Synthetic Biology Firm Inococci Completes RMB 50 Million Angel Funding Round

VCBeat has learned at the earliest opportunity,Shanghai Yinuojike Biotechnology Co., Ltd.(Abbreviation:Inokiko) Announced CompletionRMB 50 Million Angel RoundFinancing, byJingsheng Capital, Hygeia CapitalInvestment. This round of financing will be used to accelerate the construction and operation of production facilities, advance the research, development, and commercialization of the product pipeline, and expand the talent team.

Inokiko was founded in September 2022. Inokiko is a synthetic biology company dedicated to the research, development, and production of green bio-based products, with its product portfolio coveringNatural Fragrances, Nutritional Health, Biopharmaceuticalsand other fields.The company has fully integrated all stages, from R&D and production to sales.. The company's R&D center is located in Shanghai, and its pilot production base is located in Deqing, Zhejiang.

Yinuo Jike was founded by renowned experts in the industry, possessingExcellent synthetic biology R&D capabilities and extensive experience in industrial-scale fermentation, enabling continuous new product development and industrial-scale commercialization, along with the capability to continuously optimize products. Founder Chu Xiaohe has long been engaged in technology development and technical management related to biomanufacturing,He successively served as Chief Engineer of Zhejiang Shenghua Biok Biology Co., Ltd., a publicly listed company, and General Manager of Baoding Jiufu Biochemical Co., Ltd.Has been engaged in R&D of amino acids, steroid hormones, natural pigments, bio-based agricultural antibiotics, synthetic pesticides, veterinary drugs, and pharmaceutical intermediates, completing the development and production of more than 20 new products.

Founder Ye Bangce is a professor at the School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, and a Distinguished Professor under the Ministry of Education’s “Changjiang Scholars” Program.He has long been engaged in research in the fields of synthetic biology and bioengineering, achieving significant accomplishments in bioengineering and related areas. He has been honored with the Second Prize for Natural Science from the Ministry of Education, the Second Prize for Technological Invention from Shanghai Municipality, and the Meiji Dairies Life Science Award. The company currently boasts a research, development, and production team of nearly thirty members.

The company possesses a mature synthetic biology platform,Possesses extensive expertise in component mining, strain engineering and screening, and fermentation optimization.; and has developed multiple mature chassis cell metabolic pathways. Centered on these metabolic pathways, the company has established a series of product pipelines, coveringNatural Fragrances, Nutrition and Health, Biopharmaceuticalsand other fields.

Guided by market demand, the company’s products are systematically laid out and developed across different niche areas centered on metabolic pathways; meanwhile, it is continuously expanding new chassis cell metabolic pathways to create a synergistic product portfolio. The company’s product pipeline is advancing rapidly,Multiple products have achieved industrial-scale production, and robust sales channels have been established. Sales revenue is projected to reach nearly RMB 100 million in 2023, with subsequent performance expected to maintain rapid growth.. Meanwhile, multiple products will also establish strategic partnerships with companies in the biopharmaceutical and nutritional health sectors.

Regarding the completion of this round of financing,Founder of InnoKecostated: “Although Inoeko is a newly established synthetic biology company, it has built a strong foundation and competitive advantages across all key stages, including its synthetic biology technology platform, strain engineering, multi-category product development, and scaled-up manufacturing. To bring our promising products from the laboratory and small-scale production to market more quickly and effectively, we must efficiently integrate resources and capital, and rapidly advance the upgrading of our existing pipeline. Only in this way can we secure a solid foothold and achieve long-term success in an increasingly competitive market. We appreciate the investment acumen of Jingsheng Capital and Hygeia Capital, and firmly believe that with their support, Inoeko will thrive in the fields of synthetic biology and biomanufacturing, emerging as an industry leader and creating greater value for society.”

Cheng Bolin, Vice President of Investment at Jingsheng Capitalstated: “We are deeply honored to have invested in InoKeco during its angel round and to have witnessed every step of the company’s development. As a rare enterprise possessing both R&D capabilities in synthetic biology and the ability to achieve industrial-scale implementation, InoKeco not only develops new products in response to market demands but also successfully translates them into mass production and commercial launch. Even more remarkably, the company has systematically structured its product pipeline with strong strategic planning, particularly in the fields of natural flavors and nutritional health. Furthermore, InoKeco has established a well-balanced R&D progression across its product portfolio, with multiple products already achieving scaled sales—a rarity among companies at the same stage. Under the current macro-trend of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, there is a pressing need for industrial reform and upgrading both domestically and internationally, presenting significant opportunities for synthetic biology. This progress requires teams like InoKeco’s, which possess end-to-end experience from laboratory research to commercialization. Hygeia Capital will leverage its own advantages to provide support and facilitate resource alignment, helping the company rapidly grow into an industry leader.”

Dr. Du Jiangbo, Managing Partner at Hygeia Capital“Synthetic biology is a sector that Hygeia Capital closely monitors and holds in high regard. We are honored to participate in this round of investment in InoKiko. We believe that the InoKiko team possesses industry-leading capabilities in strain development and construction, along with extensive experience in process scale-up and production, demonstrating an outstanding track record across multiple fields, including amino acids, steroid hormones, and pharmaceutical intermediates. The company has already established a comprehensive product portfolio and is poised to enter a fast track toward commercialization. We have strong confidence in the company’s future development and believe that InoKiko will grow into a leading enterprise in the synthetic biology industry.”

Jingsheng Capital is a venture capital fund focused on China’s biopharmaceutical industry, composed of a team with extensive experience in both the pharmaceutical sector and fund management. Leveraging abundant industry resources and providing efficient value-added services, it builds a mutually supportive pharmaceutical ecosystem to help startups become industry benchmarks.

Hygeia Capital is a professional investment institution focused on the healthcare and biotechnology sectors, driven by a dual-engine strategy of “VC investment” plus “industry empowerment.” Its management team possesses extensive industry background as well as experience in venture capital and private equity investments. The firm’s portfolio includes more than 20 high-quality enterprises, such as Kindly Medical Devices (1501.HK) [interventional medical devices], Cofoe Medical (301087.SZ) [personal health management across the entire life cycle], Weilizhibo [new drug R&D], Zhidao Biology [new drug R&D], Zhongyi Anke [vaccine R&D], Respree [inhalation formulations], Shengsi Biopharma [new drug R&D], Huajian Future [new drug R&D], Ruiyi Technology [pharmaceutical CDMO], Hanling Medical [interventional/implantable medical devices], and Junsai Bio [cell therapy].