Jingzhu Bio Successfully Completes Series A+ Financing to Advance AI-Powered Cervical Cancer Cytology Screening System

VCBeat has learned that Jingzhu Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (“Jingzhu Biotech”) has successfully completed an A+ round of financing amounting to tens of millions of RMB in recent days. The round was led by Silicon Port Capital, with participation from Zhangke Herun and Jinchang Qiya. This financing marks another successful funding effort for Jingzhu Biotech following its Series A round last year. The funds raised will be primarily used for the system certification of the all-in-one automated liquid-based thin-layer slide preparation, staining, and mounting instrument and the AI-powered cervical cancer screening system, advancing product commercialization, expanding production lines, and developing new products in cell analysis-related fields, thereby injecting fresh momentum into the company’s rapid growth.

Jingzhu Bio officially launched its projects in 2019, focusing on cytology screening solutions for cervical cancer and providing comprehensive intelligent solutions for cell analysis. Its product portfolio covers the entire workflow, from sample collection and preservation, to an integrated automated system for pre-processing, slide preparation, staining, and coverslipping, as well as high-definition microscopic scanning systems, AI-assisted diagnostic software, and information systems for report generation. The company’s founder, Zhao Weiguo, has over 30 years of experience in the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry, possessing extensive international leadership and management expertise. A serial entrepreneur, he excels at developing IVD products with competitive international technological capabilities. The core team comprises professionals from renowned medical device companies, with proven track records in the industrialization of large-scale automated IVD instruments, consumables, and reagents.

CYTOWIZ, independently developed and manufactured by Jingzhu Bio^®The fully automated liquid-based cytology slide preparation, staining, and coverslipping system, combined with fully automated intelligent high-definition microscopic scanning technology and artificial intelligence (AI)-based cytological analysis, achieves comprehensive automation and intelligent integration of the entire cervical cytology screening workflow. Featuring cutting-edge technological concepts and product innovations both domestically and internationally, this solution addresses the challenges of non-standardized and low-throughput sample preparation, as well as non-standardized diagnosis and excessive manual labor time. By unlocking substantial latent demand for clinical testing, it brings to domestic pathology departments a modern, fully automated, intelligent pipeline testing experience akin to that of large hospital clinical laboratories, significantly enhancing the efficiency of cytopathological testing and driving scalable revenue growth.

CYTOWIZ^®One-Stop Intelligent Cytology Solution:

High-quality slide preparation and clear scanning are prerequisites for AI-based cytological diagnosis!

· Replace the current semi-automated slide preparation with fully automated slide preparation to significantly improve slide quality and ensure reproducibility, thereby enhancing the accuracy of AI-assisted diagnosis.

· Leverage efficient AI-assisted diagnosis to reduce the workload of pathologists and alleviate the critical shortage of cytopathologists.

· All products related to the instrument and its reagents have obtained certifications, totaling 13 items. More than 30 patents have been applied for, including 2 PCT applications.

·The product has been sold to many large Grade A tertiary hospitals.

· The cell analysis technology platform has matured and can be extended to fields such as fine-needle aspiration pathology, urinary cytology, peripheral blood cells, and exfoliated bladder cells.

Zhao Weiguo, founder of Jingzhu Biotech, stated: Currently, the cervical cancer screening coverage rate among the 420 million women of eligible age (21–65 years) in China is only 25%, while the national mandate requires expanding this coverage to 50% of the eligible population. However, large hospitals still rely on imported semi-automated slide preparation and manual microscopic examination with the naked eye. Coupled with a severe shortage of cytopathologists in China, it would take ten years to complete a single round of nationwide primary screening under the current industry status quo. In light of this industry background and market demand, we have leveraged technological innovation to replace current semi-automated slide preparation with fully automated systems. This significantly improves slide quality and ensures reproducibility, thereby enhancing the accuracy of AI-assisted diagnosis. By employing efficient AI-assisted diagnostic tools, we reduce the workload of pathologists, alleviate the critical shortage of cytopathologists, effectively improve the diagnostic accuracy of cervical cancer, and contribute to accelerating the elimination of cervical cancer.

Mr. He Xin, Founding Partner of Silicon Port Capital, stated: Jingzhu Bio’s product R&D is deeply integrated with market research, enabling its products to effectively address the industry’s key challenges and pain points. We recognize the uniqueness of Jingzhu Bio’s products and the strengths of its team, and we look forward to helping Jingzhu Bio further expand the application scope of its products, thereby delivering greater value to the industry.

Gu Jiefeng, Deputy General Manager of Zhangke Herun, stated: Currently, many niche segments of the IVD industry remain firmly dominated by foreign companies in the high-end market. Jingzhu Biotechnology has targeted the cell analysis sector, positioning itself primarily as a domestic alternative to high-end imported products. At present, the company’s product performance holds significant advantages over those of similar manufacturers both domestically and internationally. With the right strategic direction and the concerted efforts of its team, Jingzhu Biotechnology’s growth and expansion are just around the corner.

Silicon Harbor Capital is an international investment institution focused on early-stage and growth-stage emerging technologies and artificial intelligence applications worldwide. Founded in 2019 by seasoned investor He Xin, the firm is headquartered in Shanghai. Mr. He previously served as Associate Director at Intel Capital, President of The Carlyle Group’s China operations, and President of Apollo Global Management’s Asia division. Silicon Harbor Capital’s other partners include R&D leaders from global telecommunications giants, serial successful entrepreneurs in the technology sector, and senior executives with extensive experience in R&D and global strategic investments at leading industrial software firms and prominent semiconductor companies. The investment team comprises top-tier talent with profound insights into the development of hardware and software industries related to semiconductors, industrial software, cloud computing, intelligent manufacturing, and next-generation smart medical devices. With a long-term focus on global markets and a dedication to technology, Silicon Harbor Capital continuously identifies high-potential companies through in-depth industry research. By fostering open exchanges and discussions, the firm accumulates and integrates industrial resources, vigorously supports entrepreneurs’ continuous innovation, empowers rapid corporate growth, and is committed to delivering exceptional investment returns to its investors.

The Zhangke Herun Fund is managed by Zhangjiang Sci-Tech Investment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zhangjiang Group, with the Pudong Science and Technology Innovation Fund of Funds serving as its cornerstone investor. The fund focuses primarily on innovative drugs, medical devices, and healthcare services. As Zhangjiang Group’s biomedical investment platform, the Zhangke Herun Fund leverages the industrial ecosystem and park resources of Zhangjiang to support the robust growth of high-quality, high-potential enterprises in the life and health sectors.