C-ATOM Secures Tens of Millions in Angel Funding to Advance DNA Data Storage Technology and Commercialization

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that C-ATOM (Shenzhen) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (C-ATOM) has completed a tens-of-millions-yuan angel financing round, led by Inno Angel Fund and participated by CAS Angel, Changjian Investment, and Feiteng Ventures. The funds raised will be used to expand the team and advance technological engineering R&D, accelerating technical advancements in the field and positioning the company as a commercial leader in the sector.

In May 2021, Zhongke Tanyuan was incubated and established by the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.It is among the first enterprises in China to specialize in DNA data storage, dedicated to advancing the development and commercialization of DNA data storage technology.

Zhongke Carbon Element, located at the Guangming Engineering Biology Industry Center, leverages the prior expertise in this field accumulated by Researcher Dai Junbiao’s team from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology. The company is committed to becoming a global leader in the DNA data storage sector.

Dai Junbiao, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Scientist of Zhongke Carbon Yuan, is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, the Tan Jiazhen Life Science Innovation Award, and the Royal Society Newton Advanced Fellowship. He has published more than 40 papers as corresponding author in prestigious international journals such as Science, Nature Communications, Cell Research, and Developmental Cell; notably, his work on “Synthetic Yeast Genome” was selected as one of China’s Top Ten Scientific Advances in 2017.

Global data volume is surging dramatically.In nature, DNA serves as the carrier of genetic information for life. By converting binary computer data (0s and 1s) into sequences of A/T/C/G nucleotide bases and storing them within DNA molecules, it is possible to achieve data storage in a DNA medium. Calculations indicate that 1 gram of DNA can store millions of high-definition movies, offering a storage density seven orders of magnitude higher than that of traditional data storage media. Meanwhile, specially treated DNA can be preserved at room temperature for hundreds of years with minimal maintenance costs. Given these characteristics, DNA data storage holds significant application value in long-term cold storage and secure encrypted data storage. According to relevant forecasts, global data volume will reach 175 ZB by 2025.

The global data storage market will approach $100 billion in 2025.BBC Research’s advisory analysis indicates that in 2025, orders for DNA data storage services from non-governmental organizations will outnumber those from government agencies by more than 2:1. According to Gartner, the world’s largest IT consulting firm, nearly 30% of IT enterprises are expected to pilot DNA data storage services by 2024. With the further development of the data storage market, DNA data storage, as a key technology for biotechnology (BT) solutions to IT challenges, will usher in opportunities for breakthrough growth.

Traditional data storage media are increasingly inadequate for handling the massive volumes of data expected in the future. DNA-based data storage offers numerous advantages, including high storage density, long-term stability, and low maintenance costs. To effectively store data in DNA, it is essential to first address the encoding of digital information into sequences of adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). The uniformity of the base composition in the encoded DNA sequences directly determines the success of DNA storage technology. In the era of big data in healthcare, DNA data storage holds significant application potential for the large-scale management of life and health data, medical imaging data, medical records, and biomedical research archives.

The Zhongke Carbon Element team, leveraging its innovative DNA data storage encoding algorithm technology known as “Wukong Encoding,” enables the conversion of arbitrary data information into DNA sequences. The encoded DNA sequences feature balanced GC content and minimal homopolymer runs, facilitating efficient synthesis for writing and sequencing for reading. Meanwhile, their ongoing development of core hardware technologies for DNA data storage is poised to significantly reduce DNA data storage costs.

Mr. Chen Yidong, Founder and CEO of Zhongke Carbon Yuan, stated that the company’s patented technologies are genuinely developed from an industrial application perspective and hold a certain lead over comparable international technologies. The company is prepared for a long-term commitment, akin to “ten years of sharpening a sword,” to genuinely drive down the costs of this technology and promote its application in the field of data storage, striving to meet China’s needs for long-term cold data storage and encrypted secure data storage.

Li Zhu, Founding Partner of Inno Angel Fund, stated: “Researcher Dai Junbiao is a leading expert in the field of synthetic biology in China. The team he leads is at the forefront of DNA data storage research domestically and holds multiple patents for DNA data storage technologies. With the explosive growth of data, DNA storage, owing to its numerous advantages such as high storage density, long-term preservation, and low maintenance costs, is bound to become one of the key storage technologies of the future. Inno Angel Fund is highly optimistic about the accumulation of expertise by the Zhongke Tanyuan team in the field of DNA data storage and will join hands with Zhongke Tanyuan to build an industry leader in this sector.”

Inno Angel Fund was established in April 2013. Its investment management team has an average of over 10 years of experience, and the fund manages assets exceeding RMB 4 billion. Guided by its mission, “Invest in Innovation, Achieve Success for Others and Ourselves,” Inno Angel focuses on angel and Pre-A round investments in advanced manufacturing (chips, robotics, aerospace, etc.), next-generation information technology, life sciences, new energy, new materials, and mass consumption & new cultural creativity. Since its inception, the fund has consistently received prestigious accolades such as “Top 10 Early-Stage Investment Institutions in China.”

Common Investment is an emerging angel and venture capital firm rooted in Zhongguancun, Beijing, dedicated to supporting outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship teams from top-tier domestic and international universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The team has invested in dozens of innovative startups featuring hard-core products and core, high-end, and foundational technologies, including UISEE, Huakan Biology, Qingtaike, Aofei Acoustics, Shengke Energy, Youjia Technology, Photon Arithmetic, Huakong Zhijia, Daokou Jinke, Anku Zhixin, Yuanlian Technology, Zhongyue Technology, Interactive Future, CAS Ruyi Medical, and Qingrong Shentong, among other technology-driven enterprises.

The CAS Tech Transfer Angel Fund, jointly established by the CAS Venture Capital Fund of Funds and Jiadaogu Investment, is an angel investment fund leveraging the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), rooted in Shenzhen, and focused on technology transfer projects from leading research institutions. It primarily invests in entities characterized by technological and business model innovations, capable of fostering strategic emerging industries such as next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals, and advanced manufacturing. By fully integrating robust scientific and technological capabilities with capital market connectivity, the fund aims to identify and invest in early-stage deep-tech ventures with strong market prospects, promote the industrialization of outstanding domestic scientific and technological achievements, and adhere to the principle of being “a growth partner for entrepreneurs,” helping them evolve into great enterprises with long-term social and commercial value.

Fervent Ventures has accumulated extensive experience in angel investing, with a total fund size of RMB 2 billion currently under its participation and management. The firm focuses on investing in emerging industries such as innovative technology, artificial intelligence, big data, cultural creativity, consumption upgrades, general health, the Internet of Things (IoT), and new energy. It has invested in over 100 projects to date, with standout portfolio companies including DJI Innovations, Geekne, Candela Technology, Huaban, Yishou Technology, and Speed China, all of which are leading players in their respective industries.