Bayer Co.Lab Welcomes Two New Chinese Biotechs—Arbele and Mingcheng Bio—as IPO Filings Emerge

● Aibele is dedicated to developing precision therapies for solid tumors

● Mingcheng Bio specializes in providing GPCR-related technical services

● 12 Chinese biotech startups have joined Bayer Co.Lab

Bayer Co.Lab Announces Agreements with Aibeile Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. (“Aibeile”) and Suzhou Mingcheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (“Mingcheng Biotech”)Bayer Co.Lab has announced that it has reached agreements with Aibeile Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Aibeile”) and Suzhou Mingcheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Mingcheng Biotech”). These two biotechnology startups will join the Bayer Co.Lab co-creation platform, leveraging tailored mentoring and access to global resources provided by Bayer Co.Lab to accelerate the development of innovative drugs and deliver breakthrough new therapies to patients sooner.

Dr. Friedemann Janus, Senior Vice President of Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Global Head of Regional Business Development and Co.Lab, stated: “We warmly welcome Aibeile and Mingcheng Biotech into the global co-creation network of Bayer’s Co.Lab platform, continuously expanding our ecosystem cluster that spans diverse technological platforms and cutting-edge innovations. In just over a year, Bayer Co.Lab in China has attracted 12 local startups to join its ranks. This fully demonstrates the tremendous vitality and development potential of China as a major global hub for biomedical innovation. Bayer is committed to deeply integrating into and supporting this vibrant innovation ecosystem, continually strengthening open innovation in China, and empowering local biotech startups to achieve innovative breakthroughs and advance their globalization.”

Image: Bayer Co.Lab Welcomes Aibeile and Mingcheng Biotech

Dr. Lu Manqing, Founder and CEO of Arbele, stated, “Joining Bayer Co.Lab marks a significant milestone in Arbele’s global expansion. By leveraging Bayer’s world-class resources and platform, we will significantly accelerate the translation of our breakthrough research from the laboratory to the clinic, building on our deep expertise in next-generation immunotherapies for solid tumors. My team and I are thrilled to partner with Bayer to advance the development of innovative therapies, generate impactful clinical data, and address the urgent unmet medical needs in oncology.”

Aibele is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Hong Kong, with operations in mainland China, the United States, Australia, and Singapore. The company is dedicated to developing precision therapies for solid tumors to improve treatment outcomes for patients with advanced-stage disease. Focusing on the CDH17 target, Aibele has established a pipeline encompassing multispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and cell therapies. Its core candidate, ARB202, is a CDH17-targeted T-cell engager that has completed Phase I clinical trials and is currently entering the dose expansion phase. The company is simultaneously advancing the development of CDH17 companion diagnostics to enable precise medication. Leveraging an international team and a collaborative network spanning industry, academia, and research institutions, Aibele is committed to delivering transformative therapeutic solutions for patients.

Dr. Li Minghui, CEO of Mingcheng Biotech, stated, “We are honored to join Bayer Co.Lab, a world-leading innovation ecosystem for biopharmaceuticals. As the largest family of targets in the biopharmaceutical industry, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent a core frontier in innovative drug development; however, their complex structural biology characteristics have long constrained the efficiency of novel drug discovery. Through sustained efforts, Mingcheng Biotech has successfully built an integrated early-stage GPCR drug discovery platform covering ‘protein preparation–structure elucidation–antibody discovery.’ Leveraging core technologies such as MegaR, MegAb, and OmniCatchr, we have systematically addressed many challenges in the early discovery of GPCR-targeted drugs. This collaboration with Bayer will allow us to fully leverage our partner’s extensive expertise and global perspective in innovative drug R&D, accelerating the iterative upgrading of our technology platform. This will empower global partners to develop innovative GPCR therapies more efficiently, ultimately benefiting hundreds of millions of patients.”

Mingcheng Bio is a biotechnology company specializing in GPCR technology services. It has built a globally leading integrated early drug discovery platform encompassing “protein preparation–structure determination–antibody discovery,” and has established long-term collaborations with numerous multinational pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms. Mingcheng Bio’s independently developed MegaR platform has overcome key technical bottlenecks in the industrial-scale production of pure GPCR proteins and the cryo-EM structure determination of GPCRs in apo/inactive states. The company has established a library of over 170 types of pure, active GPCR proteins in basal or agonist-bound states and completed cryo-EM structure determinations for dozens of targets. Meanwhile, its MegAb and OmniCatchr platforms systematically address core challenges in the de novo discovery of functional GPCR antibodies and high-throughput functional screening.

Bayer Co.Lab, the global co-creation platform, was officially launched in China in September 2024. With the addition of Aibeile and Mingcheng Biologics, the number of companies stationed at Bayer Co.Lab in China has reached 12, establishing a diversified biomedical innovation cluster that covers innovative technologies and sectors such as small molecules, nucleic acid drugs, cyclic peptide drugs, antibody platforms, gene therapy, AI-driven drug discovery, and membrane protein technologies. Meanwhile, Bayer Co.Lab is continuously connecting with more global network resources and expanding its coverage across China. In September 2025, Bayer Co.Lab announced in Shanghai the establishment of the world’s first platform linking venture capital firms—the Bayer Co.Lab AdVenture Alliance. In November of the same year, Bayer Co.Lab officially settled into the International Pharmaceutical Innovation Park (BioPark) located in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area.

As Bayer’s global co-creation platform for the life sciences sector, Bayer Co.Lab aims to accelerate the advancement of cutting-edge technological innovations by fostering open collaboration within the biotechnology ecosystem. Currently, Bayer Co.Lab has established a strategic presence in key global innovation hubs, including China, the United States, Germany, and Japan. By providing ideal co-creation spaces and expert mentorship to empower startups, it translates breakthrough innovations into healthcare solutions with profound impact.