Jichen Biotech Secures Tens of Millions in Angel Funding to Advance High-Quality Domestic Bioreactors for Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing

VCBeat has learned at the earliest opportunity that,Wuxi Jichen Biotechnology Co., Ltd.Wuxi Jichen Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Jichen Biotech”) has recently completed an angel financing round worth tens of millions of yuan, led by Dalton Venture and followed by the Zhiyuan Team of Wuxi Venture Capital Group. It is reported that the proceeds from this round will be primarily used for new product development, refinement of core technologies, product iteration, and the enhancement of domestic and international marketing capabilities and brand influence.

Jichen Biotechnology, spun off from Hebei Sande Jichen Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and established in 2017, is a specialized designer and manufacturer in the bioreactor niche, focusing on the R&D and production of laboratory- and production-scale bioreactors as well as related automation control technologies. Jichen Biotechnology has not only forged deep R&D collaborations with top German universities but also established long-term technical partnerships with leading local German biopharmaceutical and automation control companies. Hebei Sande Jichen Biotechnology Co., Ltd. was ratedHebei Province Specialized, Refined, Differential, and Innovative SMEs; National Technology-Based SMEsandHebei Province Technology-based Small and Medium-sized Enterprisessuch titles. It was awarded the First Prize in the Biopharmaceutical Industry Track of the 6th Hebei Province Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, the Second Prize in the 2018 Hebei Province Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, and the Second Prize in the Hebei Province Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition. In 2021, the company was recognized as a provincial-level enterprise for the application of innovative methods (pilot type).

Bioreactors are high-end biopharmaceutical equipment used in the research and development of biologics and cell culture processes, and they also serve as a key technology supporting the large-scale production of biological products. However,AuthorCore Production Equipment for Upstream Processes in the Pharmaceutical Industry, the import substitution rate for bioreactors currently used in cell culture is still below 30%. Currently, stainless steel cell bioreactors for commercial use in China are almost entirely imported, and the overall bioreactor market in China is dominated by overseas giants. Meanwhile,As the market increasingly focuses on supply chain security, autonomy and controllability, effectiveness, and cost control, accelerating the domestication of upstream “chokepoint” pharmaceutical equipment has become a trend. Consequently, the domestic bioreactor market is poised to see accelerated import substitution and significant opportunities in advancing toward high-end biopharmaceutical equipment.

Jichen Biotech Large-Scale Stainless Steel Bioreactor

Wuxi Jichen Biotechnology Co., Ltd., an innovative company specializing in bioreactor design, boasts significant advantages in process and automation engineering. Its core team members all possess extensive expertise in automation control from the Technical University of Dresden in Germany and have participated in projects involving system control and process data processing for large-scale pharmaceutical equipment at Siemens laboratories. Notably,Teams with dual backgrounds in automation control and biopharmaceuticals are extremely scarce in China,The team’s unique background provides robust technical support for the company’s development in the field of bioreactors.In terms of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, Wuxi Jichen Biotechnology Co., Ltd. has fully mastered the critical process parameters for various cell cultures, enabling it to provide customers with comprehensive services from laboratory scale to production scale.The company has successfully delivered multiple large-scale stainless steel reactor systems with capacities exceeding 1,000 L., and has received positive user feedback. This achievement not only demonstrates the reliability and stability of the company’s products in real-world applications but also lays a solid foundation for further market expansion. It is reported thatUnder identical culture conditions, the cell yield and viable cell density achieved with Wuxi Jichen Biotechnology’s large-scale bioreactors are comparable to those reported for foreign-made bioreactors, and the customer repurchase rate exceeds 90%.

Regarding the completion of this round of financing, Hou Bin, General Manager of Wuxi Jichen Biotechnology Co., Ltd., stated: “We will uphold our team philosophy of maintaining the same level of diligence and commitment from start to finish, continue to strengthen collaboration with partners, adhere to innovative and breakthrough technological directions, further increase R&D investment, and continuously launch more competitive products to meet the diverse needs of the market. Guided by our mission to ‘become the most trusted expert in bioreactors and partner in pharmaceutical manufacturing processes,’ we will enhance cooperation and exchange with domestic and international enterprises to jointly promote the progress and development of the bioreactor industry.”

Jichen Biotech Laboratory Glass Bioreactor

Dalton Venture stated: “With the development of the biopharmaceutical industry, market demand for domestically produced high-end cell bioreactors is growing steadily. Leveraging its profound technical expertise in bioreactor design, automated system control, and industrial manufacturing, Mr. Hou’s team has successfully overcome multiple technological barriers, essentially achieving the domestic production of high-end bioreactors. We are highly optimistic about Jichen’s product competitiveness and long-term growth potential, and we look forward to the company emerging as a leading enterprise in this sector.”

Zhiyuan Capital stated: The path to domestic substitution for high-end cell bioreactors is long and promising. Traditional bioreactors suffer from issues such as insufficient stability in automated control and a lack of system digitalization. Wuxi Jichen Biotechnology Co., Ltd. focuses on high-end cell bioreactors, conducting in-depth R&D and innovation in core areas including basic control modules, advanced control systems, precise flow field simulation processes, and innovative impeller designs, with the aim of providing one-stop solutions to pharmaceutical companies. We believe that scientific instruments, represented by high-end cell bioreactors, constitute a promising sector worthy of long-term investment. Great companies are bound to emerge, and we look forward to growing alongside the company in the future.

Dalton Venture focuses on forward-looking medical innovation technologies and serves as the early-stage exclusive investor for multiple first-of-their-kind technology projects in China. Its investment portfolio encompasses VC funds, as well as angel funds in the Yangtze River Delta and the Greater Bay Area. The core team members all hail from the healthcare industry, with proven track records in incubating early-stage startups and founding and managing public companies with market capitalizations exceeding tens of billions of yuan. Adhering to the philosophy of being not only value discoverers but also value creators, Dalton Venture has received numerous accolades, including recognition in the Zero2IPO VC TOP 100 and Medical Devices TOP 20. Selected portfolio companies include Landin Medicine, Deepwise Healthcare, Hannuo Medical, Triastek, and Heyuan Biopharma.

Guolian Financial Investment Zhiyuan (Jiangsu) Private Equity Fund Management Co., Ltd. serves as the primary entity for the market-oriented reforms of Wuxi Innovation Investment Group. Leveraging the Group’s extensive, long-standing presence in the Yangtze River Delta region, the company focuses on technological innovation opportunities within national strategic emerging industries, supports outstanding startups and entrepreneurs, and continuously strengthens its brand influence. To date, the team manages funds totaling RMB 14 billion, has completed investments in over 180 projects, with a cumulative investment amount of RMB 7.6 billion. The investment portfolio covers key strategic emerging industry sectors, including next-generation information technology (primarily semiconductors), healthcare (primarily medical devices), new energy and new materials (primarily photovoltaics and energy storage), and advanced manufacturing (primarily intelligent equipment). Among the portfolio companies, 27 have already listed on major domestic and international capital markets, while nearly 20 others are undergoing exchange reviews or have initiated their IPO processes.