Zai Zao Regenerative Health Secures RMB 30 Million in Seed Funding to Launch Innovative Pediatric Height-Growth Solution AnGaoSu

VCBeat has learned that Rebirth Health Technology, targeting the pediatric height enhancement market, recently completed a RMB 30 million angel financing round jointly invested by Xianfeng Changqing, Oufang Capital, Wangdao Capital, and several renowned entrepreneurs and angel investors. Following the completion of this financing, the company is accelerating its market expansion efforts.

What kind of company is Rebirth Health Technology, and what innovative solution for children’s height growth has it launched? We interviewedSeason Liu, Co-Founder of Rebirth Health TechnologyLet’s Unveil the Mystery.

VCBeat: We learned that Rebirth Health Technology successfully launched an innovative height-enhancing product for children, Angaosu, several months ago. What is the technological principle behind this product?

Season Liu：Our core approach focuses on enhancing the sensitivity of relevant receptors. However, our methodology diverges from the traditional paradigm that progresses from specific mechanisms to final efficacy—a framework better suited for large pharmaceutical companies and academic research. Instead, we prioritize significant therapeutic outcomes, with a stronger emphasis on monitoring target results (such as the release levels of growth hormone and IGF-1, and the division frequency of osteoblasts) and potential side effects. By complementing this approach with murine toxicology studies and small-scale human trials, we can rapidly develop effective products and iterate quickly. We believe this strategy better leverages our advantages in dietary supplement R&D and our proprietary knowledge graph.

Currently, we primarily extract natural biological materials using specially customized and modified preparative HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography). Since our preliminary work has precisely defined the range of core active ingredients in each biological extract, we can ensure the stability of these core components even when there are significant fluctuations in the supply of specific raw material sources. Through our precise secondary extraction technology, we can identify the active ingredients and ensure consistency across every batch of extracts, thereby guaranteeing stable and uniform composition, dosage, and ratios.

Our Chief Scientist, Academician Wen, is an internationally renowned expert in bioengineering and regenerative medicine. His area of expertise lies in promoting bodily regeneration by modulating the cellular microenvironment, in which growth hormone and IGF-1 play two pivotal roles. The team conducted extensive cellular experiments and ultimately identified key ingredients and their combinations that effectively enhance cellular production of these two proteins while increasing cellular sensitivity to them. Following the establishment of the laboratory, we optimized these core ingredients using a more systematic extraction protocol and validated the current optimal combination through large-scale cellular experiments.

VCBeat: What are the current industry pain points and opportunities in the pediatric height enhancement market?

Season Liu：Through market research and analysis, we have identified that the domestic demand for height enhancement in children is highly inelastic. Currently, the most clinically effective approach is primarily direct injection of growth hormone. However, this method has several limitations: some children resist injections; the regimen is cumbersome and complex, requiring daily to weekly subcutaneous injections; there are potential risks of missed or interrupted doses; and the cost is prohibitive. Consequently, the number of individuals receiving growth hormone injections annually remains low. Generally, growth hormone therapy is indicated for “short stature” (*Short stature: classified as the P3 population, referring to individuals whose height is below the 3rd percentile for their age peers).

In China, approximately 7.6 million children suffer from "short stature" (*based on 3% of the 254 million population aged 3–15 from the 2021 census data, i.e., 7.6 million). Among these 7.6 million individuals, only 3%, or about 200,000 people, have received growth hormone injections, creating a market worth tens of billions of yuan. However, the demand beyond this 3% remains largely unmet. We believe that no parent or child is merely satisfied with not being classified as having short stature (below the P3 percentile). Individuals between the P3 and P75 percentiles also experience varying degrees of height anxiety and desire to grow taller. Conservatively estimating that 30% of the 180 million people in the P3–P75 range are somewhat dissatisfied with their height, this translates to over 50 million people seeking appropriate solutions, representing a trillion-yuan market opportunity. Rebirth Health Technology’s pediatric height-enhancement product, Angaosu, is well-positioned to meet the demands of this vast market.

VCBeat: How do you view the target population positioning for Angaosu products, and why is it aimed at the P10–P75 population?

Season Liu：Angaosu is positioned for the P10–P75 population, primarily targeting individuals who have not previously received growth hormone therapy, a strategy aligned with broader market considerations. Currently, only approximately 200,000 patients receive growth hormone injections annually. Beyond this cohort lies a substantial blue-ocean market, where patients are actively seeking safe and effective alternatives to injectable growth hormone. In fact, our product can be used by any child or adolescent whose epiphyseal plates have not yet closed, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. Furthermore, our product is theoretically highly effective for individuals with insensitivity to growth hormone receptors or IGF-1 receptors, representing a broad patient population and significant market potential.

VCBeat: What is the product design of Angaosu?

Season Liu：Our product is currently formulated as a #4 mini capsule, with a volume approximately one-quarter that of a standard adult capsule, making it safe, child-friendly, and easy to swallow. Meanwhile, the capsule form factor encourages both parents and children to approach the twice-daily dosing regimen with greater seriousness and consistency, rather than treating it casually like candy, thereby subtly enhancing adherence. Since its market launch, user feedback regarding the dosage form’s ease of administration has been overwhelmingly positive. We are also expanding into other dosage forms, such as tablets and oral liquids, to meet more diverse needs.

VCBeat: What is the composition of the team at Rebirth Health Technology?

Season Liu：The founding team boasts a track record of serial entrepreneurial success, along with extensive experience in operating well-known consumer brands such as Procter & Gamble, Nature Made, and Florasis. The founders’ original intention in establishing this company was to pursue disruptive initiatives in the life sciences sector that hold long-term significance for society. Core team members all possess biological science backgrounds from prestigious universities both in China and abroad. Their expertise includes a profound understanding of molecular signaling pathways and stem cells, enabling the logical, foundational design of targeted products; rich experience in product commercialization as well as supply chain development and management; and specialized expertise in channel expansion. This is a team driven by a long-termist entrepreneurial spirit. Currently, Rebirth Health Technology (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. has a team of over 20 employees, which is projected to expand to 40–50 staff members in 2023 in response to changes in business scale.

VCBeat: Why did you choose to establish Rebirth Health Technology in 2022?

Season Liu：As early as 2009, we established a laboratory in the United States dedicated to precision extraction technologies for natural biological materials and the identification of high-potency active constituents. Through extensive cellular experiments, we have developed comprehensive maps of cellular pathways and molecular target interactions. We employ various extraction methods, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, and crystallization, to systematically isolate and classify components from a wide range of natural biological sources. By conducting large-scale cellular assays, we have evaluated and identified the specific molecular targets for each group of extracts. Over more than a decade of data accumulation, we have analyzed and curated the interactions among all extracts in our library, along with their corresponding cellular and molecular targets, thereby constructing detailed target interaction maps.

By leveraging this knowledge graph, we can rapidly design novel formulations tailored to specific indications. As long as the therapeutic targets for an indication are known, the graph enables quick identification of ingredients that target these sites, those capable of synergistic interactions, and those prone to conflicts. We are currently developing an AI model that utilizes this knowledge graph to generate new formulations more quickly and accurately. Furthermore, data obtained from human clinical trials will be fed back into the graph, continuously enhancing its precision.

Xregen Institute, serving as the company’s technical platform, aims to leverage cutting-edge biomedical technologies to deliver health products and solutions with quantifiable efficacy. Our mission is to extend human healthspan, enhance quality of life, and prolong lifespan. Driven by this mission, we established Rebirth Health Technology (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. in 2022. We have chosen pediatric height enhancement as our current target market for two primary reasons: First, over the past several years, U.S.-based laboratories have conducted extensive cellular experiments and, utilizing the aforementioned maps, identified specific combinations of substances that effectively elevate IGF-1 levels and enhance IGF-1 receptor sensitivity. Second, our market research and analysis have revealed a highly rigid demand for pediatric height enhancement solutions in China.

VCBeat: Could you share the latest developments of your company?

Season Liu：The company currently focuses on pediatric height enhancement. The potency studies and optimization of the relevant R&D formulations have been completed, and its flagship product, Angaosu, was officially launched in November 2022. Prior to this, a pilot study involving a small-scale target population was conducted, qualitatively validating the product’s efficacy. The joint research project with Zhejiang University, titled “Intervention Study on Dietary Nutritional Supplements for Pediatric Height Enhancement,” has also received ethical approval. Currently, larger-scale clinical trials are being conducted in collaboration with Grade A tertiary hospitals.

In terms of investment and financing, the company completed a RMB 30 million angel round in early 2023, jointly invested by Xianfeng Changqing, Oufang Capital, Wangdao Capital, and several renowned entrepreneurs and angel investors.

VCBeat: Could you elaborate on the preliminary pilot studies conducted earlier and the clinical trials currently underway?

Season Liu：We conducted a pilot study in which a small cohort of target children participated as volunteers. After 90 consecutive days of administration, their height velocity was faster than that observed without intervention, with an average additional height gain of approximately 1.5 cm. IGF-1 levels also showed a significant increase (*an elevation in IGF-1 levels is internationally recognized by experts in the field of pediatric growth and development as one of the core criteria for evaluating the efficacy of height-enhancement therapies). Although this was only a pilot study, it allowed for a qualitative assessment of the product’s significant efficacy. We are now jointly conducting more rigorous clinical trials with a Grade A tertiary hospital. Based on our research into this product and its underlying technical principles, as well as the qualitative results from the pilot study in the target population, we are confident—despite the product not being classified as a pharmaceutical drug—in applying the stringent standards used in new drug development to further quantify the safety, stability, and efficacy of this medical consumer product. This aligns with the original mission behind founding our company: to deliver only products and solutions that are safe, effective, quantifiable, measurable, and perceptible, thereby contributing to society with initiatives of greater long-term significance.

VCBeat: Since the product launch, are there any real-world cases available for public sharing?

Season Liu: The elevation of IGF-1 levels is internationally recognized in the field of pediatric growth and development as one of the core criteria for assessing the efficacy of height enhancement. Since its market launch, our product has received consistent recognition and positive feedback from users. A real-life case involves a 14-year-old boy, referred to by the pseudonym “Xiao Gao,” who was 165 cm tall, aligning with the average height for his peers. His IGF-1 concentration was only 320.1 ng/ml, which is below -2 standard deviations (SD). He began taking Angaosu on November 13, 2022. By December 20, 2022, his IGF-1 concentration had increased to 381.5 ng/ml, representing a significant 19.2% rise in IGF-1 levels in less than two months.

Many users have experienced a measurable and perceptible height increase of 1–2 cm within the first 1–2 months of using the product. We are confident that with continued use of Angaosu over a longer period (e.g., more than 6 months), the efficacy and advantages of our product will become even more pronounced.

VCBeat: Will your primary focus moving forward be the hospital market? What are the strategic considerations behind this market approach?

Season Liu：Angaosu, the official product designed to promote height growth in children, was officially launched in November 2022. Currently, ToP/H professional channels serve as the primary market for initial breakthroughs. We are conducting clinical trials with Grade A tertiary hospitals to obtain more comprehensive and systematic data.

We position this pediatric height-enhancement product as a medical consumer good. A high-quality consumer product, particularly a fast-moving medical consumer good, should possess two key attributes: First, virality: Efficacy is paramount; a superior product speaks for itself. If a child experiences a sudden acceleration in growth, it will be readily noticeable to those around them, thereby facilitating word-of-mouth propagation. Second, long-term subscription potential/high repurchase rate: Height enhancement is not achieved overnight but spans the entire growth and development cycle. Therefore, this product exhibits characteristics of high repurchase frequency and long-term subscription viability.

Based on the technical principles and advantages outlined above, we are confident that this approach will offer professional channels and practitioners (ToH or ToP) a novel perspective and new methods for promoting height growth in children. It deserves greater recognition and endorsement from professional channels, thereby enabling more parents and children who are urgently seeking solutions to become aware of and benefit from it. While securing professional endorsement from key channels to break the ice, we also aim to achieve greater commercial conversion through direct-to-consumer (ToC) strategies or channel agents.

VCBeat: What are the future development plans for Rebirth Health Technology?

Season Liu：Returning to our original intention and vision, we leverage biomedical technologies to provide health products and solutions with quantifiable effects, thereby extending human healthspan. This is a socially meaningful endeavor and mission that warrants the integration of more like-minded resources to scale up together. Currently, our products are not classified as pharmaceuticals; rather, we are positioned in the medical consumer goods sector.

Short-to-Mid-Term Pipeline Expansion: We remain focused on the pediatric population. At this stage, we aim to address a key physiological concern in children—height enhancement. We are also planning our next phase to tackle psychological issues in children, such as developing products and solutions for improving attention span and managing autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, we are advancing the research and translational development of IGF-1 for other therapeutic indications (*During our early-stage research on pathways for pediatric height growth, we identified other significant benefits of IGF-1; however, as the product has not yet been launched, we will not elaborate further here).

Mid-to-Long-Term Pipeline Expansion: Targeting strong market demands or ultimate long-term needs (such as systemic health issues like anti-aging and age reversal), we will leverage the reserve and forward-looking technologies from our R&D laboratories in China and the United States to achieve greater product technology and commercialization conversions.

We seek to introduce investment partners in relevant fields to join us in witnessing and fulfilling this socially significant mission.