ZhiKun Bio: Activating Traditional Herbal Wisdom with Modern Inhalation Technology After Five Years of R&D

Following the introduction of e-cigarette regulatory policies, an increasing number of companies have begun to pivot to the herbal vaporization sector.

Due to their similar appearance, herbal vaporizers are easily mistaken for e-cigarettes. In reality, there is a fundamental difference in their core nature—

From the perspective of nebulization technology,The atomizers used in e-cigarettes operate via high-temperature heating, with temperatures typically ranging from 300°C to 500°C. Such high temperatures can generate numerous known and unknown harmful substances from the e-liquid, which pose health risks upon inhalation. In contrast, herbal vaporizer sticks employ digital time-division heating and temperature control technology, maintaining lower temperatures between 220°C and 240°C. This effectively ensures the stability of herbal essential oil molecules during atomization and maximizes their efficacy, providing users with a healthier experience.

In terms of composition, apart from being nicotine-free, the biggest difference is that herbal vaporization adopts the principle of "medicine and food homology," using a compound formula of herbal medicinal ingredients. By extracting the essence of natural raw materials into herbal concentrates, it ensures the most comfortable flavor while allowing for the absorption of herbal benefits. With zero nicotine and no secondhand smoke, it belongs to the category of healthy vaporization.

New Tracks Bring New Opportunities. Recently, VCBeat has taken notice of a highly competitive herbal nebulization brand—Shenzhen Zhikun Herbal Atomization Technology Co., Ltd.(hereinafter referred to as "Zhikun Bio”）。

Zhikun Bio, established in 2015, is dedicated to independent research and development.TCM Conditioning + Western Medicine Targets + Biotech Innovation: A Novel Nebulized Light Medical Product, transforming the traditional, rigid, and inconvenient image of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into one that is convenient, fashionable, and trendy, thereby promoting the culture of "accessible wellness" and "trendy wellness" associated with TCM to the world. The company’s core business focuses on the research and development, manufacturing, sales, and promotion of health-enhancing products.Portable Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbal NebulizerandNebulizer Herbal Extract Solution

Founder: Wei Kun, Professor, Postdoctoral Fellow, and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology. According to the official website of South China University of Technology, his primary research areas focus on the biomimetic construction of bone-like nanobiomaterials and the development of nanobiomaterial-based drug delivery systems. He has been granted more than 90 national invention patents and published over 100 research papers. His accolades include the First Prize of the Ministry of Education’s Natural Science Award and the First Prize of the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award. He has sequentially undertaken or participated in more than 30 key projects at the national and provincial levels, including the National 973 Program and the National 863 Program.Currently responsible for the research and development of nano-extraction technology for traditional Chinese herbal medicines.

Yang Jian, Founder and CEO, with 15 years of experience in the internet industry and 10 years of operational experience in retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).Currently primarily responsible for strategy, product, and market operations. Co-founder: Fan Chunlei, with 13 years of experience in the electronic atomizer field, its responsible products are exported to more than 20 countries and regions including Europe and America. It has obtained more than 30 national patents.Mainly responsible for the production and operation of products.

Led by Professor Wei Kun, a biological scientist, the research team brings together specialized professionals in traditional Chinese medicine, biochemistry, and microbiology, boasting robust R&D capabilities. The rest of the core team graduated from prestigious universities such as the University of Washington and South China University of Technology, and previously held key positions at renowned companies including Huawei, China Mobile, and Sen Da International Group, accumulating extensive experience in project operations and maintenance.

An exceptional team and a pioneering spirit have enabled Zhikun Biology to quickly stand out in the herbal nebulization industry. The company has currently achieved multiple research outcomes and accumulated technological reserves, launching a range of nebulized products with diverse therapeutic effects.Over 20 types,Established a leading position in the field of traditional Chinese medicine healthcare nebulization products.

Zhikun Biotech's herbal nebulization products are composed ofNebulizerandHerbal Extractconsists of two parts. The nebulizer viaSmart Chip, controls the nebulizer's output volume and operating status. After the herbal liquid is loaded into the nebulizer, inhalation through the mouthpiece activates the device; the heating element then generates thermal energy to initiate nebulization, converting the herbal liquid into an aerosol. An inhalable mist is produced within just 2 to 5 seconds. It is fast, safe, and portable, while users canSelect different nebulization solutions to achieve varying health benefits.

Zhikun Bio Products

When discussing the impact of recent e-cigarette regulations on herbal atomization, Yang Jian stated, “E-cigarettes primarily rely on e-liquids containing nicotine, propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), and flavorings for atomization. In contrast, our herbal liquid is derived from pure nano-extracted traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, formulated with traditional Chinese medicine compound prescriptions for holistic conditioning, and designed as a wellness product targeting precise Western medical endpoints. There are fundamental differences between the two in terms of both consumer demographics and product nature. The introduction of the Administrative Measures for E-Cigarettes is beneficial for standardizing the entire e-cigarette industry. It will certainly have a significant impact on so-called ‘fake herbal’ products that operate in regulatory gray areas. However, it currently has limited impact on our genuine herbal atomization industry. We will continue to upgrade our products to achieve complete differentiation from e-cigarettes.”

Currently, Zhikun Biotech’s products are categorized by target population as follows:

• Lipid-lowering:Nebulized Inhalation Design: Formulated with multiple premium traditional Chinese herbal extracts to food-grade standards, ensuring high safety with no Western pharmaceutical additives and no risk of dependency. Stylish and portable for convenient use anytime, anywhere. Lipid-lowering and slimming effects enhance as consistent usage habits are established. Its ingredients are purely natural plant extracts, including Brazilian cocoa fruit, Codonopsis pilosula, Coix seed, Astragalus complanatus, and Laminaria ochroleuca. It helps establish a defensive barrier for the respiratory system by purifying the oral cavity, nasal passages, pharynx, and lungs, thereby achieving lipid reduction, slimming, edema relief, and skin hydration.

• Sleep Aid:The calming and sleep-promoting effects become more pronounced with consistent use. The main ingredients include ginseng, lily bulb glycosides, biota seed, japonica rice, and honey. It offers multiple benefits, including detoxification, calming the mind to aid sleep, nourishing yin and blood, and soothing emotions.

• Tonifying Qi and Blood:The Qi- and blood-nourishing effect strengthens with regular use, anytime and anywhere. Key ingredients include Ginseng, Polygonatum sibiricum, Euryale ferox seed, Goji berry, and Longan. It helps promote metabolism, regulate glandular function and immunity, replenish Qi and blood, and alleviate fatigue.

• Fuyang:The energizing effects become more pronounced with consistent use. Key ingredients include seahorse, dodder seed, cistanche, goji berry, and angelica sinensis. It functions to tonify the kidneys and strengthen the spleen, enhance systemic immunity, nourish internal organs, improve exercise endurance, relax tendons and activate collaterals, and promote blood circulation to remove stasis.

• Antiviral:The efficacy against viral invasion strengthens with consistent use. The main ingredients include Forsythia, Ephedra, Magnolia officinalis, White Cardamom, and Poria cocos. It functions to regulate excessive immune inflammatory responses, suppress cytokine storms, mitigate inflammatory damage to protect vital organs, exert antiviral effects, reinforce vital energy (Zheng Qi), clear heat and detoxify, and comprehensively enhance immune function.

Notably, Zhikun Bio possesses herbal nebulization technology.8 Invention Patents for Core Technologies, in addition26 itemsPatent Application for Nebulization Technology of Medical Special Foods is Pending.

According to Yang Jian, the approval process for herbal nebulization is roughly divided into three stages. The first stage involves products that are both food and medicine, achieved through collaboration with large pharmaceutical companies and testing and certification by professional institutions. The second stage entails applying for Class II medical device status by upgrading nebulization technology. In the third stage, after several years of clinical data collection, the product ultimately obtains drug approval status. Zhikun Biology has completed the first stage and obtained “food license” status, and is currently making full efforts to advance to the second stage.

Regarding the market that Zhikun Biotech aims to expand into, Yang Jian introduced: “China’s elderly population exceeds 200 million, and the burden of chronic diseases accounts for 70% of the country’s total disease burden. ‘Preventive treatment’ focuses on blocking the onset of chronic diseases, which can be prevented and avoided through self-care. This aligns precisely with Zhikun Biotech’s ongoing efforts. As an emerging service sector, the health industry holds immense development potential. By 2020, the scale of China’s health service industry had already reached RMB 8 trillion, accounting for 6.5% of GDP. In contrast, the United States had already reached 17.6% in 2009. Therefore, we anticipate that the overall herbal general health industry will achieve a market scale of hundreds of billions of yuan within the next three to five years.”

Based on the above assessment, Zhikun Biotech has formulated"Three-Step" Development Strategy——Phase IOver the next two years, we will target the domestic market by comprehensively rolling out multi-channel and multi-product strategies to rapidly capture market share and establish a nebulization health brand and marketing system;Phase IIWe aim to achieve a back-door listing in Hong Kong to cultivate an international corporate image and leverage Hong Kong’s advantages as an international financial and global trade hub to expand our international business;Phase IIILeverage the advantages of being a publicly listed company to reinvest in business development, acquire the entire upstream and downstream industry chain, rapidly expand corporate scale and brand recognition, aggressively develop international markets, obtain China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) drug approval number, establish an industry benchmark, and promote the standardized development of the sector.

Regarding Zhikun Bio’s recent plans, Yang Jianjie stated that the next step will be to establish offline health and wellness centers, bringing the herbal misting health industry to fruition through product experiences and meticulous services.

In terms of financing, Zhikun Biotech has completed its product portfolio layout and met the conditions for market-scale expansion. The company is currently in close discussions with multiple investment institutions to secure funding for new product R&D, upgrades to herbal atomization technology, and market expansion and promotion.