NaiDe Bio Completes Tens-of-Millions RMB Pre-A Financing to Advance Integrated Nucleic Acid Rapid Testing Platform

Qingdao Nede Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Nede Biotech”) recently announced the completion of its RMB 10 million pre-A financing round. The proceeds from this round will be primarily allocated to the research, development, commercialization, and promotion of its handheld all-in-one rapid nucleic acid testing system. This financing was provided by Qingdao Gaochuang Investment and Milestone Venture Capital.

Qingdao Nede Biotechnology Co., Ltd was established in August 2016. It is a high-tech enterprise dedicated to the field of molecular diagnostics, integrating research and development, production, and sales. Its core team has over twenty years of experience in product development within the nucleic acid testing sector.

In 2019, the wholly-owned subsidiary Qingdao Jianma Gene Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Jianma Gene") was established, focusing on the development and industrialization of medical products. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jianma Gene was among the first enterprises in China to complete the research and development of nucleic acid testing kits for the novel coronavirus, and also among the first in China to obtain CE certification from the European Union.

Jianma Gene and its parent company, Nede Biotechnology, have launched a series of nucleic acid testing technologies, establishing an internationally leading extraction-free rapid nucleic acid detection solution. This solution completes sample collection, nucleic acid release, and preservation within three minutes. The companies have developed the proprietary SEA and ASEA nucleic acid amplification platforms, achieving DNA/RNA target amplification in approximately 30 minutes. Leveraging the “extraction-free + rapid amplification” product strategy, they have developed integrated rapid testing products and supporting rapid detection equipment, enabling complete nucleic acid testing within 40 minutes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple rapid nucleic acid testing products were exported to markets in Southeast Asia, Africa, and other regions.

To date, Nede Biotechnology and Jianma Gene have established a comprehensive product portfolio centered on pathogenic microorganism detection, covering fields such as healthcare, food safety, agriculture and forestry testing, environmental monitoring, animal disease control, and scientific research.

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government has fully recognized the critical role of testing equipment in enabling primary healthcare institutions to carry out infectious disease prevention and control. It has repeatedly emphasized the need to accelerate research and development, launch more integrated rapid diagnostic products, and improve China’s product and technological systems for nucleic acid testing.

Furthermore, outpatient clinics, community health centers, and point-of-care settings have higher requirements for report turnaround time as well as the portability and on-site usability of sampling devices. Consequently, the value and advantages of fully automated, integrated molecular POCT products have become increasingly prominent.

Currently, representative integrated molecular POCT products on the market include Cepheid’s GeneXpert system and bioMérieux’s FilmArray multiplex PCR analysis system. These devices are characterized by their large footprint, complex operation, and high cost, making them suitable only for use in testing institutions, with detection times ranging from 40 to 90 minutes. Although Cue Health, an FDA-approved at-home COVID-19 testing product, has reduced the detection time to under 30 minutes, its official website price of $474 for the device plus a three-test kit remains relatively expensive for a consumer home-use product.

Subsidiary Jianma Gene targets this overseas market, introducing cutting-edge technologies for continuous innovation and development. Leveraging its years of accumulated technical expertise, the company has independently developed a handheld, integrated rapid nucleic acid testing system (a molecular POCT product). This all-in-one device handles the entire process from sample loading to result reporting. Compared with conventional nucleic acid testing, it offers simpler operation accessible to non-professionals, enhanced portability with a weight of under 1 kg and a compact form factor, and delivers results within 20–30 minutes, enabling on-site reporting.

This product demonstrates exceptional suitability for settings such as outpatient clinics, community health centers, and even homes. Built upon a proprietary rapid nucleic acid extraction platform, electrochemical signal acquisition technology, and domestically produced components, the device keeps costs under RMB 100. This affordability meets the operational and configuration needs of primary healthcare facilities, effectively addressing critical technological bottlenecks in the industry. The handheld device currently supports applications including respiratory infection screening, gastric disease detection, and tumor genetic testing. In the future, we will collaborate with leading enterprises both domestically and internationally to leverage synergistic advantages within the field and continuously expand into broader point-of-care testing (POCT) scenarios.

Commenting on the successful financing, Dr. Shi Chao, Founder of Nede Biotechnology, stated: “We extend our gratitude to our investors for their support and encouragement. Moving forward, our product innovation and upgrades will continue to center on the POCT (Point-of-Care Testing) concept. While ensuring accuracy, we are committed to developing devices that are more miniaturized, portable, rapid, intelligent, and digitally integrated. We will also broaden our application areas to progressively realize personalized precision medicine. Our goal is to make rapid nucleic acid testing accessible to the general public, thereby safeguarding people’s health in their daily lives.”