JingTuo Bio Secures Tens of Millions RMB in Pre-A Funding to Build a Leading Experimental Animal Platform in South China

VCBeat has learned that a comprehensive laboratory animal platform company, dedicated to providing disease animal models, drug screening models, germ-free laboratory animals, and related services to clients such as research institutions, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies—Shenzhen Gnotobio Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Gnotobio”)”), announcing the completion of a Pre-A financing round amounting to tens of millions of RMB.

This round of financing was exclusively invested by Nanshan SEI Investment, and the funds will be used for commercial expansion, optimization and upgrading of animal facilities, and research and development of humanized microbiota models and genetically engineered mice.

Figure: Gnotobio’s Germ-Free Animal Experimental Center

Gnotobio is an animal experimentation platform enterprise in South China that was among the first to obtain a Laboratory Animal Production License (Germ-free Grade) and a Laboratory Animal Use License (Barrier Facility). Following this round of financing, the company will more comprehensively and deeply expand its scientific research services in South China around five strategic directions, aiming to grow into a biopharmaceutical enterprise and research institution serving not only Greater China but also the global market. The five strategic directions are as follows:

• Global Layout:Building on its foundation in South China, Gnotobio is expanding into the Greater China region and global markets by establishing collaborations with internationally renowned research institutions, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies, thereby extending its high-quality services to a broader geographic reach.

• Technological Leadership and Product Innovation:Continuously increase R&D investment, optimize technologies for core products such as C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice, and conduct research on new animal strains, disease models, and related technologies to ensure meeting the demands of market changes.

• Exploration of New Business Areas:With advancements in biotechnology, we are actively exploring new business areas, such as cell therapy and gene editing, to capitalize on future market opportunities.

• Enhancement of Service Efficiency and Quality:Introduce advanced technologies and equipment, particularly in the CRO services sector, to enhance service efficiency while ensuring high-quality deliverables and cost-effectiveness, thereby continuously improving customer satisfaction.

• Customer Experience and Technical Support: Strengthen the technical support team to ensure customers receive an exceptional experience when using our products and services, providing timely and professional technical consultation and effective solutions.

Zhuang Daoqiang, General Manager of Gnotobio“He stated, ‘The series of proud achievements Gnotobio has attained in the field of experimental animal platforms would not have been possible without the support and trust of our investors. Currently, Gnotobio provides exceptional services to numerous biopharmaceutical companies and research institutions across China, having obtained both the Laboratory Animal Production License (Germ-free Grade) and the Laboratory Animal Usage License (Isolation Facilities). These accomplishments stand as a testament to our team’s relentless efforts and professionalism. Looking ahead, Gnotobio will deepen its services in South China while actively expanding its business throughout Greater China and globally. Leveraging our team’s strength, expertise, and collective efforts, Gnotobio will usher in a new chapter in the biopharmaceutical sector and achieve even greater success.’”

Nanshan SEI Investment Team“It stated that while the model organism sector in which Gnotobio operates started relatively late in China, it is currently in a phase of rapid growth and serves as a critical foundational infrastructure component driving innovative development in the biopharmaceutical industry. As one of the few domestic companies to independently develop and construct its own sterile systems, Gnotobio leads in laboratory bacterial control capabilities and stability. It is also the only sterile mouse platform in South China approved with both certificates for sterile-grade use and sterile-grade production (Source: Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology; Guangdong Laboratory Animal Monitoring Institute), thereby filling the gap for high-end experimental animal enterprises in the region. The company’s team possesses differentiated competitive advantages in establishing sterile mouse disease models, microbial strain reservation and colonization, and microecological drug research. We look forward to the company leveraging Shenzhen as its hub to provide high-quality contract research organization (CRO) services for model organisms to biopharmaceutical enterprises in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, actively contributing to the development of the region’s biopharmaceutical industrial ecosystem.”

Wei Guoxing, Partner at Tiantu Capital“The investor stated, ‘We are delighted to be an early-stage investor in Gnotobio. Jointly founded by Shenzhen XBiome Co., Ltd. and experts in the fields of microbiome research and laboratory animal science in China, Gnotobio has built a leading animal service platform in China. Leveraging years of research and accumulation in the fields of germ-free animals and microecology, and aligning with policies from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission, the company focuses on germ-free animal production and the development of disease animal models. We are optimistic about Gnotobio’s ability to provide critical software and hardware support for animal production, disease model creation, and animal experimentation services. We look forward to Gnotobio’s continued deep engagement in animal product R&D and services, driving rapid industry growth.’”

Dr. Yan Tan, Co-founder and CEO of Xbiomestated, “Gnotobio represents a strategic initiative by XBiome to build an AI-driven microbiome research and industrial translation platform. We are proud to see that, over the past few years, Gnotobio has rapidly evolved from a company specializing in germ-free animal models into a comprehensive experimental animal platform provider. We look forward with confidence to Gnotobio helping more partners establish a closed loop from data to experimental validation, thereby supporting the development of China’s biopharmaceutical industry and life sciences.”

Figure: Gnotobio’s Germ-Free Animal Breeding Platform

It is reported that Gnotobio, established in 2019, is currently the only animal experimentation platform enterprise in South China to have obtained both a Laboratory Animal Production License (Germ-free Grade) and a Laboratory Animal Use License (Isolation Facility) (Source: Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology; Guangdong Provincial Institute for Laboratory Animal Monitoring). The company has established close collaborations with research institutions, hospitals, and pharmaceutical enterprises, providing more advanced and efficient disease animal models and drug screening models.

Since its establishment over three years ago, Gnotobio has continuously intensified its R&D efforts and optimized its core products, while actively exploring new products and services to meet the evolving and diverse demands of the market. Currently, the company’s animal facility construction project has been completed and put into operation; it has established a germ-free animal technology platform, creating a complete closed loop from data to experimentation. In late 2022, Gnotobio was recognized as a National High-Tech Enterprise. Since 2023, the company has seen an accelerating growth rate in orders, with order volume exceeding RMB 10 million in the first half of the year alone, and its business scope has expanded from mainland China to Hong Kong, China, and overseas markets.

Nanshan SEI Investment is a wholly state-owned limited liability company established by the Nanshan District Government of Shenzhen. Positioned as the district’s strategic direct investment platform, the company prioritizes investments in strategic emerging industries and future industries. It focuses on Nanshan’s advantageous sectors, including next-generation information technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, and the digital economy, while systematically laying out investments in future industry domains to provide new momentum for the high-quality economic development of Nanshan.