Qihe Biosciences Secures Over RMB 100 Million in Seed Funding to Advance Next-Gen Gene Editing Technologies

Recently, Suzhou QI Biodesign Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (“QI Biodesign”) announced the completion of a seed financing round exceeding RMB 100 million, exclusively led by Xingze Capital. This marks the largest seed-stage investment in a gene-editing company publicly disclosed in China to date.The funds raised in this round of financing will be primarily used for the development of the company’s next-generation gene-editing tools, as well as the application of gene-editing technology across various industries, including biological breeding.

After years of technological accumulation and development, the field of gene editing has evolved from early Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) and TALEN technologies to more programmable approaches such as CRISPR, Base Editing, and Prime Editing. This progression has ushered in a period of rapid growth across multiple application areas, including biological breeding, biopharmaceuticals, and synthetic biology. The prestigious international academic journal Nature also listed precise genome editing technologies among the seven notable technologies to watch in 2022. While the discovery and development of gene editing tools typically require years of dedicated effort, core foundational patents were previously held by overseas institutions. However, bolstered by the Chinese gene editing market and capital incentives, this landscape is poised to be reshaped by a Chinese company namedQI Biodesign。

QI Biodesign was founded in 2021. Its founding team includes Dr. Gao Caixia, a world-renowned expert in the field of gene editing academia; Dr. Kevin Zhao, a student of the famous Harvard gene editing scientist David Liu (Liu Ruqian); and an R&D, operations, and commercialization team with extensive industry experience. The founding team is committed to building QI Biodesign into a hard-core high-tech enterprise with independent intellectual property rights and next-generation gene editing technology at its core. Currently, QI Biodesign is focusing on developing novel gene editing technologies and exploring their applications in various fields such as biological breeding, while actively establishing complementary partnerships with industry players to accelerate the development of socially valuable products., seize the commanding heights of gene editing technology, and contribute to China's efforts to secure a leading position in the gene editing industry.

Dr. Gao Caixia, Founder of QI BiodesignHe stated, “We are deeply grateful for the trust and strong support from Xingze Capital. As a breakthrough molecular biology technology, gene editing has been applied across multiple fields globally. In the realm of biological breeding, the innovations brought by gene editing are truly disruptive. Currently, countries including China, the United States, Japan, Brazil, and Australia have successively introduced corresponding regulatory policies. The regulatory landscape for gene-edited products is becoming increasingly clear, with over 150 gene-edited crops having passed regulatory review and been approved for market launch. Against this backdrop, my team and I founded QI Biodesign, a high-tech enterprise focused on the development and commercial application of gene-editing tools. The company is committed to developing highly efficient gene-editing tools with independent intellectual property rights and applying them in various fields such as agricultural breeding, biomedicine, and synthetic biology. We hope that the establishment and growth of QI Biodesign will contribute to safeguarding food security needs in China and around the world.”

Dr. Qiang Jing, Managing Partner at Xingze Capitalstated: “Xingze Capital is committed to supporting scientists and hard-tech enterprises with innovative capabilities and efficient execution. Gene editing technology is a key area of focus for us. Researcher Gao Caixia is a world-renowned scientist in the field of gene editing, recognized as one of China’s Top 10 Science Stars by Nature, and possesses profound expertise in gene editing technologies and their applications. We are delighted to establish a deep strategic partnership with QI Biodesign,”Supported the company in completing a record-breaking seed financing round in China's gene editing sector.“Xingze Capital will continue to support the company’s development, helping QI Biodesign deliver value to society. We look forward to the company achieving new milestones in the future and are confident that, under the leadership of its founding team, it will grow into a globally leading biotechnology company that addresses critical bottlenecks in gene editing.”

Xingze Capital was established in 2015. The name “Xingze” reflects its mission to leverage capital investment to integrate resources across the broader healthcare industry, promote development throughout the entire life sciences lifecycle, and benefit humanity. Currently, it manages five RMB-denominated funds, with total assets under management nearing RMB 4 billion. Its investment team comprises more than 20 professionals and advisors with extensive experience in healthcare and medical investments worldwide, possessing diverse expertise in life sciences, pharmaceuticals, finance, and law.

Since its inception, Xingze Capital has focused on investing in high-quality early- and growth-stage enterprises in the life sciences industry, with investment portfolios spanning biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare services. Its portfolio includes more than 50 rapidly growing star companies, such as Junshi Biosciences (01877.HK), Akeso (09926.HK), China Antibody (03681.HK), RemeGen (09995.HK), HeartTone Medical (02160.HK), Sinovant Sciences, Liuhe Ningyuan, InnoMicro, Shenqi Medical, Shengsheng Logistics, and PharmaCube.