Sightnovo Secures Tens of Millions of RMB in Pre-A Financing, Yiran Capital as Exclusive Financial Advisor

VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) has learned that Sightnovo recently announced the completion of its Pre-A financing round, amounting to tens of millions of RMB. The round was led by Jiuyou Capital, with participation from Beijing Zhongguancun Development Qihang Industrial Investment Fund (LP) and existing investor TusPark Ventures. Beijing Boya Medical Consulting Co., Ltd served as the exclusive financial advisor.

Xia Chaoran, founder of Sightnovo, stated that following advances in medical imaging, ocular fluid-based diagnostics are poised to become one of the most critical clinical application technologies and foundational research platforms driving future innovation and transformation in ophthalmology. By integrating these diagnostics with intravitreal targeted and sustained-release drug delivery, fundus imaging, and artificial intelligence, the company is committed to providing comprehensive, end-to-end medical decision support and services for ophthalmic patients, clinicians, and researchers across multiple dimensions, including precision diagnosis, precision treatment, and precision monitoring.

As an innovative cross-sector at the intersection of in vitro diagnostics (IVD), the largest segment of the medical device market, and ophthalmology, the fifth largest segment, ocular fluid testing represents a highly promising “blue ocean market” and an “emerging track” with significant potential. Upholding the development philosophy of “clinical needs-driven” and “innovation-led,” Sightnovo will leverage intraocular fluid testing as its entry point, aiming to pioneer international “First-in-Class” innovative products. By fostering win-win collaborations with stakeholders in the healthcare industry, medical service institutions, and scientific research organizations, Sightnovo is committed to jointly exploring new frontiers in the field of precision medicine.

Sun Yi, Partner at Jiuyou Capital, stated: "We are honored to lead the investment in Sightnovo, a medical technology company successfully incubated by Peking Union Medical College Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. We look forward to Mr. Xia leading the team to develop world-class precision diagnostic and therapeutic products for ophthalmology, providing research support to medical researchers in the field and bringing hope to patients with eye diseases."

Wang Chunping, Partner at the Zhongguancun Development Qihang Fund, stated that targeted therapy has become the first-line treatment for fundus diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration. Through its globally pioneering companion diagnostic solutions for fundus diseases, Sightnovo is poised to promote the standardized adoption of targeted diagnosis and treatment in this field, thereby achieving a win-win outcome for patients, pharmaceutical companies, and payers, with significant clinical value and social benefits.

Qiu Qing, Investment Director at TusPark Ventures, stated that Sightnovo is a key project invested in and incubated by TusPark Ventures, with continuous support through its Angel and Pre-A financing rounds. Since its inception, Sightnovo has closely aligned with the trend toward precision diagnosis and treatment in ophthalmology, deeply exploring frontline clinical needs and providing specialized solutions, which constitutes the company’s core value. With the diversification of targeted therapies in ophthalmology, precision diagnostics in the field is poised for rapid growth.

Hao Fangran, Partner at Yiran Capital, stated, “Ophthalmic companion diagnostics is an emerging blue-ocean market with immense potential. Sightnovo has already achieved industry-leading status in this field, and we are honored to collaborate with a top-tier team like Mr. Xia’s.”

Founded in 2015 by a team of industry veterans, Jiuyou Capital leverages an innovative partnership platform model to closely connect hundreds of partners with backgrounds in scientific research, industry, and finance. With a global perspective, the firm remains committed to hard-tech innovation as its core investment focus, covering multiple stages from angel to Pre-IPO. Its full-time team comprises alumni from prestigious domestic and international universities, including Peking University, Fudan University, Johns Hopkins University, and University College London. The firm focuses on two major sectors: Life Sciences (innovative drugs, precision medicine, and innovative medical devices) and Technological Innovation (5G technology, core semiconductor components, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, new materials, and intelligent manufacturing). Portfolio companies such as Tianyi Shangjia, Cambricon, and Tianqin Equipment have gone public. Jiuyou Capital has been honored with numerous awards, including "Best Biopharmaceutical Investment Institution of 2020" by the Excellence List, "Top 10 Most Insightful Investment Institutions in China's AI Sector for 2019" by 36Kr, and "Top 100 Best Venture Capital Firms in China for 2019" by China Venture.

Jiuyou Capital Investment Cases: Sorrento Therapeutics (precision medicine, original innovative drug R&D), Sinocare (innovation-driven global biopharmaceutical company), Dinghang Medicine (precision medicine, innovative drug R&D in tumor immunotherapy), Zhihe Biotech (innovative drug R&D in nuclear medicine diagnosis and treatment), Swire Biotech (mRNA new drug R&D), Viatris (innovative drug R&D in the field of autoimmune diseases), Daxiang Technology (R&D and production of precision medicine and human organ-on-a-chip), Leisheng Medical (radiofrequency ablation medical devices, high-end consumables supplier); Tianyi Shangjia (Stock Code: 688033), Cambricon (Stock Code: 688256), Tianqin Equipment (Stock Code: 833742), JD Digits (digital finance, smart cities), UBTECH (humanoid robots), Bangcle (mobile application hardening service provider), Baicells (future wireless broadband technology), Huatu Education (domestic vocational education and training), Zhongxing Technology (intelligent security, participation in the formulation of SVAC national standards), Yougan Technology (high-tech automotive electronics supplier), Tianbing Technology (new aerospace power, commercial rockets), Aistda (lightweight structure weight reduction expert for the large transportation sector), Zhongke Yushu (chip computing power acceleration R&D), Weigan Technology (long-range detection LiDAR).

Beijing Qihang Investment Management Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Qihang Investment”) is a specialized and market-oriented investment platform meticulously established by Zhongguancun Development Group, and it is the earliest investment management institution within the group’s system to implement market-oriented reforms. Currently, Qihang Investment manages four funds. Leveraging the resource advantages of Zhongguancun Development Group and its outstanding investment management team, the company focuses on investing in projects involving the commercialization of cutting-edge, disruptive, and innovative technological achievements in the fields of next-generation information technology, biopharmaceuticals, and intelligent manufacturing. It is committed to becoming a renowned institution in the field of technological innovation investment, not only within the Zhongguancun Demonstration Zone but also across China. Representative investment cases of the Qihang team in the biopharmaceutical sector include BeiGene, InnoCare Pharma, Yuhong Therapeutics, Allgens Medical, Tinavi Medical Technologies, and Sinobiomics.

Hetang Venture Capital Management (Beijing) Co., Ltd., established in 2001, serves as the investment management platform for the commercialization of achievements from the Tsinghua Industrial Research Institute. TusPark Ventures has long adhered to its goal of investing in technology-driven innovative enterprises, focusing on high-tech, high-growth companies with core competitiveness during their start-up and growth stages. Its investments span hard technology sectors such as information technology, high-end equipment, and biomedicine. In the future, it will continue to prioritize support for the commercialization of research outcomes from scientific institutions, including universities and hospitals.

Yiran Capital was established in 2020. The team is dedicated to providing comprehensive, in-depth financing services to high-quality healthcare enterprises in the fields of innovative drugs, medical devices (IVD), and healthcare services. With a precise grasp of industry trends, the firm possesses extensive experience in project capital operations within the market.