MGI & IDG Capital Life Science Accelerator 2022 Concludes with 3.0 Model Driving Innovation

Medical innovation demands substantial investment, involves long development cycles, and carries high risks. How to focus on R&D, avoid costly detours, and rapidly achieve established goals are critical challenges facing startups. The MGI Tech & IDG Capital Life Health Accelerator leverages the combined strengths of its three partners to provide systematic and efficient support, effectively addressing the “growing pains” of startups.

“Through this accelerator program, we hope to optimize our technical capabilities, expand our product markets, and accelerate corporate development with the support of aggregated knowledge, technology, capital, and resources.” Speaking of the original intention for joining the program at that time, DiDr. Liu Jia, Medical Director of Fei MedicineFrankly speaking.

It is reported that,Participants in the program may receive an “Innovation Toolkit” provided by MGI Tech, which includes sequencing reagents, single-cell library preparation kits, customized smart laboratory management systems, and consulting services for laboratory automation design and construction. This support enables rapid initiation of gene sequencing and single-cell sequencing projects, facilitating entry into the industry ecosystem.“Zhize Tongkang,” which focuses on the screening and treatment of pediatric diseases; “Jizhi Medicine,” dedicated to single-cell translational research; and “Mima Technology,” deeply engaged in the development of high-precision proteomics detection technologies, have each received this support.

■ Innovation Toolkit Awarded to the Project at the Closing Ceremony

As an upstream enterprise in the life sciences sector, MGI Tech has always believed that “with tools in hand, one can navigate freely.” Currently, it has established three major business lines—gene sequencers, laboratory automation, and emerging businesses (including BIT products and single-cell omics products)—building a comprehensive “read-write-store” platform in the field of core life science tools.

Since its inception, MGI Tech has consistently advocated for close collaboration among innovative enterprises both in China and abroad, driving technological innovation, application translation, regulatory compliance, and science popularization within the industry.BGI Genomics CFO Liu Bostated that it hopes to leverage its platform advantages through this accelerator program, foster synergy across diverse technological directions and application domains, deeply empower the ecosystem, support entrepreneurs in the life sciences sector, and contribute to industry development.

The development of startups also relies heavily on strong capital support. IDG Capital boasts a medical investment team with diverse, multidisciplinary backgrounds, which has long focused on the life sciences sector and maintained continuous investments in basic scientific research and cutting-edge technologies. This enables IDG Capital to provide participating projects with capital support, channels for communication and exchange, and a platform for growth.

“IDG Capital can bring broader investment perspectives and financial support to the accelerator program, provide entrepreneurs with precise startup guidance and efficient ‘pitfall-avoidance’ strategies, offer decision-making advice at different stages of corporate growth, and deliver support in areas such as industrial ecosystem development and resource integration, thereby helping them enhance their competitiveness.”Mr. Liu Yikun, Partner at IDG Capitalsaid.

In addition, selected projects will gain access to the professional startup services provided by Blue Rainbow. Initiated by BGI, Blue Rainbow is an incubation and venture capital platform serving life sciences startups worldwide. With extensive experience in planning and operating acceleration programs, it is committed to streamlining the entire conversion acceleration chain—from basic research to product development and commercialization—offering comprehensive innovation-focused incubation services to help early-stage startups achieve rapid growth.

In May this year, the 2022 MGI & IDG Capital Life Health Accelerator Program was launched, soliciting projects from the global life sciences sector and attracting numerous applications for admission.After months of rigorous selection, eight outstanding projects emerged as finalists to gain admission to the program, with Difei Medicine being one of them.

As a flagship enterprise under Genetron Health, Difei Medical focuses on the field of molecular diagnostics for infectious pathogens. It offers the Dixunkang series based on real-time quantitative PCR technology, the Diminkang series based on targeted sequencing technologies (mPCR or tNGS), the Digankang series based on metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), and a series of point-of-care testing kits based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) technology, thereby meeting the diagnostic needs across diverse clinical scenarios.

Notably, in the field of pathogenic microorganism detection, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) technology has long faced challenges such as high human background noise, variable difficulty in pathogen extraction, and issues with data analysis accuracy. To address these issues, Difei Medical has introduced HUGOR host-depletion technology, which effectively removes human background, enriches pathogens, and increases the number of detected pathogenic sequences by 10–100 fold. Additionally, by employing a combined mechanical and enzymatic cell lysis method, the technology enables differential lysis of fungi and viruses within a single tube, significantly improving the detection rates of various pathogens. Furthermore, a clinical-grade pathogenic microorganism database has been established.

According to Dr. Liu Jia, Difei Medical and MGI Tech have engaged in in-depth collaboration across platforms involving sequencing and automation equipment, with MGI Tech consistently providing professional technical support services to Difei Medical. Following the launch of MGI Tech’s DNBSEQ-G99, both parties worked together to complete the performance validation of this platform.

“The launch of MGI’s series of sequencers has given the world an additional choice. The product matrix, spanning high-, mid-, and low-throughput platforms, not only meets the technical demands for faster speed, higher sensitivity, and lower sequencing costs, but also addresses user needs across diverse fields,” said Liu Bo.

In the future, DiFei Medical will engage in deeper communication and collaboration with MGI Tech in the field of automated sequencing for pathogenic microorganisms. This partnership aims to enrich and refine the product portfolio for pathogen genetic testing, thereby accommodating diverse clinical scenarios. Concurrently, we will establish and optimize an integrated automated workflow encompassing extraction, sequencing, and analysis, facilitating the precise implementation of pathogen sequencing protocols in clinical settings. By continuously improving pathogen sequencing technologies and quality control systems, we aim to lay the foundation for establishing standardized practices in clinical pathogen sequencing.

Since its launch in 2018, the Life and Health Accelerator Program has completed five cohorts. Evolving from an initial concept into a tangible initiative, the program has undergone continuous optimization and upgrading over the past five years, consistently aggregating internal and external advantageous resources to establish a unique“Incubation Services + Industry Empowerment + Investment” 3.0 Acceleration Model, capable of providing comprehensive support to startups, and gradually gaining industry recognition.

Over the past five years, the Accelerator Program has collaborated with nearly 100 in-depth industry mentors from both internal and external networks, delivering 130 core courses and hosting 50 flagship events. It has provided guidance and empowerment to 48 projects across more than 20 cities domestically and internationally, spanning 15 frontier fields including molecular diagnostics, single-cell sequencing, spatial omics, innovative vaccines, early cancer screening, organoids, synthetic biology, drug R&D, and brain science. By the end of 2022, the cumulative valuation of participating projects had exceeded RMB 15 billion, with over 60% of these projects securing new rounds of financing.

■ Successfully held the 5th Life and Health Accelerator Camp

Amid global financial turbulence, geopolitical tensions, and uncertainties in the external environment, startups face numerous challenges. Zhao Weiwen, Executive President of the Blue Rainbow Life Sciences Accelerator, stated that the organization will maintain a “beginner’s mindset,” leveraging an open approach to innovation and its platform to attract more outstanding partners, introduce additional advantageous resources, and better empower startups and their teams.

“We remain firmly bullish on the frontier of life and health, particularly on technology-driven innovation tracks such as omics technologies, novel diagnostic and screening technologies, mass spectrometry platforms and applications, synthetic biology, gene and cell therapies, microbiology, new drug screening platforms, and brain science. We look forward to growing alongside these outstanding innovative forces,” said Zhao Weiwen.

■ Zhao Weiwen, Executive President of Blue Rainbow Life Sciences Accelerator

Blue Rainbow is an incubation and venture capital platform initiated by BGI, serving life science startups worldwide. It focuses on cutting-edge research and technologies in the fields of DNA, RNA, proteins, cells, tissues, and other multi-omics scales within the life sciences sector. Committed to fostering an innovation ecosystem with comprehensive support, it aims to enhance the efficiency of industrial translation. Under its umbrella is the Miracle Light Venture Capital Fund, which specializes in early-stage investments in high-growth-potential projects along the life science industry chain. Since its establishment in 2015, Blue Rainbow has helped dozens of life science startup projects achieve rapid growth during their early stages, with a cumulative project valuation exceeding RMB 10 billion. It has also cultivated over 200 high-level interdisciplinary entrepreneurial talents in the field of life and health.

MGI & IDG Capital Life Health Accelerator, hosted by MGI, the IDG Capital Innovation Investment Research Institute, and the Blue Rainbow Life Sciences Accelerator, is an acceleration program tailored for angel-round startups and entrepreneurial teams in the life and health sectors. It conducts annual global recruitment of startup projects and, during the six-month program, provides participating teams with seed funding, business and technical guidance, laboratory space, instruments and equipment, and other resources and services to accelerate their growth. After the program concludes, it continues to offer follow-up services, including facilitating investment and financing connections and identifying potential business collaboration opportunities.