SineuGene Secures Tens of Millions in Angel Funding to Advance ALS and Other CNS Gene Therapy Pipelines
SINEUGENE Announces Completion of Tens of Millions in Angel FinancingRecently, SINEUGENE (Beijing) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. announced the successful completion of its angel financing round, raising tens of millions of RMB. The round was co-led by MSA Capital and Fundaxe Capital’s Shanghai Fengcang Innovation Fund, with participation from the Tsinghua University Alumni Seed Fund. The proceeds will be used to advance CDMO manufacturing for SNUG01, initiate investigator-initiated trials (IITs), and develop new pipeline candidates.
SINEUGENE (Beijing) Biotechnology Co., Ltd., abbreviated as “SINEUGENE,” is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Changping District, Beijing. It is dedicated to the research and development of innovative gene therapies and drugs aimed at improving the health outcomes of patients with neurological disorders worldwide. As a company with deep roots in Tsinghua University, its three co-founders are all alumni of Tsinghua. Nearly a decade of foundational scientific research conducted at Tsinghua has enabled SINEUGENE to gain profound insights into the pathogenesis of neurological diseases, establishing its unique advantages in gene therapy technology and drug development. In January 2022, SINEUGENE completed its seed financing round, exclusively invested by the Beijing Life Science Park Innovation Investment Fund, with follow-on investment in the “Seed+” round from Shanghai Fengcang Innovation Fund (managed by Fundaxe Capital), raising a total of over RMB 10 million.
SINEUGENE is dedicated to the development of gene therapy technologies and pharmaceuticals for neurological disorders, with a strategic focus on neurodegenerative diseases and brain injuries, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Stroke, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Huntington's disease (HD). Leveraging its technological advantages in AAV-mediated gene expression and editing, small nucleic acid-mediated regulation of gene expression, and the screening of novel AAV serotypes to enhance gene delivery efficiency to the nervous system, SINEUGENE aims to be the first globally to address this major category of health challenges affecting public welfare, thereby providing patients with improved therapeutic outcomes and extended life expectancy.
Professor Jiachang Jia, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University; Co-founder/Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board, SINEUGENEstated, “We are delighted to have secured support from top-tier investors such as Magic Stone Alternative Investment, as well as from China’s first university alumni fund—the Shuimu Tsinghua Alumni Seed Fund. We are also especially grateful to our existing shareholder, Fundaxe Capital, for its continued backing, which helps ensure the orderly advancement of SINEUGENE’s R&D pipeline. Neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, autism, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD), have become major public health challenges affecting human well-being. Having dedicated many years to the field of neurodegenerative diseases, we hope to leverage capital and other resources from across sectors to accelerate the commercialization of our foundational scientific achievements, thereby benefiting patients at the earliest possible date.”
Ms. Zeng Yu, Managing Partner of MSA Capital“It is widely acknowledged that there is a substantial unmet clinical need in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, while drug development for these conditions has been plagued by numerous failures. We attribute this primarily to two factors: the significant limitations of existing animal models for neurodegenerative diseases and the inherent complexity of the diseases themselves. Professor Yichang Jia is a world-leading expert in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Through pioneering research on animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative disorders, Professor Jia’s team has identified novel mechanisms and therapeutic targets, which have been validated through multiple approaches. SINEUGENE’s R&D projects are innovative in their conception and supported by a clear and robust chain of evidence, holding great promise to benefit patients with ALS and various other central nervous system disorders. We look forward to SINEUGENE achieving clinical breakthroughs under the leadership of Professor Yichang Jia, Dr. Wei Guo, and Dr. Lin Peng, thereby bringing tangible benefits to a broad patient population.”
Mr. Hong Yunchuan, Managing Partner of Fundaxe CapitalHe stated, “Neurodegenerative diseases profoundly impact both individuals and society, yet effective therapeutic interventions remain elusive to date, primarily due to an insufficient fundamental understanding of their pathogenesis. As a cutting-edge and precise therapeutic approach, gene therapy holds vast potential for application in the treatment of neurological disorders. The R&D projects of SINEUGENE are built upon extensive research and in-depth insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, supported by a solid scientific foundation and theoretical framework. Its original therapeutic targets for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been validated through multiple channels, yielding promising results that demonstrate originality and broader application value. We look forward to SINEUGENE’s projects advancing rapidly into clinical trials, enabling more patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases to benefit from Chinese-developed gene therapies at an earlier date.”
Du Yan, Founding Partner of the Shuimu Tsinghua Alumni Seed FundMs.It stated: “With the accelerating aging of the population, the number of patients with neurodegenerative diseases is increasing, imposing a growing burden on society and families. There is an urgent need for corresponding innovative therapies. SINEUGENE has identified an original therapeutic target for ALS, enabling intervention and alleviation of the disease through gene therapy. It has demonstrated favorable therapeutic effects in multiple animal models and will soon initiate investigator-initiated trials (IITs), holding promise for early clinical market entry. The core team consists of three Tsinghua University alumni who combine cutting-edge scientific research capabilities with strong business management skills, creating a highly synergistic partnership. The Shuimu Tsinghua Alumni Seed Fund is highly optimistic that, under the leadership of these three alumni, the team will soon overcome global challenges in the field of neuroscience, benefit more patients, and contribute the strength of the Tsinghua community.”
Due to the rapid advancement of SINEUGENE’s pipeline, the company has officially launched its Pre-A financing round.
SINEUGENE (Beijing) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “SINEUGENE”) is a biotechnology company founded by senior researchers from Tsinghua University in the Zhongguancun Life Science Park, Changping District, Beijing, with a primary focus on innovative drug development. Guided by its mission and vision of “Healing the World with Divine Medicine and Prosperity for China,” SINEUGENE is dedicated to developing innovative gene therapy technologies. These include AAV-mediated gene expression and editing, small nucleic acid-mediated regulation of gene expression, and the screening of novel AAV serotypes to enhance gene delivery efficiency to the nervous system, thereby achieving targeted intervention of specific genes.
SINEUGENE primarily focuses on central nervous system disorders, particularly neurodegenerative diseases and brain injuries, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Stroke, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Huntington's disease (HD). The company aims to be the first worldwide to overcome this major category of critical public health challenges affecting human well-being.
MSA Capital is an international private equity investment firm deeply rooted in China with a global perspective and worldwide investment reach. It focuses on early-stage and growth-stage investments in key sectors such as healthcare, cutting-edge technology, the internet, and consumer industries. Headquartered in Beijing and Singapore, MSA Capital maintains resident teams in the United States, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and other regions. Currently, MSA Capital manages over USD 2 billion in assets. Its investment portfolio includes BGI Genomics (SZ:300676), Yidu Tech (2158.HK), NIO (NYSE:NIO, 9866.HK, SGX:NIO), BOSS Zhipin (NASDAQ:BZ), Meituan Dianping (3690.HK), Uber (NYSE:UBER), Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB), Nubank (NYSE:NU), Swvl (NASDAQ:SWVL), Zhiyun Health (9955.HK), Siyuan Intelligence, Yanming Biopharma, Anxuyuan, Astekcon, Monro Bio, Diwin Biotech, PAQ Therapeutics, Kaideni, Andu Bio, Wujiang Technology, Danxu Bio, Jinfa Bio, Sihe Gene, Black Sesame Technologies, Biren Technology, Visbot Robotics, Feibu Technology, Piaoyitong, Orient Space, Yachuang Group, Cider, T11 Fresh Supermarket, and Uniskin, among others.
Fundaxe Capital, headquartered in Shanghai, is registered as a private fund manager with the Asset Management Association of China (Registration Code: P1067953). Guided by the central government’s strategic directives to “orient toward the global scientific and technological frontier, the main battlefield of the national economy, and major national needs,” Fundaxe Capital aspires to become a premier private asset management institution in China with high visibility and brand influence. The firm focuses on research and investment in new energy, semiconductors, high-end equipment manufacturing, and biopharmaceuticals, striving to develop into an industry-focused, specialized, and distinctive investment institution.
Shuimu Tsinghua Alumni Seed Fund was established in October 2014. Its founding partners include Li Zhu (Class of 1984, Computer Science), Du Yan (Class of 1981, Environmental Studies), and Yu Longwen (Class of 1984, Materials Science). As the first university alumni fund in China, it brings together Tsinghua alumni as both General Partners (GPs) and Limited Partners (LPs), focusing on investing in projects founded by Tsinghua-affiliated alumni to support entrepreneurship and achieve mutual success.
The fund’s core competency lies in deeply identifying alumni-led startups at the seed or angel stage, and then leveraging the Tsinghua University alumni network to provide comprehensive empowerment, offering all-around support to alumni entrepreneurs in areas such as financing, sales, team building, and strategic cognition.
The vision of the Shuimu Tsinghua Alumni Seed Fund is to become the first stop for alumni entrepreneurs, issuing the first check to support their ventures. It also aims to connect with 10,000 alumni founders and invest in 100 publicly listed companies over the next 20 years.