Ailite Biotech Secures Over RMB 100 Million Series A Funding Led by Zhengxin Valley Capital, with Hyfinity Capital as Exclusive Financial Advisor

VCBeat has learned that Elite Biotechnology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. recently announced the completion of its Series A financing round, raising over RMB 100 million. The round was led by Loyal Valley Capital, with participation from Addor Capital and other investors. Joywise Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor for this financing round. The successful completion of this round reflects strong recognition from the capital market of Elite’s capabilities in China’s life science instrumentation sector, as well as high expectations for its future development. The funds will further support Elite’s continued deepening of expertise in the cell analyzer field and accelerate the deployment of its next-generation products.

Since its establishment, Elite Biotechnology has been dedicated to providing advanced instruments, technologies, and services to the life sciences and biotechnology industries. For over a decade, guided by its mission to “innovate for the future and fuel technological progress,” the company has built a comprehensive product portfolio, offering customers a wide range of laboratory instruments and production equipment from R&D to manufacturing. Its primary clients include leading Chinese biopharmaceutical, cell therapy, and biomedical technology companies. After launching its independently developed Countstar IC1000 cell analyzer in 2011, the company introduced multiple product series, including Biotech, Altair, Rigel, and Mira. Countstar has become a well-known brand in the field of cell analysis, with a global customer base. The company’s key R&D achievement, the Castor series high-throughput cell analyzer platform, is also poised for market launch, breaking the status quo of no domestically produced equipment in this niche segment.

With the rapid development of the life sciences industry, image-based cell analysis technologies utilizing cell labeling, along with related analytical instruments and reagents, have also advanced rapidly. Image-based cytometry instruments have become core critical equipment for cell line development, target discovery, drug screening, in vitro drug evaluation, and quality control, and are applied in advanced medical diagnostics. According to Markets and Markets, the global market size for cell analysis-related products has exceeded $10 billion, and is projected to reach $22.7 billion by 2024. Following a wave of mergers and acquisitions in recent years, the global high-end market has become dominated by giants such as Danaher, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and PerkinElmer, making these products a critical bottleneck for China’s cell analysis sector. Leveraging over a decade of technological reserves and R&D expertise, the professional, passionate, and visionary team at Elite Biotechnology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is committed to catching up with global industry leaders by providing superior products and technical services, thereby jointly advancing the development of life science technologies worldwide. With the support of this round of financing, the company will continue to increase its R&D investment, further expand its self-developed product portfolio, accelerate the recruitment of high-end talent, enlarge its team, and strengthen its expansion into overseas markets, creating greater value for its customers.

Mr. Chen Rui, Founder and General Manager of Elitestated, “We sincerely appreciate the trust and recognition from all investors. The rapid development of the global biopharmaceutical industry has driven the rise of supporting instruments and equipment. With the advent of a biomedical era centered on ‘cells,’ Elite Biotechnology will focus on cell-related products and technologies, continuously providing more valuable product and technical solutions to advance the industrialization of life sciences, for healthier lives!”

Mr. Yang Yi, Executive Director of Zen CapitalIt was stated that cells are the basic units of life activities and an indispensable carrier for the research, development, and production of biopharmaceuticals. Imaging and analysis tools for cells have long been monopolized by international giants, characterized by long lead times and high prices. Under the leadership of its founder, Mr. Chen Rui, Elite Biotechnology has focused on addressing urgent customer needs and maintained continuous R&D investment over the years. The company has developed a series of products that rival or even surpass international standards, helping to resolve critical bottlenecks in the upstream biopharmaceutical industry chain. We will firmly support Elite Biotechnology’s development in the long term and look forward to the company empowering the growth of China’s biopharmaceutical industry by providing more innovative cell-based tools in the future.

Mr. Xue Yi, Senior Partner at Yida CapitalIt was stated that cell counting analyzers are fundamental instruments in life science research, a sector long dominated by multinational corporations. Elite Biotechnology has developed a diverse portfolio of cell counting analyzers tailored to the varying needs of its customers, earning widespread recognition from both academic and industrial clients. As a result, Countstar has become a well-known domestic brand in China, achieving significant market share. We are delighted to participate in Elite Biotechnology’s Series A financing round and support the company’s growth journey. We look forward to seeing the company, under the leadership of Mr. Chen and its core management team, continue to expand its product lineup and provide more high-quality products and solutions to the life sciences industry.

Li Yishi, Senior Partner at Haoyue CapitalMr.“We are honored to have assisted Elite Biotechnology in completing this round of financing. The upstream segment of the biopharmaceutical industry is a key area where Joy Capital has been deeply engaged, and we are committed to serving the most outstanding enterprises in China’s upstream biopharmaceutical sector. Under the leadership of Mr. Chen Rui, the company’s team has cultivated expertise in the field of cell analyzers for over a decade, developing a series of high-quality cell analyzer products suitable for diverse application scenarios. This has broken the long-standing monopoly held by imported products, establishing the company as a domestic industry leader with global sales. We believe that, with the support of capital, Elite Biotechnology will accelerate its development and continue to provide customers with high-quality, high-value innovative products and technological solutions.”

Zhengxingu has consistently adhered to the investment philosophy of “long-term orientation, focus, and altruism,” striving to build China’s premier investment research and post-investment management teams. Covering three key sectors—new consumption, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing—the firm leverages in-depth industry research and proactive post-investment value creation to partner with outstanding entrepreneurs. Together, they aim to build great enterprises that represent the future growth trajectory of China’s economy and create value for society. Since its establishment in 2015, Zhengxingu has invested in over 70 leading companies that exemplify the future direction of China’s economic development, including Bilibili, ByteDance, POP MART, Luoji Siwei, NetEase Cloud Music, Jiangxiaobai, Junshi Biosciences, InnoCare Pharma, Obio Technology, CARsgen Therapeutics, Henlius Biotech, Supcon Technology, Rigol Technologies, Bayi Space, Avary Holding, O-Net Technologies, and Unisoc.

Addor Capital was established through mixed-ownership reform within the Jiangsu High-Tech Venture Capital Group, a well-established and renowned venture capital institution. It ranks among the industry leaders in terms of industry research capabilities, assets under management, and investment specialization, making it one of the most influential venture capital firms in China. As of March 2022, Addor Capital’s management team had cumulatively managed RMB 121.8 billion in capital, invested in and supported 1,151 startups, and helped 222 of these companies list on domestic and international capital markets. Over the past three years, Addor Capital has consecutively won awards such as “Annual Chinese Venture Capital Firm,” “Best Chinese Venture Capital Firm,” “Most Competitive Venture Capital Firm,” “Excellent Venture Capital Firm Excellence Award,” and “Top 10 Best Venture Capital Firms” from prestigious rankings including Zero2IPO Group, CVSource, Securities Times, the China Venture Capital Association, and Forbes, firmly maintaining its position in the first tier of domestic venture capital institutions.

Founded in January 2014, Haoyue Capital is a leading industry-focused investment bank in China specializing in the healthcare sector. Headquartered in Shanghai, the firm maintains regional offices in Beijing and Shenzhen. Committed to empowering clients through capital and research-driven insights, Haoyue Capital helps outstanding Chinese healthcare companies successfully access the capital markets, thereby creating added value for its clients. The partnership team consists of senior investment bankers with extensive experience in China’s healthcare sector, supported by a professional team of over 70 members. Haoyue Capital closely monitors dynamics and trends in the healthcare investment market, with its research and transaction coverage spanning multiple sub-sectors, including biopharmaceuticals, innovative medical devices, IVD and life sciences, health services, and digital health. In 2021, Haoyue Capital completed more than 50 complex transactions involving private financing, M&A integration, and spin-offs of listed companies, with a total transaction value amounting to tens of billions of RMB, securing a leading position across various healthcare sub-sectors.