Silexon AI Secures Over RMB 100 Million Series A Funding Led by Top-Tier VCs to Build a World-Leading AI-Powered Innovative Biopharma R&D Platform

VCBeat (WeChat: vcbeat) learned that in September 2021, a globally leading AI+ innovative biopharmaceutical R&D platform—Nanjing Silexon Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (abbreviated as: Silexon, English name: Silexon AI) announced the completion of a Series A financing round exceeding RMB 100 million. The round was jointly led by Eight Roads and HongShan, with participation from Quan Capital, and received additional investment from the previous lead investor, MSA Capital. Silexon AI has thus become a new-generation AI-driven platform technology company in the AI+ drug discovery sector, jointly backed by multiple premier biopharmaceutical and TMT funds.

Since completing its Pre-A round financing, Silexon has systematically integrated numerous algorithm modules to establish two core technology platforms, Silexon®AI4D™ and AI4Pat™, empowering the R&D of first-in-class and best-in-class innovative drugs. Focusing on the biological mechanisms of oncology and immune system diseases, the company is dedicated to addressing major public health challenges in the infectious disease sector. By cultivating a comprehensive AI-driven drug discovery ecosystem, Silexon has not only partnered with globally leading CROs such as Viva Biotech and BioDuro-Sundia, but also established strategic collaborations with emerging technology leaders like Abogen Biosciences, deepened its cooperation with renowned biotech firms including Jade Biosciences, and expanded co-development initiatives with numerous other industry-leading enterprises.

Upon the completion of this funding round, with the strong support of co-lead investors HongShan and Fideco Capital, the company will further optimize and deploy its existing AI-integrated innovative biopharmaceutical R&D platform. It will continuously drive cost reduction and efficiency gains to empower both internal and external new drug development projects, while developing highly efficient, disruptive next-generation AI models across expanded application scenarios to revolutionize the drug discovery and development pipeline. The company will also significantly expand its talent pool, attracting top-tier professionals from both domestic and international markets, and strengthen external collaborations. With the steadfast support of both new and existing investors, Silexon will fully commit to building an AI-empowered biopharmaceutical R&D platform, partnering with a broad network of domestic and international collaborators to tackle the most challenging phases of innovative biopharma R&D and address unmet clinical needs.

Zeng Hainian, CEO of Silexon, stated: "Silexon is a next-generation platform technology company dedicated to systematically empowering innovative biopharmaceutical R&D through artificial intelligence and machine learning methodologies. We have maintained close collaboration with peers across the biopharmaceutical industry, adopting an outcome-driven approach to continuously develop and optimize our AI models, refine the workflows of our integrated AI+biopharma R&D platform, and develop high-value drug candidates with global competitiveness. We are deeply grateful to our new investors and existing shareholders for their recognition and support in this funding round. All of Silexon’s institutional shareholders have invested extensively in cutting-edge biopharmaceutical companies. We will engage in extensive and in-depth collaboration with the broader biopharmaceutical ecosystem, including the portfolio companies of our institutional shareholders, to truly advance the practical integration and application of AI in innovative biopharma. We will forge ahead relentlessly to help China become a world-leading biopharmaceutical powerhouse and contribute to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

Liu Xin, Partner at Fidyssey Capital, the lead investor in this round, stated: “The Silexon team possesses a comprehensive interdisciplinary background, with extensive experience and domain expertise in both artificial intelligence and drug discovery. Founder Professor Zeng Jianyang is a preeminent expert in China in computational biology and AI-driven drug discovery. Leveraging multiple proprietary technologies, including its algorithm models, Silexon is reshaping the entire new drug R&D pipeline. We are confident that Silexon will emerge as a globally leading AI-powered biotech company for drug discovery, and we look forward to leveraging Fidyssey Capital’s global resources to support the company’s future development.”

Dr. Gu Cuiping, Managing Director at HongShan, the lead investor in this round, stated: HongShan has been closely monitoring the transformative impact of emerging technologies such as AI computing on drug discovery. Silexon represents a highly scarce team we have identified in this field. Professor Zeng Jianyang and his laboratory team are globally recognized academic pioneers who have been deeply engaged in research and practical exploration at the intersection of AI and medicinal chemistry for many years. Currently, they have achieved highly significant progress in both their proprietary pipelines and business collaborations. We look forward to Silexon's technology platform substantially enhancing the efficiency of new drug R&D in the future.

Dr. Hui Wu, Partner at Quan Capital, a follow-on investor in this round, stated: "We are delighted to partner with Silexon, and Quan Capital will leverage our resources in the biopharmaceutical sector to support its growth into a globally leading AI-enabled platform."

Zeng Yu, Founding Partner of MSA Capital, an existing shareholder and follow-on investor in this round, stated: "In 2019, we recognized the potential of AI applications in the pharmaceutical industry and selected Silexon as our strategic investment in the AI + innovative biopharma sector. Over the past two years, we have witnessed Silexon's increasingly robust AI R&D and innovation capabilities in this niche sector, alongside its continuously deepening collaborations with enterprises across the biopharmaceutical R&D ecosystem. We remain highly optimistic about the significant potential for sustainable development in Silexon's technology, business operations, and commercial models. We will continue to increase our investment and are committed to supporting the company's rapid growth."

WinX Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor to Silexon in this financing round.

F-Prime Capital is a global proprietary investment firm backed by Fidelity Group. Leveraging its unique capital structure, F-Prime Capital can flexibly deploy capital to support innovative enterprises in disrupting or leading their markets, empowering entrepreneurs to realize their ambitious visions. Globally, F-Prime Capital’s investment team spans China, Japan, India, Europe, and the United States, with over $8 billion in assets under management. F-Prime Capital focuses on investing in early-stage and growth-stage companies within the healthcare and technology innovation sectors, and has invested in over 300 high-growth enterprises. With more than 25 years of venture capital experience in China, F-Prime Capital has invested in over 110 companies across the healthcare and technology innovation fields.

Sequoia Capital has always been committed to helping entrepreneurs build enduring, world-class companies, delivering abundant global resources and invaluable historical expertise to its portfolio companies. Over the past 49 years, Sequoia Capital has invested in numerous innovative enterprises and industry pioneers. As “entrepreneurs behind entrepreneurs,” Sequoia Capital China focuses on investment opportunities across three key sectors: TMT, healthcare, and consumer goods/services. Over the past 16 years, Sequoia Capital China has invested in nearly 600 companies characterized by distinct technological advantages, innovative business models, and exceptional growth and development potential.

Quanchuang Capital is a venture capital fund focused on early- and growth-stage investments in the life sciences sector. Driven by innovation and guided by unique scientific and commercial insights, Quanchuang Capital sources, builds, and invests in rapidly scaling, leading life sciences companies globally. Its portfolio encompasses pioneering innovative therapies, cutting-edge technology platforms, and industry leaders that bridge critical gaps within the ecosystem. Quanchuang Capital currently maintains offices in Shanghai, San Francisco, and Boston.

MSA Capital is a private equity investment firm deeply rooted in China with a global vision, focusing on early-stage and growth-stage investments in key sectors such as healthcare, cutting-edge technology, the internet, and consumer industries. Headquartered in Beijing, it maintains resident teams in the United States, the Middle East, Africa, and other regions. Leveraging a broad global perspective and profound insights into international markets, the team not only identifies exceptional investment opportunities but also utilizes local resources to help portfolio companies rapidly expand into overseas markets.

Registered in the Jiangsu Life Science and Technology Innovation Park in Qixia District, Nanjing, Silexon is a novel technology platform company equipped with biological and chemical laboratories. It closely integrates artificial intelligence with innovative biopharmaceutical R&D and currently maintains offices and laboratories in Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing.

Silexon is committed to addressing the critical challenges in the biopharmaceutical industry, including high costs, low success rates, lengthy cycles in the drug candidate discovery phase, and elevated risks during clinical development. The company holds multiple independent intellectual property rights, including proprietary algorithm models, and is recognized as a National High-Tech Enterprise. Leveraging the team's exceptional interdisciplinary expertise spanning artificial intelligence, life sciences, chemistry, pharmacy, and medicine, Silexon focuses on harnessing AI technologies to empower biopharmaceutical and life science research. Centered on patient and clinical needs, the company strives to enhance the accessibility of innovative therapeutics. Silexon’s core technology R&D team has published nearly 100 cutting-edge, peer-reviewed papers with high citation counts and high impact factors in top-tier international journals. Furthermore, the company has established partnerships with numerous renowned domestic and international pharmaceutical enterprises to jointly advance multiple new drug development projects. By empowering AI across every stage of the new drug development pipeline, Silexon aims to make AI the "Drug Savior."