but should also shoulder social responsibilities. Children with autism, as a vulnerable group in society, their growth and development are related to the happiness and future of countless families. By engaging in the field of autism rehabilitation, we hope to use our technological advantages to light up a beacon of hope for these children, help them approach the life state of normal children as much as possible, and integrate into society. This is not only a feedback to society but also our mission as an enterprise.

Founded in 2014, Xinlantian has deep professional expertise in the field of rehabilitation training for children with autism. It has not only meticulously crafted a mature and comprehensive training system for children with autism, covering curriculum development and textbook research, but also established a comprehensive teacher and parent education and training system. Xinlantian's independently developed "Targeted Neural Training Method" has achieved remarkable results after years of practical verification. This method targets the neurodevelopmental characteristics of children with autism and effectively improves their language expression and social interaction abilities through scientific training methods.

The partnership between Baijiayun and Xinlantian aims to use products and AI technology to enter this challenging field, empower autism rehabilitation services, help more "children from the stars" live like normal children, and enable more individuals with autism and their families to lead better lives.

Why can Baijiayun shoulder this mission? The answer lies in our technological moat and ecological synergy. Over the past decade, Baijiayun has continuously deepened its presence in the education sector, providing users with comprehensive audio-visual solutions centered around knowledge dissemination and educational service delivery, serving tens of thousands of online education enterprises and public schools. The rehabilitation training of children with autism is actually a highly personalized one-on-one scenario, which coincides with Baijiayun's advantages in online teaching and the integration of online and offline products. With the continuous development of AI technology, Baijiayun has also continuously deepened its application in the field of educational technology, developing multiple AI products, intelligent agents, and technical tools, converting technological potential into educational effectiveness, and facilitating the realization of large-scale personalized teaching. Professional fields require vertical deepening, and these experiences and products can also be applied in the field of special education, bringing new possibilities for more children of the stars.

In the AI era, we can better bridge the characteristics and limitations between personalization and scalability in traditional education, which are like the two ends of a scale, making "scalable and personalized teaching and learning" possible. Regarding the measure of Baijiayun's layout in the field of special education, Li Haoying, the current Vice President of the Education Innovation and Evaluation Branch of the Chinese Society for Futures Studies, stated: Achieving personalized rehabilitation training through technological means will greatly enhance rehabilitation outcomes and bring new hope to children with autism and their families. Their efforts are expected to help millions of individuals with autism lead happier and more dignified lives, alleviate societal burdens, and promote harmonious social development.

Future Development Plans

We fully understand investors' attention on direction focus, business implementation feasibility, and return cycles. Here, we announce that the company will invest tens of millions of dollars over five years to build new ecosystem for autism rehabilitation, hoping to showcase our determination and efforts in deepening our work.

Firstly, Baijiayun will continuously increase investment in technological research and development, further refine the intelligent diagnostic assistance platform, and promote the application of new technologies such as AI large models and VR in the field of autism rehabilitation. Combining Baijiayun's previous technological achievements, the company will deeply explore and develop an intelligent diagnostic assistance platform focused on the field of autism rehabilitation. Through big data analysis and machine learning algorithms, it will thoroughly analyze the specific symptoms and past training records of each child with autism, accurately generating personalized rehabilitation training plans. For example, if the platform data analysis finds that a child is making slow progress in language training, the system will automatically increase the duration and intensity of relevant training content or adjust the training methods to ensure that each child receives the most effective rehabilitation training in the shortest time possible.

Secondly, Baijiayun will allocate these funds to the development of standardized curriculum systems, the construction of professional teacher training systems, the output of clinical intervention methodologies, and the digital adaptation of service processes. A scientific and systematic curriculum system is the cornerstone of rehabilitation training. In curriculum and service system construction, Baijiayun will collaborate with Xinlantian's professional team to develop standardized curricula based on the different developmental stages and symptom characteristics of children with autism, ensuring that rehabilitation training in different regions and institutions adheres to unified high-quality standards. At the same time, it will strengthen professional training for rehabilitation trainers, enhance their professional skills, and ensure that every trainer can proficiently apply advanced intervention methods.

Finally, Baijiayun plans to empower rehabilitation institutions and establish standardized models through the integration of "technology + service." Over the past decade, Baijiayun has deepened its presence in the field of AI and audio-visual technology, being the most knowledgeable AI application service provider in education. Our one-stop products and services can fully support the construction of digital platforms, covering aspects such as store management, service process optimization, traffic distribution, AI tools, and data platforms. With the SaaS system, Baijiayun plans to subsequently output mature standards to more regions, providing franchisors with comprehensive empowerment including brand support, technical training, and operational guidance.

From a market perspective, the autism rehabilitation market size is showing explosive growth trends. Data shows that the global autism spectrum disorder market size was approximately $6.94 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $13.14 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5% from 2024 to 2033. In China, with the continuous improvement of society's awareness of autism and the growing demand for rehabilitation training from families, the autism rehabilitation market size is expected to reach hundreds of billions of yuan level.

Such a vast market size provides us with broad development space. Leveraging our experience and advantages in technological research and development, platform construction, and market operations, we are confident in achieving significant results in this field, creating new growth points for the company's performance, and achieving a win-win situation for both corporate and social values.

Lastly, we would like to thank all investors again for their trust and support in us. We believe that the true value of an enterprise lies in solving social problems through commercial methods and promoting social progress with professional capabilities. Although we are well aware that there will be many challenges on the road to exploring the field of autism rehabilitation, we are confident and determined to overcome difficulties and achieve our goals.

We will continue to pay attention to the feedback and suggestions from partners. We firmly believe that by moving forward together, we will surely be able to create a brighter future!

Investor Relations Department

April 24, 2025

About Baijiayun Group Ltd 

Baijiayun is a one-stop AI video solution provider with core expertise in SaaS/PaaS solutions. Baijiayun is committed to delivering reliable, high-quality video experiences across devices and localities and has grown rapidly since its inception in 2017. Premised on its industry-leading video-centric technologies, Baijiayun offers a wealth of video-centric technology solutions, including Video SaaS/PaaS, Video Cloud and Software, and Video AI and System Solutions. Baijiayun caters to the evolving communications and collaboration needs of enterprises of all sizes and industries. For more information, please visit ir.baijiayun.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements." These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the parties' perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. The words "will," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," and "plan" and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and shareholders and other potential investors must recognize that actual results may differ materially from the expectations as a result of a variety of factors. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations and include known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are hard to predict or control, that may cause the actual results, performance, or plans to differ materially from any future results, performance or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company's estimates as of the date of this press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's estimates to change.

The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

A further list and description of risks and uncertainties can be found in the documents the Company has filed or furnished or may file or furnish with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which you are encouraged to read. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made except as required by law or applicable regulation.

For investor and media enquiries, please contact:

Company Contact:
Ms. Fangfei Liu 
Chief Financial Officer, Baijiayun Group Ltd
Phone: +86 25 8222 1596
Email: ir@baijiayun.com

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baijiayun-announces-plan-to-invest-tens-of-millions-of-dollars-over-five-years-to-build-new-ecosystem-for-autism-rehabilitation-302438361.html

SOURCE Baijiayun Group Ltd

FAQ

What is the size of Baijiayun's (RTC) planned investment in autism rehabilitation?

Baijiayun plans to invest tens of millions of dollars over a five-year period to build a new ecosystem for autism rehabilitation.

How large is the autism spectrum disorder market potential for RTC?

The global market is expected to grow from $6.94 billion in 2024 to $13.14 billion by 2033, with an 8.5% CAGR.

What are the main technological initiatives planned by Baijiayun (RTC) for autism rehabilitation?

The company plans to develop an intelligent diagnostic assistance platform using AI large models and VR technology, combined with big data analysis and machine learning algorithms.

How many children with autism could benefit from RTC's services in China?

According to the 2023 China Disability Census Report, there are approximately 2 million children with autism aged 0-14 in China, with an annual increase of about 160,000.

What is the partnership between Baijiayun (RTC) and Xinlantian focused on?

The partnership aims to use products and AI technology to empower autism rehabilitation services, leveraging Xinlantian's expertise in rehabilitation training and Baijiayun's technological capabilities.