Enkay Therapeutics Secures Over RMB 100 Million Series A Funding, Emerging as a Global Leader in NK Cell Immunotherapy

VCBeat learned第一时间 that Enkaice Pharmaceuticals (Shanghai Enkai Cell Technology Co., Ltd.) recently announced the completion of an over 100-million-yuan Series A financing round. This round was led by Huagai Capital, with participation from CAS VENTURE CAPITAL, Qiandao Investment Fund Management (Beijing) Ltd.Co., Chengyi Capital, Tianlangxing Capital, and Qiao Jing Capital. The funds raised in this round will be used for the research and development of a series of NK cell drug product pipelines at different stages.

EnCayce BioPharma, established by a core technical team led by Academician Zhigang Tian, focuses on the innovative transformation and development of cell drug technologies based on NK cells. It is committed to providing patients with more effective and safer precision immunotherapy solutions. In March 2020, with the strong support of the Shanghai Municipal Government, Zhangjiang Administrative Committee, and Zhangjiang Group, EnCayce BioPharma settled in the Zhangjiang Cell Industrial Park.

The founder of the company, Tian Zhigang, is a leading figure in the field of immunology in China. He is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and one of the 16 executive members of the International Union of Immunological Societies. Recently, due to his outstanding contributions to international clinical translational medicine, he was elected as a new academician of the European Academy of Sciences in 2022, becoming a dual academician.

Academician Zhigang Tian is also the Director of the Immunology Research Institute and Medical Center at the University of Science and Technology of China, the Chairman of the Biotherapy Professional Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, and the President of the Tumor Immunology and Biotherapy Branch of the Chinese Society for Immunology. He is one of the founding initiators of these two long-standing authoritative associations in the industry. Academician Tian and his team have over thirty years of experience in the research and application development of NK cell biology. They were among the first globally to propose the clinical application value of allogeneic NK cells. In the past decade, they ranked first globally in the number of SCI papers published on "NK cell." They have a solid and profound foundation in NK cell biology and disease research and enjoy extremely high academic prestige internationally.

Professor Xiao Weihua, a co-founder of the company, worked at the Changchun Institute of Biological Products in the 1980s. He then studied and worked for over a decade at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland's Cancer Research Center, and the U.S. National Cancer Institute. In 2004, he returned to China to become a professor at the School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), and the director of the USTC Biomedical Engineering Technology Research Center.

Enkaice Pharmaceutical Company utilizes synthetic immunology technologies such as logic circuits, feedback switches, and intelligent control to quantitatively, controllably, and intelligently engineer NK cell drugs through genetic manipulation. This allows for the artificial creation of NK cells tailored to different clinical needs, bringing new hope to patients with cancer and many other diseases. It will become a model for China's independently intellectual property-owned cellular drugs to reach the global stage.

With the support of this Series A round of financing, Enkaipharma will continue to innovate, constantly enrich its product pipeline, develop core technologies, and attract more high-end industrial talents from around the world to strengthen the team.

Academician Tian Zhigang, founder of Enkaicell"Immune cell drugs represent the third epoch of biopharmaceuticals, following small-molecule drugs and large-molecule protein and nucleic acid drugs. Due to their unprecedented 'living drug' characteristics, they are endowed with unparalleled prospects for development. NK cells, known as 'Natural Killer cells (NK cells),' are the 'natural killers' of tumors, viruses, and senescent cells. They will greatly compensate for the shortcomings of CAR-T cell therapy and significantly break through the ceiling of CAR-T cell therapy."

Co-founder Xiaowei Hua"It said, 'Enka Saiyao is a technology transfer company established on the basis of more than 30 years of accumulation. With fully independent innovation and distinctive technical characteristics, as well as gene-modified pipeline products, it will become a biotechnology company that serves as the source of innovation for immune cell drugs and leads industrial development.'"

Zhang Yi, Managing Partner of Huagai Capital's Early Medical Fund"We continue to be optimistic about innovative technology platforms in the field of cell therapy. NK cell therapy is a track that our team has been researching and focusing on. NK cells have strong drug-like properties, minimal side effects, and the potential for large-scale clinical applications. Academician Tian Zhigang and the Enkai team have spent decades deeply cultivating the NK cell field, possessing profound underlying scientific research accumulation and international forward-looking strategic vision. We are very pleased to lead this round of investment in Enkai, and we believe that Enkai will become a leading NK cell therapy company in China and even globally. We will continue to support Enkai's multi-level pipeline advancement and future international layout, walking alongside Enkai to benefit a wide range of cancer patients worldwide."

Enkaice Pharmaceutical is committed to the original innovation of immune cell drugs, utilizing synthetic immunology technologies such as logic circuits, feedback switches, and intelligent control. Through genetic manipulation, NK cell drugs are made quantifiable, controllable, and intelligent, thereby artificially creating NK cells that meet various clinical needs, bringing new hope to patients with cancer and many other diseases. Enkaice Pharmaceutical possesses a world-class scientific research and development team, with over thirty years of accumulation in the research and application development of NK cell biology, demonstrating profound expertise. Additionally, the team has experienced R&D and management personnel at all key stages of the innovative chain of tumor immunotherapy, with long-term accumulation in the development, production, and application of NK cell drugs, setting an example for China's self-owned intellectual property cell-based drugs to reach the global stage.

Huagai Capital, established in 2012, is a private equity investment firm co-founded by a group of professionals from well-known investment institutions both within and outside China. The company currently manages assets amounting to approximately 20 billion RMB. With the vision of "becoming the most trusted capital partner for entrepreneurs and investors," Huagai Capital focuses on private equity investments in the two major fields of healthcare and technology, and is committed to supporting the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises into industry leaders.

CAS VENTURE CAPITAL, established in 2017 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is a professional venture capital institution entrusted with managing the CAS Science and Technology Achievement Transformation Fund. With the mission of "empowering technological innovation and achieving capital appreciation," the company operates through a "fund of funds + direct investment" model. It supports early- and mid-stage "hard tech" and "green tech" projects within CAS, guiding social capital to focus on outstanding technology innovation enterprises affiliated with CAS. By leveraging financial power, it facilitates the transformation of scientific achievements from intellectual property (IP) to initial public offerings (IPO).

Qiandao Group, established in 2011, adheres to the philosophy of "Technology Empowering Finance, Financial Services for Industry, and Industry Serving the Country," deeply participating in China's economic development and industrial upgrading. It is committed to becoming a comprehensive holding group that leads innovation through technology and serves the real economy. Qiandao focuses on multiple asset management and investment businesses such as equity investment, industrial investment, and special opportunity investment. The group owns several member enterprises, including Qiandao Investment Fund Management (Beijing) Ltd.Co., which concentrates on medical health, advanced manufacturing, and new energy fields, and China Xinxing Asset Management Co., Ltd., a mixed-ownership reform subsidiary of a central state-owned enterprise.

Chengyi Investment, established in 2015 and based in Nanjing with a focus on the Yangtze River Delta region, specializes in early-stage and growth-stage investments in biomedicine and technological innovation. Chengyi manages funds with a scale of approximately 2 billion RMB. In the field of biomedicine, it has invested in a number of outstanding enterprises that represent the future direction of development, including Zhonghui Biotech, Biosion, CartiMed Therapeutics, and Innovo Therapeutics. In addition to providing capital support, Chengyi Investment is committed to offering comprehensive, multi-level assistance to promote innovation and growth in its portfolio companies, driving industrial transformation and social progress.

Sirius Capital was founded in 2015 by several professional investors with extensive investment experience and industry resources. As a private venture capital firm focused on investing in technology innovation enterprises, Sirius Capital is committed to discovering China's finest "scientist + entrepreneur" type founders. Hard technology and life sciences are key areas of continuous focus for Sirius Capital. Sirius Capital believes that EnCayce Pharma, with its world-class R&D capabilities, will make significant contributions to safeguarding human health in the cutting-edge medical field of immune cell therapy.

Qiao Jing Capital, founded in 2013, is an angel incubation fund focused on investment in the healthcare sector, with a particular emphasis on medical devices, biopharmaceuticals, and innovative biotechnology. It has currently invested in over 30 medical innovation companies. Qiao Jing Capital consistently adheres to value investing based on clinical needs within the medical field, committing itself to nurturing new medical technologies, providing better solutions for clinical practices in China, and contributing to the advancement of global healthcare.