BioMetas Secures Tens of Millions in Pre-A Funding Led by HG Capital and Hongbo Pharma to Accelerate Global CRO Leadership

Shanghai BioMetas Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “BioMetas”) announced the successful completion of its Pre-A financing round, amounting to tens of millions of RMB, on September 18, 2024. The round was led by Huagai Capital, with joint investment from Pharmaresources (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. The proceeds will be utilized to accelerate business expansion, advance research and development, and strengthen team building, thereby further consolidating BioMetas’ leading position in the biotechnology CRO sector.

Since its inception, BioMetas has consistently achieved growth against market trends. In its first year, the company established partnerships with top 10 global pharmaceutical companies and leading innovative drug developers. As business volume expanded, BioMetas added new departments for in vitro biology, in vivo pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics in its second year, constructed an animal facility, and grew its team by nearly 150 members. Over the next few years, BioMetas is expected to further expand its business platform and continue to increase its team size.

China’s biopharmaceutical sector has undergone rapid development during its “Golden Decade.” Contract Research Organizations (CROs) emerged alongside the rise of pharmaceutical innovation in China, evolving from nonexistence to prominence. In recent years, however, the industry has begun to face a more challenging landscape characterized by both competition and collaboration following a period of prolific growth. Against the backdrop of profound transformations in the current pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem, the CRO industry is poised to enter a new stage of development, with the market imposing higher demands on service quality, efficiency, scale, and corporate growth rates.

Leveraging its globally leading one-stop biotechnology R&D service platform, robust R&D capabilities, and extensive industry experience, BioMetas has become a significant force in the field of biomedical R&D services. Compared with traditional CROs, BioMetas’ development strategy features unique highlights and advantages.

Compared with relatively mature technologies in other preclinical fields, such as chemical synthesis, BioMetas focuses on the scarcer domain of biological technology services. The company has established strong technical barriers in areas including target validation, biological research, drug screening, pharmacological and efficacy evaluation, and pharmacokinetics.

Building on its existing platform, BioMetas plans to rapidly expand its business scope and establish a one-stop R&D service system through self-development and mergers and acquisitions. In addition to CRO services, the company will leverage its industrial resource integration capabilities to engage in deep collaborations with industrial investment funds, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutions. By adopting flexible business models such as ecosystem investments and service-for-equity arrangements, BioMetas aims to forge close partnerships with high-quality innovative drug developers, thereby expanding its cash-based service offerings while sharing in the growth potential driven by enterprise and pipeline value appreciation. With extensive experience in innovative drug R&D and project management, BioMetas is well-versed in collaboration models with large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, possessing the ability to rapidly establish laboratories, ensure efficient operations, and deliver robust international services. Currently, approximately 80% of the company’s business originates from overseas, serving global leading pharmaceutical companies and numerous biotech innovators.

The lead investor in this round,Mr. Zhang Yi, Managing Partner of Huagai Capital’s Early-Stage Healthcare Fundstated: “The multidisciplinary expertise of the core team has injected strong competitiveness into BioMetas, which has accumulated significant advantages in R&D, operations, capital management, and industrial integration, demonstrating the core strength of a new-generation CRO platform. As an investment institution focused on the healthcare sector, Huagai Capital highly recognizes BioMetas’ development potential and market prospects. In the future, Huagai Capital will bring abundant industry resources and capital operation experience to BioMetas, helping it become a one-stop comprehensive CXO platform.”

Dr. Chen Ping, Chairman of Pharmaresourcesstated: “Leveraging sixteen years of industry experience, Pharmaresources has established robust R&D capabilities and an extensive client network. Through this investment in BioMetas, Pharmaresources will engage in in-depth collaboration with BioMetas across multiple business areas, jointly driving innovation and advancement in biomedical R&D services.”

Mr. Hua Fengmao, Founder and Chairman of BioMetasHe added, “We are deeply honored to have earned the trust and support of Huagai Capital and Pharmaresources. The success of this financing round signifies that BioMetas’ capabilities in the field of biopharmaceutical R&D services have been recognized by both the capital market and the industry. We will continue to increase our R&D investment, strengthen team building, and expand our service scope to provide customers with more efficient and professional one-stop biotechnology R&D services.”

With the successful completion of its latest round of financing, BioMetas will strengthen its competitive edge in the industry and remain committed to delivering superior R&D services to global clients, thereby driving the robust growth of the biopharmaceutical sector.

Huagai Capital, established in 2012, is a private equity investment firm co-founded by professionals from renowned domestic and international investment institutions. The company currently manages assets totaling approximately RMB 22 billion. With the vision of “becoming the most trusted capital partner for entrepreneurs and investors,” Huagai Capital focuses on private equity investments in the healthcare and technology sectors, committed to fostering the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises into industry leaders.

Pharmaresources (Stock Code: 301230.SZ), established in 2007, is a one-stop integrated service provider for the R&D and commercial manufacturing of innovative small-molecule drugs, dedicated to drug discovery, pharmaceutical process research and development, as well as the commercial production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates. Pharmaresources’ new drug R&D services cover the entire preclinical drug research process, including drug discovery, process research and development, and commercial manufacturing. Leveraging its extensive R&D experience in CRO and CDMO businesses, excellent process development capabilities, and profound technological accumulation, the company has gained recognition from numerous domestic and international pharmaceutical enterprises. With continuous accumulation of R&D experience, the company has established a comprehensive core technology system encompassing medicinal chemistry, process development, and commercial manufacturing, achieving strong commercial returns.

BioMetas is a globally leading one-stop biotechnology R&D service platform, dedicated to providing comprehensive preclinical drug discovery solutions to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. Headquartered in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, the company operates a headquarters building and R&D facilities spanning nearly 7,000 square meters. BioMetas’ core team boasts over 15 years of experience in preclinical drug discovery, having served more than 100 clients, including several of the top ten global pharmaceutical companies.