ImmuNocan Biotech Secures RMB 50 Million in Pre-A Funding to Advance Fully Human Antibody Discovery Platform

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that Immunocan Biotech Co., Ltd., a company dedicated to the research and development of fully human antibody drugs, recently completed a RMB 50 million Pre-A financing round. The round was led by Xicheng Jinrui, with Taiyu Investment participating as a co-investor, and Ruiling Capital serving as the exclusive financial advisor. The funds raised will be primarily used for the construction of a fully human antibody discovery platform and the early-stage research and development of novel monoclonal antibody drugs.

Shanghai Immunocan Biotech Co., Ltd. was established in 2020 and is currently an early-stage biopharmaceutical company. It aims to create a novel antibody drug discovery platform by applying gene editing technology, thereby facilitating biomedical research and the development of antibody-based therapeutics. The company is committed to providing a world-class, domestically leading antibody drug discovery platform to enhance the overall level of biomedical R&D in China, with the goal of building an internationally premier biotechnology platform and a world-class biomedical research and development hub.

China’s biopharmaceutical market is currently in a golden age, with a market size reaching hundreds of billions of yuan. Driven by positive factors such as an aging population on the demand side, supportive industrial and economic policies on the policy side, the return of high-end talent to the industry, and significant capital inflows, the scale of China’s biopharmaceutical market is expected to continue expanding at an accelerating pace. In particular, in recent years, the development of emerging technologies—including transgenic technology, gene editing, and bioinformatics—has provided many new avenues and approaches for biopharmaceutical R&D in China. Biopharmaceutical technology has become the most important driver of technological innovation across the entire pharmaceutical industry. Immunocan has significantly improved the efficiency and success rate of generating fully human antibody-producing animals through gene editing technology. Its application in the biopharmaceutical R&D process will yield twice the results with half the effort.

Dr. Zhou, the founder, introduced: “Our proprietary core gene-editing replacement technology enables the single-step replacement of DNA fragments at the megabase (Mb) scale. It is time-efficient, free from species limitations, and represents a groundbreaking innovation. This technology holds great promise for making significant contributions to biopharmaceutical development and benefiting humanity as a whole.” Dr. Zhang, the co-founder, has brought back R&D expertise and systems from a leading U.S. cancer center. Leveraging this platform, the company is well-positioned to make substantial advances in antibody drug development. Immunocan looks forward to delivering precise, highly effective, and safe antibody therapies to patients in the near future, thereby significantly improving the quality of life for those with cancer.

Dr. Ji Tianrong, Founder and General Manager of Taiyu Investment, stated: “The Immunocan team has conducted in-depth research in gene editing and embryonic micromanipulation, with a well-balanced expertise structure. Possessing independently developed intellectual property rights for artificial chromosome vectors, the company can achieve single-step replacement of ultra-large gene fragments, thereby establishing an upgraded, fully human antibody drug development platform. This will significantly benefit the advancement of biological product R&D in China. We hope that Immunocan can complete the construction of its R&D platform at an early date, bringing safer and more effective biological products to patients.”

Beijing Xicheng Jinrui Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd. was established in June 2018. Initiated by the Beijing Financial Street Capital Operation Center, it is a market-oriented professional investment institution with state-owned capital background. The company primarily engages in private equity fund-of-funds and direct investment activities. It currently manages four RMB-denominated funds, with a total scale of RMB 10 billion. Located in Xicheng District, the core administrative area of China’s capital, the company combines robust institutional strength with flexible market-oriented operational capabilities. Its management and investment teams hail from renowned domestic and international investment banks, investment institutions, and industrial enterprises, possessing composite expertise in industry research and investment management. The firm has demonstrated strong historical performance in investments across sectors such as fintech, new consumption, healthcare, and advanced technologies and applications.

Taiyu Investment, established in 2014, is an independent professional venture capital firm under Tigermed, a publicly listed company. Taiyu Investment focuses on equity investments in early-stage and growth-stage companies within the healthcare sector. Its management team possesses extensive background in the pharmaceutical and health industries, broad industry resources, and rich investment experience. To date, it has completed early-stage equity investments totaling over RMB 1 billion across more than 70 projects, primarily serving as a lead investor in Seed or Pre-A rounds. Its investment portfolio covers medical devices, biopharmaceuticals, health supplements, and CRO enterprises. By empowering its portfolio companies, Taiyu Investment creates value for the development of the healthcare industry in China and globally, contributing to public health.

RuiLing Capital was established in July 2018. It is a boutique financial advisory (FA) firm primarily providing equity-related investment, financing, and financial consulting services to healthcare companies from the Pre-A to Series C stages. The team comprises seasoned investment banking and investment professionals in China, featuring mature methodologies and a comprehensive service process. It precisely connects clients with high-quality resources while supporting business development to drive corporate value creation. To date, the firm has served dozens of enterprises and facilitated investment transactions totaling billions of yuan.