ChomiX Biotech Secures Tens of Millions in Pre-A+ Financing to Advance Chemoproteomics-Driven Drug Discovery

VCBeat has learned thatRecently, one of the first innovative companies in China to specialize in chemoproteomics technologyNanjing ChomiX Biotech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “ChomiX Biotech”) has completed a Pre-A+ financing round worth tens of millions of yuan, the financing will be used to enhance the company's R&D platform and strengthen team capabilities, conduct large-scale screening using the established lead compound screening platform, and optimize subsequent lead compounds.This round of financing was jointly completed with Taiyu Investment as the lead investor, and existing shareholders Shuimu Ventures and Xiaochi Capital as co-investors.This marks another instance of market recognition and financial support for ChomiX Biotech, following its completion of a tens-of-millions-yuan Pre-A financing round in May 2022.

ChomiX Biotech focuses on the preclinical development of innovative small-molecule drugs, leveraging chemical proteomics as its core technology for drug target discovery and the screening of targeted lead compounds. Since its establishment in 2021, the company has completed three rounds of financing and secured strategic investment from Nanjing Pharmablock Technologies Co., Ltd. It currently holds multiple core patents and operates a comprehensive hardware R&D platform. The founding team has studied and worked at prestigious international institutions, including Peking University, Rockefeller University, and the University of California, San Diego. Professor Chu Wang of Peking University, a leading authority in chemical proteomics, serves as the Chief Scientist. The Scientific Advisory Board is chaired by Academician Zijian Guo of Nanjing University and comprises seven top scholars in the field of chemical biology in China. With abundant resources in talent development and technology translation, ChomiX Biotech promotes the industrial application of chemical proteomics through collaborations with universities, research institutes, and pharmaceutical companies, thereby accelerating drug discovery and targeting more “undruggable” targets.

ChomiX Biotech has achieved milestone progress over the past year:

Dr. Chen Nan, Founder of ChomiX BiotechThe company stated, “We are deeply honored to have received the recognition and support of Taiyu Investment, as well as our existing shareholders, Shuimu Ventures and Xiaochi Capital, in this funding round. ChomiX Biotech remains steadfastly focused on the preclinical research and development of innovative small-molecule drugs. To date, we have established two technological platforms: a covalent drug lead compound screening platform and an active molecule target discovery platform, with multiple projects currently underway. Leveraging the proceeds from this financing round, the company will further increase its R&D investment, intensify efforts in library construction and the development of preclinical candidate compounds, and accelerate the establishment of its innovative drug lead compound screening platform. We also extend our sincere gratitude to all our partners and employees for their unwavering support and dedication. We hope to leverage our strengths, position ourselves firmly in the new era of China’s biopharmaceutical industry development, and contribute our expertise to advancing the application of chemical proteomics technologies in novel drug discovery.”

Dr. Ji Tianrong, Founder & General Manager of Taiyu Investmentstated: “The core team members of ChomiX Biotech have conducted in-depth research in chemical proteomics and are leaders in this field in China. The company focuses on services and applications of chemical proteomics technologies and possesses an independently developed, proprietary DIA-ABPP covalent drug screening platform. ChomiX Biotech aims to contribute new momentum to the development of novel drugs in China.”

Yan Yi, Managing Director of Shuimu Ventures“The statement reads: ‘As an emerging proteomics research approach that has arisen over the past two decades, chemical proteomics has experienced rapid development in recent years, with related startups attracting significant attention from well-known pharmaceutical companies overseas. As a previous investor in ChomiX Biotech, we have long been optimistic about the company’s technological accumulation and R&D expansion capabilities on this technology platform. In 2022, amid a cooling biotech investment climate, we are honored that ChomiX Biotech’s enterprise value was recognized by new shareholders, enabling it to successfully complete a new round of financing against the trend. As an important strategic investment by Shuimu Ventures in the proteomics industry chain, we look forward to ChomiX Biotech growing into a leading enterprise in the field of chemical biology and contributing to global innovative drug development.’”

Yin Jie, Founding Partner of Xiaochi CapitalHe stated, “Xiaochi Capital focuses on investments in China’s healthcare and medical industry. Guided by our core value of ‘research-driven investment,’ we are firmly committed to deepening our engagement in the medical sector, prioritizing investments in high-quality healthcare enterprises with sustainable long-term competitive advantages, and striving to become the most trusted partner for outstanding companies. ChomiX Biotech boasts an excellent scientific and R&D team with deep expertise in the biopharmaceutical industry. Centered on chemical proteomics, the company achieves genuine source innovation through its proprietary technology platform, facilitating the development of novel drugs and accelerating the rapid advancement of innovative drug R&D in China. The founding team has cultivated extensive experience in the field of chemical proteomics over many years. We believe that ChomiX Biotech is poised to become a leading R&D platform company driven by chemical proteomics, and I am filled with anticipation for the company’s future development!”

Nanjing ChomiX Biotech Co., Ltd. is a biotechnology company focused on the preclinical development of innovative small-molecule drugs. Leveraging chemical proteomics as its core technology, the company specializes in the screening of novel intracellular drug lead compounds and target discovery. Since commencing operations in 2021, ChomiX has established multiple interdisciplinary technical platforms, including chemical biology, bioinformatics, medicinal chemistry, and molecular and cellular biology, supported by numerous core technology patents and comprehensive hardware infrastructure. The company has forged collaborations with various pharmaceutical R&D enterprises and academic research institutes, including Pharmablock (SZSE:300725), dedicated to rapidly overcoming the challenges of targeting previously “undruggable” disease targets and accelerating new drug discovery.

Currently, most drug discovery technologies rely on purified proteins, which significantly limits the efficiency of drug development and leaves approximately 90% of disease-related targets “undruggable” to date. ChomiX Biotech Co., Ltd. specializes in chemical proteomics, a technology that revolutionizes drug discovery by shifting it from purified proteins to live-cell systems. The DIA-ABPP technology platform enables the discovery of novel binding pockets and ligands for endogenous target proteins within live cells, making it particularly suitable for difficult-to-drug targets lacking structural studies. It currently covers over 10,000 proteins and 40,000 binding sites. The TED-ChomiX technology platform allows for the direct identification of proteins interacting with bioactive molecules in disease-related cells or tissues, and has been widely applied in drug target discovery, novel mechanism research, and off-target protein analysis. Rooted in the cutting-edge interdisciplinary field of chemical biology, the company is committed to promoting the industrial application of chemical proteomics in new drug development through its value of focused innovation.

Taiyu Investment, established in 2014, is an independent venture capital firm under Tigermed. Taiyu Investment focuses on equity investments in early-stage and growth-stage companies within the healthcare sector. Its management team boasts profound industry expertise, extensive industry resources, and rich investment experience. To date, it has completed investments totaling RMB 2 billion across more than 100 projects, with a portfolio covering medical devices, biopharmaceuticals, CROs, and health supplements. By empowering its portfolio companies, Taiyu Investment creates value for the development of the healthcare industry in China and globally, contributing to public health.

Shuimu Venture Capital is a specialized investment institution for the industrialization of scientific and technological achievements, established under the Beijing Tsinghua Industrial R&D Institute (hereinafter referred to as “Industrial R&D Institute”). Leveraging the Institute’s nearly 20 years of accumulation in the transformation and industrialization of scientific and technological achievements, Shuimu Venture Capital promotes the implementation and commercialization of major scientific and technological achievements from Tsinghua University through market-oriented approaches and professional management. Its investment portfolio includes PINS Medical, a unicorn company in the field of neuromodulation in China; Sinohytec, a leader in China’s hydrogen energy industry; and Hwatsing Technology, a manufacturer of ultra-precision equipment for integrated circuits, as well as a number of other outstanding enterprises such as Daqing Biology, Jetson Voice, Longsee Instruments, Tinavi Medical Technologies, Shenli Technology, and Syno United.

Hangzhou Xiaochi Private Equity Fund Management Co., Ltd. (“Xiaochi Capital”) is a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments in the life sciences sector. The company focuses on investing in and incubating life science enterprises with sustainable competitive advantages, targeting global cutting-edge innovations, unmet clinical needs, and high-barrier technologies within the life sciences and medtech fields. Xiaochi Capital’s management team hails from top-tier VC funds, multinational pharmaceutical companies, and CRO firms, while its investment team possesses strong academic backgrounds, extensive investment experience, robust industry resources, and commercialization expertise.