How it started
Background
Aier was founded in 2003 by Chen Bang. Prior to this, he had established several businesses in the medical industry. During the year of establishment. Aier opened its first hospital in Changsha.
In 2006, the International Finance Corporation provided a loan of CNY 64 million (US$8 million) loan to Aier to support its expansion and to increase access to high quality eye care. This loan played a significant role in Aier's growth.
In 2009, Aier held its initial public offering becoming a listed company on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. It was the first publicly listed medical institution in China.
In 2013, the company established its own school, the Aier School of Ophthalmology at the Central South University. It was the first specialised ophthalmic college in China. In the same year it also established the College of Optometry with Hubei University of Science and Technology.
In 2015, Aier acquired Hong Kong Asia Medical Group to enter the Hong Kong market.
From Wikipedia’s article on Aier Eye Hospital, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2