Luohua Bio Secures Tens of Millions in Series A Funding to Advance Standardization and Industrialization of Organoid-on-a-Chip Technology

Recently,Suzhou Luohua Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Luohua Biotech”) has successfully completed its Series A financing round, raising tens of millions of yuan. The round was led by Milestep Capital, with participation from Element Investment.This event marks a dynamic convergence between alumni of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in the fields of scientific innovation and investment, poised to write a new chapter of collaboration in hard-tech innovation and entrepreneurship. The founding team of Luohua Biotechnology—Dr. Miao Chunguang, Professor Luo Tianzhi, and Professor Ding Weiping—bring educational backgrounds and research experience from USTC, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Washington, respectively, with over a decade of deep expertise in the field of organ-on-a-chip research.

This round of financing will be used to advance the intelligentization and standardization of organ-on-a-chip technology, providing customers with one-stop solutions. We aim to develop more biomimetic drug testing models in fields such as oncology, nephrology, hepatology, dermatology, genetic disorders, and rare diseases. Leveraging our technical advantages, we will establish a standardized culture system to promote the development of industry standards. Additionally, this funding will enhance Anhui Luohua Biotechnology Co., Ltd.'s commercial layout in the Yangtze River Delta, the Greater Bay Area, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and Central China.

Organ-on-a-chip systems are in vitro functional units of human organs constructed using engineered chip technology. They recreate biomechanical microenvironments through microfluidics, while establishing biochemical microenvironments such as microvascular networks and immune microenvironments, thereby forming three-dimensional dynamic microphysiological systems that simulate tissue and organ functions in vitro. This is a cutting-edge, multidisciplinary bioengineering technology that has been listed by Science magazine and the World Economic Forum in Davos as one of the “Top Ten Emerging Technologies.” Regarding this round of financing, Dr. Miao Chunguang, CEO of Anhui Luohua Biotechnology Co., Ltd., stated: “We extend our gratitude to Milestep Capital and Element Investment for their recognition and support of Luohua Biotechnology. We will continue to uphold independent innovation, increase investment in product development and market expansion, and rely on the dual-core drivers of precise clinical therapy and disease model construction. With high spirits, we strive to realize our vision of ‘perfecting technology and beautifying life.’”

Organ-on-a-chip is a cutting-edge technology characterized by high-level interdisciplinary integration. The research, development, and manufacturing of organ-on-a-chip systems encompass multiple disciplines, including engineering, materials science, biomedicine, and mechanics. Graduated fromDr. Miao Chunguang, Dr. Luo Tianzhi, and Dr. Ding Weiping from the University of Science and Technology of ChinaCo-founded in May 2019Luohua BiotechnologyThe company is dedicated to the development of organ-on-a-chip technology, providing products and technical services at an internationally advanced level for scientific research, regenerative medicine, cell engineering, personalized treatment plans, and medical technology R&D. Over the past five years, Anhui Luohua Biotechnology Co., Ltd. has secured dozens of intellectual property rights, established a multidisciplinary collaborative experimental platform, and addressed user needs through multi-dimensional solutions.

Currently, the application of organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies has received policy support. In November 2021, the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) included organoids in its guidelines for gene therapy and cell therapy products for the first time. In January 2024, the CDE issued the Technical Guidelines for Non-clinical Studies of Human Stem Cell Products, which also stated that “when relevant animal species/models are unavailable, cell- and tissue-based models (such as two-dimensional or three-dimensional tissue models, organoids, and microfluidic models) may provide useful supplementary information for the assessment of non-clinical efficacy and safety.”

To date, Luohua Biotechnology hasSuccessfully developed various culture technologies for human organoids and tumor organoids, completing drug sensitivity testing and pathological testing for nearly 10,000 cancer patients. The tumor organoid culture system covers more than 10 types of cancers, including lung cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, gallbladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and glioma. The normal tissue organoid construction covers breast, stomach, liver, brain, kidney, and other tissues.

In the field of organ-on-a-chip technology, Anhui Luohua Biotechnology Co., Ltd. has completed prototype development and established various pathological models for liver-on-a-chip, lung-on-a-chip, tumor-on-a-chip, gut-on-a-chip, glomerulus-on-a-chip, renal tubule-on-a-chip, neuron-on-a-chip, blood vessel-on-a-chip, and skin-on-a-chip platforms. Meanwhile, R&D projects such as high-throughput organ-on-a-chip systems and intelligent multi-organ-on-a-chip systems have achieved breakthroughs in key technologies.

2023 marked a year of comprehensive strategic layout for Luohua Biotechnology. The company achieved multi-point breakthroughs in product development while steadily advancing the expansion of its commercial footprint. In addition to deeply cultivating the domestic market, Luohua Biotechnology established commercial subsidiaries in Suzhou, Wuhan, and Yantai, actively expanding into local upstream and downstream markets. Luohua Biotechnology has engaged in business collaborations with dozens of Grade A tertiary hospitals, numerous research institutes, and renowned pharmaceutical companies. These partnerships have fostered deep integration in areas such as the co-construction of organoid biobanks, the development of organoid-on-a-chip models, and the commercial translation of innovations for pharmaceutical enterprises and scientific research institutions.

Overall, the organoid and organ-on-a-chip industry is in its early stages of development, but it has accumulated significant momentum in terms of industrial application. The commercialization of any technology is often accompanied by growing industrial demand. The ultra-high fidelity of organ-on-a-chip systems makes them a key to overcoming the bottlenecks in new drug development and serves as a vital driving force for industry growth. As pharmaceutical research deepens globally and drug development standards continue to rise, the potential of organ-on-a-chip technology as a powerful tool to break through current challenges in the pharmaceutical sector has become increasingly evident. With further increases in industry demand, organ-on-a-chip technology is poised for robust future growth.

Dr. Qiu Wei, Partner at Milestep CapitalIndicates:Milestep Capital continues to closely monitor cutting-edge technological advancements in the biotechnology sector. Anhui Luohua Biotechnology Co., Ltd. has remained dedicated to the field of 3D in vitro modeling, injecting new vitality into the development of innovative pharmaceuticals. The company not only possesses core proprietary technologies in the areas of organoids and organ-on-a-chip but is also actively expanding into new strategic sectors. Its AI-powered tumor imaging analysis system now covers major cancer types, offering significant convenience for diagnostic procedures. Breakthrough progress has also been achieved in the development of organoid-on-a-chip and multi-organ-on-a-chip systems. Through this investment, we look forward to supporting and accompanying Anhui Luohua Biotechnology as it integrates with various frontier life science technologies, including omics, gene editing, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence. With the support of local government policies, we believe the company’s application prospects across diverse R&D initiatives will become increasingly broad.

Dr. Geng Bin, Partner at Element Investment, stated：Element Capital has consistently focused on and explored the cross-disciplinary applications of microchannel and microfluidic technologies in fields such as materials science and biology. Leveraging their high degree of biomimicry, organoid and organ-on-a-chip technologies provide excellent in vitro models for the pharmaceutical and biomedical research sectors, significantly improving the success rates of clinical studies and new drug development while reducing research costs. Luo Hua’s team spans multiple disciplines, including mechanics and biology, and has cultivated deep expertise in the organ-on-a-chip field for many years, offering innovative solutions across the entire value chain, including equipment, consumables, and testing services. We value Luo Hua’s team for its extensive R&D experience and proactive efforts in commercialization within this domain. Through this investment, we aim to support Anhui Luohua Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in delivering more high-quality solutions for clinical diagnostics and drug development.