Hemei Bio Advances into the Billion-Dollar Bioactive Peptide Ingredients Market with Dozens of Self-Developed Product Pipelines Across Three Proprietary Platforms

According to data from the New Thinking Industry Research Center, the bioactive peptide industry has been expanding in recent years, with production volume increasing from 760,000 tons in 2012 to approximately 2.1 million tons in 2019. The market size of China's bioactive peptide industry is projected to exceed RMB 165 billion by 2024. Data from Guanyan Wang also indicates that the bioactive peptide segment within the cosmetics industry is experiencing rapid growth. The domestic market size in this segment was RMB 3.402 billion in 2017 and reached RMB 4.1 billion in 2018, with the annual growth rate remaining above 25% in recent years.

The vast market and rapid growth naturally attract corporate strategic positioning. Currently, international giants such as Royal DSM and BASF SE have established their presence in the bioactive peptide supply sector, while well-known consumer brands like Estée Lauder, Dior, and L'Oréal have launched skincare products featuring bioactive peptides. It is evident that bioactive peptides have emerged as a new star in the anti-aging and skincare fields, following hyaluronic acid and collagen.

Certainly, there is no shortage of companies in China that have entered the field of bioactive peptide raw materials. Currently, domestic companies operating in this sector can be broadly categorized into two groups. One group primarily focuses on imitation, largely producing via solid-phase synthesis, and leverages localization advantages to create cost differentials and expand market share. The other group prioritizes original research and development, innovating novel bioactive peptide raw materials through core technology R&D to establish a differentiated market presence.Hemei Biotech is such a company that, based on biotechnology, focuses on the research and development of innovative bioactive peptide ingredients and is committed to providing comprehensive solutions based on bioactive peptide ingredients.

“Based on bioactive peptide raw materials, Hemei Biotechnology has independently developed a series of skincare products and established Kermei, a brand dedicated to anti-aging skincare powered by bioactive peptide technology. In reaching the consumer market, we discovered”In recent years, a clear trend has emerged among consumers seeking anti-aging solutions: the proportion of “ingredient-conscious” buyers is steadily rising.Previously, most consumers chose skincare products primarily based on brand reputation or advertising influence. As consumer awareness has evolved, people now place greater emphasis on the underlying technology and precise ingredient formulations. Amidst this shift,“Ingredient-conscious consumers are most concerned about raw materials, particularly the active ingredients that deliver key efficacy.”Dr. Li Junxiang, CTO and Co-Founder of Hemei Bio, told VCBeat.

The Rise of “Ingredient-Conscious” Consumers Poses a Challenge to Active Ingredient Suppliers: How Can Active Ingredients Break Through Homogenization? In the broader health and wellness sector, well-known active ingredients include hyaluronic acid and collagen. When active ingredients offer similar efficacy, consumers’ ability to differentiate among them diminishes. This necessitates innovative ingredients that can create differentiated product value, with bioactive peptides representing one such option.

Dr. Li Junxiang explained, “Bioactive peptides have three characteristics.On one hand, bioactive peptides are small-molecule proteins composed of different types of amino acids linked in series. Variations in the types and sequence composition of these amino acids result in corresponding changes in the efficacy of the bioactive peptides. On the other hand, while ensuring effective potency, bioactive peptides require only trace amounts of their active ingredients. Most importantly, since bioactive peptides are composed of amino acids essential to the human body, they exhibit a favorable safety profile.

Leveraging these advantages, Hemei Bio was established in 2018, focusing on the research and development of innovative bioactive peptide raw materials, as well as research into aging mechanisms and product development. The company provides customers with health solutions based on bioactive peptides. “Why choose the field of bioactive peptides? During my early basic research at Tsinghua University, I focused on active peptides secreted by cells, so it was a natural choice to pursue scientific translation in this field,” said Dr. Li Junxiang.

Dr. Li Junxiang earned his Ph.D. from the School of Life Sciences at Tsinghua University, where his doctoral research primarily focused on clinical applications in regenerative medicine. The company’s founder, Lu Yi, graduated from Renmin University of China and was then responsible for overseas talent acquisition at Tsinghua University’s School of Life Sciences. Leveraging Lu Yi’s expertise in translating life science technologies into commercial applications and Dr. Li’s technical prowess, the two quickly joined forces to embark on an entrepreneurial venture.

Currently, Hemay Bio boasts an R&D team led by a Tsinghua University PhD holder, with expertise spanning cell biology, molecular biology, protein and peptide drug development, and computational biology. The team possesses comprehensive R&D capabilities covering the entire process from basic research to application translation.

In addition to the founding team’s “Tsinghua-affiliated” background, Huimei Biotech’s translational platform is also closely linked to Tsinghua University. Huimei Biotech jointly established the Aging Science Innovation R&D Center (AGECODE R&D CENTER) with the Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University. The R&D Center has obtained ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications, and its Chief Scientific Advisor is Michael Levitt, the 2013 Nobel Laureate. Leveraging the resources of the Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, Tsinghua alumni enterprises such as Huimei Biotech will gain access to hardware technology platforms, industry matchmaking, and other resources, thereby accelerating the translation of scientific achievements.

Leveraging the team’s scientific research foundation, along with Tsinghua University’s academic resources and capabilities in translating research into practical applications, Hemei Bio has established three major technology platforms. These platforms cover the entire process of active peptide ingredients—from discovery and validation to production—enabling the company to build technical barriers and achieve market differentiation at the foundational level.

1. AI + Computational Biology Technology Platform.Given the immense variability of active peptide sequences, any alteration may potentially impact their function. Leveraging its AI-powered computational biology platform, Hemei Bio has established a proprietary database containing over 150,000 active peptides, enabling rapid, rational design and screening of peptide molecules based on specific functions and targets.

2. Efficacy Evaluation Platform Based on Skin Concerns.After identifying bioactive peptide raw materials suitable for commercialization, it is essential to conduct verification and evaluation. To this end, Hemei Biotechnology has established a testing platform. Centered on efficacy and safety verification, the platform has developed a systematic efficacy evaluation system with independent intellectual property rights. By integrating cutting-edge technologies such as bioinformatics, the platform enables rapid assessment of key characteristics of bioactive peptides, including their efficacy, safety, and stability.

3. Synthetic Biology Technology Platform.Following preliminary development and validation, bioactive peptide raw materials with market value can be identified. However, successful industrialization requires scalable production with controllable costs and consistent quality. Leveraging its synthetic biology technology platform, Hemei Biotech is striving to achieve large-scale, pollution-free, and low-cost mass production of these raw materials.

Based on the aforementioned technology platform and findings from the translation process,Currently, Hemei Bio has launched more than 10 natural active peptide raw materials and synthetic active peptide monomer raw materials with fully independent intellectual property rights. It has 15 active peptide raw material pipelines under development, and has developed multi-dimensional health product solutions around innovative bioactive peptide raw materials with different efficacies, including skincare products, personal care products, and health foods. Hemei Bio has applied for over 40 independent intellectual property rights related to bioactive peptides and is collaborating on research and development projects with four top domestic scientific research institutions.

The computational biology and synthetic biology technology platforms mentioned above deserve special mention. Currently, whether due to the volatile international trade landscape or supply chain instability and prolonged lead times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry is being driven toward localization. In the medical aesthetics sector, “domestic champion” products have frequently emerged in recent years. Based on these considerations, Huimei Biology has clearly adhered from the outset to the principle of innovating with domestically sourced raw materials and achieving domestic substitution.

Dr. Li Junxiang said, “We have currently acquired the technology and expertise to identify and screen functional bioactive peptide molecules from natural resources.“This is akin to the discovery of artemisinin in sweet wormwood and caffeine in coffee beans, followed by the industrialization of these active ingredients. Similarly, after the discovery of caffeine, we no longer rely on large-scale extraction from coffee beans; instead, we employ more cost-effective and eco-friendly approaches, such as synthetic biology, for scaled production. This reduces dependence on natural resources and is more environmentally friendly.”

Leveraging these raw materials, Hemei Bio has developed its own proprietary tech-driven skincare and anti-aging brand, Kermei.The successful commercialization of Ke’ermei has created a “model template” for Huamei Biotechnology’s bioactive peptides, spanning the entire process from raw material research and development to market launch.Leveraging the universal underlying logic of this “model template,” Hemei Bio can rapidly deliver customized collaborative services, providing partner enterprises with full-cycle support from raw material R&D to product development, while continuously validating the feasibility of its business model through large-scale replication.

Promising fields combined with validated business models naturally attract capital attention. To date, Huamei Biotechnology has completed three rounds of financing, raising a total of over RMB 50 million. Investors include the Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University Zhejiang, PICC TusStar, TusStar Fund, and Qirong Venture Capital, among others.

Leveraging its independently developed bioactive peptide raw materials, Hemei Biotechnology will next focus on securing major domestic and international clients to drive bulk sales of these ingredients. Building on the recognition gained from key global customers, the company aims to gradually establish the brand influence of Hemei Biotechnology. Looking to the future, Dr. Li Junxiang stated, “We will continue to increase investment in our technology R&D platform, using it as a foundation to develop a broader series of bioactive peptide raw materials. From this starting point, we will also gradually expand from raw material sales into fields such as medical devices, functional skincare, and health supplements.”