Qinglian Bio-Omics Completes Tens of Millions of RMB in Series A Funding to Accelerate Its One-Stop Proteomics Platform

VCBeat has learned that recently,Beijing Qinglian Bai’ao Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Specializing in Innovative Proteomics Assays(hereinafter referred to as “Qinglian Bio”)Completed tens of millions of RMB in Series A financing, with this round exclusively invested by Delian Capital and Probe Capital serving as the exclusive financial advisor. The funds raised will be used to upgrade and build a “one-stop proteomics platform,” accelerating the discovery of protein diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers and their clinical translation.

Over the past two decades, genomics technologies have generated remarkable value and impact, from non-invasive prenatal testing to early cancer screening, thereby clarifying the commercialization pathways for omics companies. As the executor of biological activities, the proteome exhibits complexity and informational dimensions that far exceed those of the genome, holding greater potential than genomics in the field of precision medicine.

With the advancement and refinement of proteomics technologies, proteomics is following the developmental trajectory of genomics, propelling omics-based precision medicine to new heights. From the establishment of the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) in 2001 and the launch of the first human proteome project in 2002, to the completion of the draft human proteome map in 2015, proteomics is ushering in its own “20-year” window of opportunity for clinical application.

However, compared with the genome, the proteome is more complex and diverse in terms of structure, composition, and number of variants. Moreover, proteins cannot be amplified by technical means, making proteomic detection more difficult and challenging. In addition, in clinical applications, clinical body fluid samples are often characterized by small sample volumes, high throughput, and stringent requirements for consistency and traceability. Traditional proteomic detection methods struggle to meet the analytical demands for low-abundance, deep-coverage, and high-throughput profiling. Therefore, there is an urgent need for next-generation proteomics platforms to accelerate the adoption and promotion of proteomic testing in clinical settings.

Qinglian Bio is an innovative platform company specializing in proteomics testing. Guided by clinical needs and driven by source innovation, the company provides a one-stop, comprehensive solution for proteomic detection and the clinical translation of protein-based diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers. Focusing on blood, exosomes, tissue sections, and single-cell analysis, Qinglian Bio has successfully built a next-generation proteomics technology platform characterized by full automation, micro-sample detection, high-depth coverage, and accurate quantification, thereby delivering practical and implementable solutions for the clinical application of proteomics.

The company builds its core differentiated competitive advantages through three key technologies:

Mass spectrometry offers unique advantages in protein detection, including high throughput and high sequence specificity. However, the concentration of proteins in body fluid samples (particularly blood samples) spans 12 orders of magnitude, posing significant challenges to mass spectrometry-based analysis. Qinglian Bai’ao’s proprietary nanomagnetic bead enrichment technology significantly enhances the detection rate of low-abundance proteins in plasma, achieving a five-fold increase in substance detection compared to traditional methods and covering hundreds of FDA-approved targets. This technology features excellent reproducibility, high quantitative correlation, superior accuracy and precision, and unbiased protein quantification, thereby meeting the analytical requirements for clinical body fluid samples, trace samples, and high-throughput samples.

Traditional protein sample pretreatment is predominantly manual, resulting in low processing efficiency and a high susceptibility to human error. This introduces significant result bias, leading to poor reproducibility in mass spectrometry data and hindering the development of high-throughput proteomics. The company’s independently developed fully automated proteomics robot integrates multiple functional modules to enable end-to-end pretreatment operations, from sample input to the preparation of peptide mixtures ready for mass spectrometry loading, providing a complete solution for automated and standardized proteomics workflows.

Lianqing Bai’ao’s core team leverages over two decades of industry experience in proteomics to establish rigorous data quality control and cleaning standards, thereby ensuring the quality of both qualitative and quantitative proteomic data at the source. By embedding AI technologies into multiple data analysis methods and supporting the construction of specialized databases, the company has developed an AI-powered, fully automated big data analytics platform. This platform significantly accelerates the analysis and mining of massive datasets, facilitating the translation of precision medicine.

For this round of financing,Li Jingli, Founder and CEO of Qinglian BioStatement: We express our gratitude to Delian Capital, the investor in this round, for recognizing the industry value of Qinglian Bio's innovative technology platform.With the support of Delian Capital, the company will accelerate efforts to break through industry bottlenecks in low-abundance and high-throughput proteomics, thereby lowering the barrier to entry for proteomics technologies.Following this round of financing, the company will advance the further R&D and commercialization of upstream scientific tool products, expand its portfolio of diversified sample pretreatment kits, build smart laboratories, develop big data algorithm solutions, and promote the widespread application of proteomics technologies in the field of precision medicine.

Huang Shuo, Delian CapitalIt is widely acknowledged that proteomics is the most dynamic omics field following genomics. High-resolution mass spectrometry instruments/platforms constitute the most fundamental research infrastructure for proteomics studies; however, challenges such as complex sample preparation procedures and the difficulty in achieving stable detection of low-to-medium abundance proteins have hindered the widespread adoption of high-resolution mass spectrometry and slowed the clinical translation of proteomics. Currently, both academic and industrial sectors are concentrating their efforts on achieving technological breakthroughs in pre-analytical processing for mass spectrometry. Representative overseas companies have gone public in the past two years, garnering significant market attention and recognition. It is foreseeable that proteomics will evolve toward miniaturized sample requirements and the discovery of low-abundance biomarkers. Beijing Qinglian Bai’ao is an emerging company in the field of proteomics, with its four core founders all hailing from China’s “Whampoa Military Academy” of proteomics research—National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), with clear market foresight, product innovation capabilities, and efficient execution, the company has achieved rapid growth in recent years. Since its establishment three years ago, the company has launched multiple research service products with technological advantages into the market,It is the first Chinese company to apply multiple magnetic bead enrichment technologies to different sample pre-processing workflows.In addition, the company has successfully developed and expanded its product line of scientific research equipment, becoming the first in China to launch a high-resolution mass spectrometry automated sample preparation platform along with supporting reagent kits. All of the company’s innovative products have gained recognition from representative clients. Leveraging the advantages of Chinese clinical cohorts, we expect the company to achieve greater success in clinical research and translation.

Li Su, Vice President of Investment at Tan Zhen CapitalStatement: Qinglian Bio boasts a unique proteomics testing platform. Centered on proteomics technologies, the company has deployed a range of magnetic bead enrichment materials tailored for diverse tissue samples and has developed China’s first fully automated proteomics robot. These innovations have significantly broadened the application scenarios of proteomics testing and enhanced its clinical accessibility. Since its inception, Qinglian Bio has served hundreds of industrial clients in the pharmaceutical sector, hospitals, and academic research institutions. It has also partnered with numerous renowned hospitals and research organizations to collaborate on the discovery of diagnostic biomarkers, IVD translation, and drug development, jointly driving project implementation. We are honored to participate in Qinglian Bio’s current financing round and look forward to the company further enriching its product pipeline, expanding commercial partnerships, and contributing to the industry’s robust growth under the leadership of its founding team.

Delian Capital, established in 2011, has remained dedicated to the technology and innovative healthcare sectors, with a particular focus on early-stage, technology-driven projects. Its investment portfolio spans niche industries such as semiconductors, intelligent equipment, cloud-native technologies, novel therapies, and IBAT. The firm has invested in over 100 companies, including Maxic Semiconductor, ChipSailing Technology, Nanjing Hongtai, Yingchuang Huizhi, Rokae Technology, Mech-Mind, Fit2Cloud, Venus Medtech, Amunix, Gaocheng Biology, Zhishan Weixin, and ChenAn Biologics.

Probe Capital, established in 2017, is a boutique investment bank specializing in healthcare and life sciences. Its business scope encompasses financial advisory, direct investment, industry consulting, and innovation incubation. The founding team hails from leading private equity firms, financial advisory institutions, management consulting companies, and vertical healthcare media outlets. Since its inception, Probe Capital has consistently completed double-digit private financing and M&A transactions annually, with cumulative transaction values exceeding RMB 10 billion. In terms of value-added services for portfolio companies, the Probe Capital team possesses extensive and mature industry expertise. In 2020, Probe New Healthcare Fund was launched and has since invested in several leading companies within the sector.