Chewing the Hardest Bone: Female Founder of Suzhou Biotech Raises 8 Rounds in 5 Years to Tackle Solid Tumors

Recently, the innovative biotechnology enterpriseSuzhou Immunofoco Biotechnology Co., Ltd.(hereinafter referred to as "Immunofoco")Announced the completion of a new round of financing, this is itsThe 8th Round of Financing Completed Since Its Establishment in 2020With the continuous investment from well-known institutions such as Yueke Venture Capital and East Wu Venture Capital, Immunofoco, a potential unicorn company dedicated to tackling solid tumors, has secured hundreds of millions of yuan in capital support, demonstrating the market's high recognition of its technological approach and development prospects.

Immunofoco was founded in July 2020 and is a company focused onConquer Solid Tumorsan innovative biotechnology enterprise, whose core mission is to develop a new generation of CAR-T cell therapy,Transforming Solid Tumors with Extremely High Treatment Difficulty into Curable Hematological Tumors, thereby bringing hope of long-term survival to patients worldwide.

The field of CAR-T therapy that Immunofoco focuses on is a revolution in cancer treatment. This therapy is likeEquipping the body's own T cells with precise "GPS" navigation and a "power motor" (CAR), enabling it to efficiently identify and eliminate cancer cells. However, this therapy has consistently faced significant challenges in the treatment of solid tumors, and Immunofoco was precisely born to overcome this bottleneck.

In order to conquer solid tumors, ImmunofocoBuilt multiple core technology platforms with independent intellectual property rights.Its PeriCruiser® platform aims to enhance the safety and tumor infiltration capabilities of CAR-T products; the SNR platform significantly improves targeting specificity and reduces damage to normal cells by synthesizing natural killer receptors; the T-Booster platform focuses on enhancing the long-term combat effectiveness of cells. These technological platforms collectively form Immunofoco's innovation engine.

Driven by these platforms, Immunofoco has developed a highly competitive product pipeline. Among them, the IMC002 product targeting CLDN18.2-positive solid tumors has received orphan drug designation from the U.S. FDA and entered the IND clinical trial stage. Another product, IMC001 targeting EpCAM-positive solid tumors, officially obtained the tacit approval for clinical trials from the National Medical Products Administration in March this year.

Currently, Immunofoco has successfully completed 8 rounds of financing, with a cumulative amount reaching hundreds of millions of yuan, gathering numerous well-known investment institutions, and was successively rated in 2024 and 2025.National and Provincial Potential Unicorn Enterprise Titles, owns16 Authorized Invention PatentsSolid R&D progress and a clear technical roadmap have enabled Immunofoco to gain recognition from both the market and official sectors.

The birth of Immunofoco is attributed to the founder.Sun MinminIn China's innovative drug sector, Sun Minmin is a"Veteran" Familiar with the Entire Process of Cell TherapyBefore founding Immunofoco, she had already been in the industry for more than a decade, personally participating in and promoting the development and implementation of several key anti-cancer drugs.

This学霸 (top student) who was directly admitted to Tsinghua University after graduating from East China University of Science and Technology started her career at Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group. Three years of experience gave Sun Minmin a deep understanding of drug research and development as well as industrialization. Sun Minmin then joined a Fosun Pharma company, where she participated in promoting projects at Henlius.Approval and Market Launch of China's First Biosimilar Rituximab "Hanlikang"In 2017, Sun Minmin once again embraced a new challenge by joining the newly established Fosun Kite, where she promotedThe first CAR-T product's new drug application in China, and also participated in establishing the regulatory framework for cell therapy products.

Just as CAR-T therapy was making remarkable progress in the field of hematologic tumors, Sun Minmin turned her attention to the more challenging area of solid tumors. At the time, her company had not yet ventured into solid tumors, but there were numerous patients in this field waiting for treatment. Driven by this sense of mission,In September 2020, Sun Minmin resolutely embarked on the entrepreneurial path and founded Immunofoco in Suzhou.

From senior executive at a large company to entrepreneur, Sun Minmin has led her team from scratch. With extensive industry experience, Sun Minmin has charted a clear development path for the company:Focused on developing the next generation of CAR-T therapies to address core challenges in solid tumor treatment.In Sun Minmin's view, entrepreneurship, while full of challenges, truly puts the direction of her life in her own hands. Today, under Sun Minmin’s leadership, Immunofoco has established a complete technology platform and product pipeline, bringing hope to more patients with solid tumors.

In recent years, China has continuously increased its support for the biopharmaceutical industry, creating a favorable development environment for cutting-edge fields such as cell and gene therapy. In early 2025, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Comprehensively Deepening the Reform of Drug and Medical Device Regulation to Promote High-Quality Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry," which clearly stated...Priority Review and Approval for Clinically Urgent Cell and Gene Therapy Drugs, This policy direction has brought confidence to innovative pharmaceutical companies.

Under the guidance of this policy, Jiangsu Province, with its strong foundation in the biopharmaceuticals industry, has provided robust support for the research and development of cell and gene technologies.As of June 2025, the number of invention patent applications in the cell and gene technology industry across the province reached 8,314, accounting for 12.8% of China's total and ranking third in China; the number of authorized invention patents was 2,825, accounting for 11.7% of China's total and ranking fourth in China.Notably, the number of patents in细分领域 such as cell therapy and gene therapy ranks among the top in China, demonstrating strong innovative vitality.

Immunofoco is a typical example of rapid growth in such a superior environment. As a biopharmaceutical company rooted in Suzhou, recently,Immunofoco Recently Reached a Strategic Cooperation with Vigorous Bio, further extending the scope of cooperation from early clinical stages to commercialization. By leveraging the professional advantages of BioBloom Biologics in process development, quality systems, and GMP manufacturing, Immunofoco is expected to accelerate the product launch process.

Looking back on the entrepreneurial journey, Sun Minmin admitted that compared with those star entrepreneurial teams with inherent光环, Immunofoco's start was not outstanding. In the field of biomedicine, which is usually labeled as "overseas returnees, senior, male,"As a relatively young female entrepreneur, she faces more challenges.In this regard, Sun Minmin shared: "There were indeed some twists and turns along the way, but the investors ultimately recognized us. I believe that apart from the strong cohesion and execution of our team, it is more due to our clear technical roadmap for solid tumor treatment and unwavering industrial conviction."

Now, with the dual empowerment of policy and industrial environment, Immunofoco is steadily advancing along its established product roadmap, fulfilling its mission of tackling solid tumors with concrete actions.

Reference Source:

Xinhua Daily Finance: "A Suzhou Company with 'Tsinghua + Yangtze River + Fosun' Comprehensive Background Raises 'Astronomical' Funds for Cancer Treatment in 5 Years and 8 Rounds of Financing"

Business Figures of Su Shang: "Female Leader of Suzhou Innovative Pharmaceutical Enterprise: Sun Minmin"

Zhang Tong News Invest "Focusing on Solid Tumors! Another Cell Therapy Unicorn in Suzhou Receives New Round of Financing"

Immunofoco Official Website, etc.