LedaPioneer Secures Nearly $6 Million in Pre-A Funding to Advance Automated Chemoproteomics Platform

VCBeat has learned that Ningbo Leadart Biotechnology Co., Ltd., a company dedicated to automating chemical proteomics workflows to accelerate drug discovery, recently announced the completion of its Pre-A financing round of nearly $6 million. The round was led by BlueRun Ventures and participated by Yongchao Venture Capital. The new funds will be used to advance Leadart’sDevelopment of an Automated Platform for Chemical ProteomicsandCreation of the World's Largest Database of Target-Probe Interactions at the Human Live-Cell Level.

“Ningbo Leadart, incubated by the Institute of New Drug Technology at Ningbo University, has grown over the past four years into an A-tier interdisciplinary team of more than 60 experts in chemistry, biology, and automation. We have established a proprietary platform based on photoaffinity labeling-based chemical proteomics (PAL-AfBPP), which has engaged in multiple collaborations with academic institutions and pharmaceutical R&D companies, achieving phased successes.”Dr. Ni Feng, Co-Founder and CEO of Ningbo Leadart Biotechnology Co., Ltd.stated: ““We are delighted to leverage this funding to accelerate our technological innovation and external business collaborations.”

Lead Investor: BlueRun VenturesIt stated: “In recent years, the race for popular drug targets has become increasingly crowded and fiercely competitive. However, over 90% of human protein targets remain undrugged, making the development of high-quality therapeutics against ‘undruggable’ targets a key focus for pharmaceutical companies. Chemical proteomics enables drug screening of cellular protein targets under live-cell conditions, using disease-relevant cell models or tissues as experimental systems. We look forward to Ningbo Leadart Biotechnology Co., Ltd. leveraging its next-generation, highly automated chemical proteomics platform to discover drugs for highly validated, challenging drug targets, while continuously generating high-value data on small molecule–protein interactions within live cells, thereby providing core support for critical stages of drug development.”

Head of Yongchao Venture CapitalYongchao Venture Capital stated: “We continue to focus on the life and health sector, paying close attention to breakthroughs brought by new technologies in the field of new drug development. Over the past two years, our business team has gained an in-depth understanding of the company’s strategic layout through multiple visits and exchanges. We believe that Ningbo Leadart Biotechnology Co., Ltd. not only utilizes chemical proteomics technology to discover innovative protein targets but also operates as an automated, data-driven drug discovery platform. It plays a proactive and pioneering role in promoting technological advancements in the biopharmaceutical industry and strengthening the core competitiveness of the pharmaceutical sector, demonstrating broad prospects for future growth and significant upward potential.”

Chemical proteomics technologies have garnered widespread attention for their ability to elucidate the mechanisms of action of phenotypically active molecules in living human cells, explore drug–protein interaction networks, and enable the development of therapeutics targeting previously undruggable or difficult-to-drug targets. Notable examples include Roche’s recent $2 billion collaboration with Jnana Therapeutics and Bayer’s $2 billion acquisition of Vividion Therapeutics in 2021.

Leadart is a pioneer in automating and accelerating chemical proteomics,Building the world’s largest database of human protein–probe interactions, aiming to cover more than 15,000 proteins across the entire human proteome.For proteins with unknown probes or hit compounds, Leadart is developing high-throughput drug screening methods based on live-cell target engagement. The company recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement with AstraZeneca’s iCampus to establish a preclinical translation platform for the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine in Chengdu, China.

Ningbo Leadart Biotechnology Co., Ltd., established in 2017, is the first company in China and among the first globally to master breakthrough chemical proteomics technologies. The company also possesses cutting-edge biotechnology platforms and proven capabilities in the productization of automated equipment. With a mission to lead the digital transformation of new drug discovery, Leadart is committed to building an automated platform for target identification at the level of living human cells and a globally leading target-ligand big data platform. It has deployed industry-leading, automation- and digitalization-driven innovative drug discovery platforms in Ningbo, Chengdu, and Boston, USA.

Originating in Silicon Valley, USA,BlueRun VenturesEstablished in 2005, it is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage startups. Currently, BlueRun Ventures manages multiple USD and RMB dual-currency funds in China, with assets under management exceeding RMB 15 billion. Its investment stage is concentrated in Pre-A and Series A rounds, covering sectors such as new consumption, enterprise technology, hard tech and innovative interaction, and healthcare. It has cumulatively invested in more than 150 startup companies, including Li Auto, Shuidi Inc., QingCloud, Guazi Used Cars, Qudian, Songguo Chuxing, Ganji.com, Energy Monster, Yuntu Semiconductor, Hongjing Zhijia, Yunsheng Intelligence, and Anxin Wangdun.

In recent years, BlueRun Ventures has invested in biopharmaceutical companies such as Biotope and Beiheng Biotechnology, and will continue to focus on the biopharmaceutical sector.

Yongchao Venture Capital Co., Ltd. was established in July 2015 and has made direct equity investments in nearly 40 companies to date. The company is dedicated to identifying and investing in high-tech enterprises, high-end manufacturing firms, and high-quality pre-IPO companies. Leveraging Yongchao’s industrial upstream and downstream supply chains, it focuses on investments in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, environmentally friendly new materials and new energy, next-generation electronic information, life and health, and projects aimed at transforming and upgrading traditional advantageous industries. Its primary investment stages include venture capital (VC), private equity (PE), and pre-IPO rounds. To implement the philosophy of promoting entrepreneurship through investment and driving investment through entrepreneurship, the company collaborates closely with regional financial offices and innovation parks to actively select and invest in high-quality enterprises.