Kento Fluidics Completes Over RMB 100 Million Series C Funding Round to Tackle 'Bottleneck' Challenges in Precision Microfluidic Control Components

Recently,Shenzhen Keyto Fluid Control Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Keyto Fluid”) announced the completion of its Series C financing round, exceeding RMB 100 million. The round was led by industrial investor Jinhe Capital, with participation from Haojun Capital and Hengyun Capital. The proceeds will be utilized for new product development, specialized precision production instruments, high-precision testing equipment, efficient and reliable human-machine collaborative automated production lines, and the expansion of global market channels, thereby continuing to build Keyto Fluid into a leading domestic and world-class brand in the microfluidics industry.

Keyto Fluid specializes in the development of mid-to-high-end critical fluid control components and subsystems for medical devices, environmental analysis instruments, and other fields. As a leading manufacturer in China with advanced technological capabilities, substantial scale, and a comprehensive range of product specifications, Keyto Fluid is a pioneer in its niche sector. The company currently holds over 80 independently developed patents and has been recognized as a National High-Tech Enterprise, a National Specialized and Sophisticated “Little Giant” Enterprise, and the Champion of the Corporate Group at the 2013 Nanshan Entrepreneurship Star Competition.

Under Shenzhen Keyto Fluid Control Co., Ltd. are three subsidiaries: Shenzhen Keyto Precision Technology Co., Ltd., Chengdu Kaitu Medical System Technology Co., Ltd., and Shenzhen Weite Molding Co., Ltd. The company has undertaken multiple national- and municipal-level scientific and technological breakthrough projects for key medical device components, including proportional valves for ventilators and bonded manifolds for gene sequencers.

Precision microfluidic control components (such as pumps, valves, etc.) have a wide range of applications and can be used in multiple fields including healthcare, environmental protection, laboratories, chemical engineering, semiconductors, and industrial automation. Mid-to-high-end precision fluid control components are characterized by high technical complexity, stringent requirements for accuracy and reliability, long service life, and rigorous traceability in the production process. Previously, the market for specialized fluidic sub-components in medical devices in China was long monopolized by imported brands, leading to uncontrollable factors in pricing, lead times, service, and quality, which left domestic equipment manufacturers lacking autonomy and bargaining power.

Shenzhen Keyto Fluid Control was registered and established in Shenzhen in 2010. The company’s founding team hails from leading global medical device enterprises, boasting extensive experience in the R&D and management of diagnostic medical devices, along with profound technical expertise and keen market insight. Through more than a decade of continuous deep cultivation and innovation in the field, the company has emerged as a domestic industry leader. It is the sole manufacturer in China of products such as pneumatic automated liquid handling (ADP) systems, proportional valves for ventilators, and bonded manifold flow bars. Currently,Shenzhen Keyto Fluid Control Co., Ltd. has over 500 employees worldwide, with R&D and technical personnel accounting for more than 25% of the total workforce.

Keyto Fluid Control is committed to independent research and development, holding fully autonomous intellectual property rights. The company’s R&D center brings together top-tier talent in China specializing in key microfluidic components, application technologies, and manufacturing processes. Its flexible, pragmatic, and efficient design philosophy safeguards Keyto’s core competitiveness and enhances the technological sophistication of its products.The company’s product portfolio comprises over 4,000 items, including high-end medical components such as proportional valves for ventilators, premium diaphragm solenoid valves, pneumatic pipetting modules, bonded manifolds, multi-channel rotary valves, ceramic metering pumps, syringe pumps, plunger pumps, flow cytometry sorting nozzles, and flow cells. These products have addressed critical technical challenges in fields such as gene sequencers, ventilators, anesthesia machines, single-cell sorting, chemiluminescence, and chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Meanwhile, Shenzhen Keyto Fluid Control Co., Ltd. boasts high production efficiency and a stringent quality control system.The company's production facility covers a total area of 6,800 m²., certified under the ISO 9001, ISO 13485, and ISO 14001 quality management systems, the company has internally established an “ultra-flexible, rapid, and standardized lean production model” centered on “rapid standardized changeover.” This approach enables swift resource allocation and responsiveness to customer needs, while ensuring full-process control and traceability of development information.

Since its establishment, Shenzhen Keyto Fluid Control Co., Ltd. has served over 4,500 domestic and international clients, including more than 20 Fortune Global 500 companies. Its overseas business covers Europe, the Americas, Southeast Asia, and other parts of Asia.The company's performance has maintained steady growth, with an average annual growth rate of approximately 40%.。

In December 2022, the Comprehensive Group of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council for COVID-19 issued the "Notice on the Work Plan for Hierarchical Diagnosis and Treatment of COVID-19 Based on Medical Consortia," emphasizing the need to enhance the service capacity of primary healthcare institutions and improve the allocation of equipment and medicines for disinfection, inspection and testing, and emergency resuscitation. National policy guidance has brought significant development dividends to manufacturers of medical devices such as CT scanners, patient monitors, ventilators, and defibrillators. As an R&D-focused manufacturer of mid-to-high-end key components upstream in the supply chain, Shenzhen Keyto Fluid Control Co., Ltd. has also ushered in new opportunities for growth.

In the future, Shenzhen Keyto Fluid Control Co., Ltd. will continue to strengthen its comprehensive advantages in R&D, production, quality control, and operations, providing global customers with more efficient, professional, and customized services.

Regarding this round of financing,Hao Bixi, Founding Shareholder of Jinhe CapitalIt stated: “The technology behind mid-to-high-end precision fluid control components is highly complex, with extremely stringent production process requirements. Previously, the market for key components of medical devices in China was long monopolized by enterprises from Europe, the United States, and Japan, leaving significant room for import substitution. In recent years, the rise of Shenzhen Keyto Fluid Control Co., Ltd. (Keyto Fluid) has broken this status quo. Mr. Zhang Cheng, founder of Keyto Fluid, and its management team possess profound technical expertise and a forward-looking strategic vision. The company is committed to breaking through upstream technological barriers in life science instruments, tackling hard challenges head-on, resolving the ‘chokepoint’ issues concerning key components of diagnostic and treatment equipment, and leading technological innovation in precision fluidics. In multiple niche categories, Keyto Fluid is the only manufacturer in China capable of large-scale mass production, with its industrial manufacturing standards ranking among the most advanced globally. As a partner in long-term value investment, Jinhe Capital is highly optimistic about Keyto Fluid’s development prospects and will continue to leverage the industrial ecosystem advantages of its funds to empower Keyto, helping the enterprise become a national brand with greater international influence.”

Zhang Fan, Partner at Haojun CapitalIt stated: “Microfluidic systems involve complex laminar flow, turbulent flow, and vortices, requiring a profound understanding and long-term accumulation of expertise in fluid analysis within microchannels. Even finite element simulation analysis cannot fully replicate the fluid dynamics in microchannels. Therefore, the longer the experience, the greater the accumulation of core technologies (know-how and tricks) for microfluidic systems. Shenzhen Keyto Fluid Control Co., Ltd. has 12 years of accumulated experience in the research, development, and production of microfluidic systems, along with a highly reliable execution team, enabling its products to compete on par with leading international manufacturers. As the only scaled enterprise in this field in China, the company has very bright prospects in the context of domestic substitution.”

Zhang Cheng, Founder of Keyto FluidShenzhen Keyto Fluid Control Co., Ltd. stated: “Keyto has long been dedicated to the development, production, and sales of critical components in the healthcare sector. We fully recognize the paramount importance of understanding customer applications and industry development roadmaps, and we warmly welcome the participation of strategic industrial investors. Jinhe Capital is a specialized investment institution in the healthcare field, backed by an industrial platform with years of experience in medical laboratory services. This partnership will enable Keyto to gain deeper insights into clinical needs and application scenarios, stay abreast of cutting-edge technologies and future trends in the medical industry, and guide us in developing products with stronger core competitiveness. In this regard, it is undoubtedly a powerful alliance between two strong parties. Haojun Capital and Hengyun Capital focus on investments in the high-end manufacturing sector, providing in-depth market research and injecting momentum into Keyto’s corporate operations. Keyto will continue to deepen its expertise in the precision microfluidics industry, working hand in hand with both new and existing shareholders to pursue excellence and create a brighter future.”

Jinhe Capital is a professional investment firm focused on the healthcare and medical sectors. Its founder brings over 25 years of experience in the medical industry and successfully established KingMed Diagnostics, China’s largest third-party clinical laboratory service provider. Headquartered in Guangzhou with a nationwide presence, Jinhe Capital will continue to make strategic investments in growth-stage and mature companies across key areas such as in vitro diagnostics (IVD), life sciences, innovative medical devices, and consumer healthcare. By building an industrial ecosystem and leveraging the synergy between industry expertise and capital, the firm aims to cultivate healthcare enterprises with international competitiveness.

Suzhou Haojun Huaxing Venture Capital Partnership (Limited Partnership) is a private equity fund jointly initiated by Shanghai Haojun Investment Management Co., Ltd. and Suzhou HYC Technology Co., Ltd. Haojun Capital is a professional equity investment management institution that has long focused on equity investments in technology-based industrial enterprises. The listed company HYC Technology serves as the cornerstone investor for the venture capital fund. Suzhou Haojun Huaxing Venture Capital Partnership (Limited Partnership) focuses its investments on advanced high-end manufacturing, semiconductors, integrated circuits, and other related sectors, targeting technology-driven companies with core competitiveness, excellent management teams, and significant market potential. To date, the Suzhou Haojun Huaxing Fund has completed investments in more than ten high-tech enterprises.

Hengyun Capital is a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in hard-core and emerging technologies, committed to partnering with entrepreneurs to build exceptional enterprises. Guided by value investment principles and driven by in-depth industry research, Hengyun Capital focuses on key industrial chains, fully integrates industry resources, and provides meticulous post-investment management to support startup companies. The path of technological entrepreneurship is fraught with challenges and stretches far into the future; we stand alongside entrepreneurs as long-term partners, persevering with diligence from dawn till dusk—embodying the spirit captured in our name, “Hengyun” (meaning “constant cultivation”).