GENSKEY Medical Secures Strategic C+ Round Investment from Taikang Investment and Origin Ventures to Advance Standardization in Infectious Disease Genomic Testing

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that GensKey Medicine, a leading enterprise in the infectious disease sector, has announced the addition of two strategic investors to its C+ financing round: Taikang Investment and Yuanhe Yuandian. This follows shortly after GensKey Medicine’s announcement of a strategic investment worth hundreds of millions of yuan from CPE Yuanfeng. It is understood that, following this round of financing, GensKey Medicine will better leverage the high-quality resources and professional investment layouts of CPE Yuanfeng, Taikang Group, and Yuanhe Yuandian in the medical field to accelerate the research, development, and promotion of genetic testing products for infectious diseases.

GensKey Medicine is a leading enterprise in China’s infectious pathogen genetic testing industry, with its pathogen detection product based on next-generation high-throughput sequencing—Jinshiyuan^®It has become the preferred pathogen detection product for numerous top-tier Grade 3A hospitals and third-party medical laboratories. Naminyuan™, a pathogen detection product based on nanopore sequencing technology, not only inherits the comprehensive pathogen coverage advantage of metagenomic products but also significantly improves testing turnaround time, delivering reports within eight hours. Since its launch, the product has been racing against time to provide timely test results for a large number of critically ill patients with infections. The continuous enhancement of diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities for infectious diseases by clinical institutions, along with the reduction of antibiotic misuse, represents a long-term trend. In the post-pandemic era, hospitals are placing greater emphasis on controlling the risk of nosocomial infections and monitoring emerging and rare pathogenic microorganisms, thereby propelling the infectious disease genetic testing industry into a fast lane of development.

Regarding the introduction of CPE Yuanfeng, Taikang Group, and Yuanhe Yuandian as strategic investors in GensKey Medicine, Dr. Jiang Zhi, CEO of GensKey Medicine, stated: “On behalf of everyone at GensKey, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to both new and existing investors for their trust and steadfast support of our work in infectious disease diagnostics. There are still many challenges in applying high-throughput sequencing technology to the field of infectious disease diagnosis. We need to collaborate with clinical experts, partners across the upstream and downstream value chain, and peers in the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry to continuously develop products that align with clinical needs and promote the gradual standardization of this emerging field. GensKey Medicine is committed to maintaining the deepest understanding of clinical practice, the most advanced technical expertise, and the highest level of regulatory compliance, thereby positioning itself as an industry leader.”

Mr. Huang Shengxuan, CEO of Beijing Taikang Investment, stated: “We appreciate the founder’s trust and the shareholders’ support, and we are delighted to become a significant shareholder in GensKey. Infection-related diseases are among the leading causes of death globally. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for pathogenic microorganisms has achieved breakthroughs in addressing critical clinical challenges by improving detection rates, turnaround time, and accuracy, thereby demonstrating immense market potential. Led by a team with extensive industry experience, GensKey has established leading multi-sequencing platform capabilities and secured competitive advantages in clinical progress, testing efficiency, data accumulation, and channel coverage. We will leverage Taikang’s business resources in the healthcare and wellness industry to empower the company and serve as a long-term strategic partner to GensKey.”

Dr. Hu Xiaofang, Partner at Yuanhe Origin Healthcare, stated, “Microbial infections pose a major threat to global health and safety. Continuous technological advancements are driving a revolutionary transformation in the field of precise microbial detection. We are optimistic about the significant potential of sequencing technologies to comprehensively improve the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment for infectious diseases, and we appreciate the GensKey team’s strong organizational capabilities and execution.”

It is understood that GensKey Medicine, as a leading enterprise in the industry of genetic detection for infectious pathogens, is the only company in the field to have launched high-throughput pathogen detection products based on both next-generation sequencing (NGS) and third-generation sequencing technologies. It is also the only enterprise in the industry to have achieved high scores on both imported and domestically produced sequencing platforms in the external quality assessment for metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) conducted by the National Center for Clinical Laboratories.

Currently, GensKey Medicine is the only company in China that offers a product for metagenomic molecular prediction of antimicrobial resistance phenotypes directly from clinical samples. Its independently developed DeepAMR technology predicts pathogen antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes based on metagenomic sequencing. By integrating machine learning models trained on big data, this technology analyzes the profile of resistance genes carried by pathogens in clinical samples to achieve direct prediction of antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes of pathogens present in clinical specimens. As this method relies on nucleic acid-based detection, it circumvents the limitations of low positivity rates associated with traditional culture methods. Furthermore, the model leverages machine learning algorithms for antimicrobial resistance phenotype prediction, delivering high accuracy and providing more effective guidance for precise clinical antibiotic use.

In the field of bloodstream infections, GensKey Medicine has accumulated more robust research and development capabilities. Its collaborative partners include top-tier medical institutions in China, such as the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking University People's Hospital, and Ruijin Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. GensKey Medicine’s Jinshiyuan product for detecting bloodstream infections is the only one of its kind to have passed registration testing by the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) and entered clinical trials.

GensKey Medicine is the only company in the field of pathogenic infection genetic testing that operates its own medical laboratories in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Tianjin. With a total area exceeding 17,000 square meters, these facilities ensure high-capacity operations. Additionally, through collaborations with local medical laboratories in Wuhan, Chengdu, and Xi’an, GensKey Medicine achieves delivery quality and turnaround times equivalent to those of its self-owned laboratories. Furthermore, by partnering with Grade A tertiary hospitals, GensKey Medicine has enabled multiple hospitals—including those in Zhengzhou, Shenzhen, Nanchang, Jinan, Kunming, Haikou, and Nanjing—to conduct pathogenic genetic testing projects on-site.

A widely covered laboratory delivery network ensures localized or even in-hospital delivery in major cities with concentrated medical resources, while reducing the cross-regional transport of clinical samples suspected of infection.

GensKey Medicine’s molecular laboratory and bioinformatics R&D team have consistently developed products and solutions centered on core clinical needs. To date, the company has accumulated a portfolio of products and workflows based on various sequencing platforms. GensKey’s infectious disease genetic testing products have been validated with over 100,000 clinical samples, whether in national external quality assessment programs or in-house testing by clinical clients. It is reported that GensKey Medicine has completed registration and filing for multiple medical devices, including test reagents, instruments, and analysis software. All reagents, whether for internal use or external supply, are uniformly manufactured at its GMP production facility in Tianjin in accordance with quality system standards for in vitro diagnostic reagents. With both stable product quality and comprehensive solutions, GensKey Medicine stands as an excellent partner for clinical institutions conducting genetic testing for infectious pathogens.

Multiple partners at GensKey Medicine hail from senior management roles at top multinational pharmaceutical companies, renowned Silicon Valley clinical diagnostics firms, and leading domestic genetic testing companies, with most boasting over two decades of industry experience.

Dr. Jiang Zhi, CEO, has over a decade of experience in the sequencing industry. Novogene, co-founded by him, has grown over ten years into a globally leading enterprise in genomic sequencing services for scientific research and is listed on the STAR Market. Since its inception, GensKey Medicine has benchmarked itself against top-tier international clinical diagnostic companies, striving to become a leader among Chinese molecular diagnostics firms specializing in infectious diseases. With the addition of numerous outstanding partners, first-class talent is propelling GensKey Medicine steadily toward its goal of becoming a world-class molecular diagnostics company.

Since 2019, GensKey Medicine has successively introduced multiple renowned strategic investors, including Legend Capital, SoftBank China Capital, Huagai Capital, CPE Yuanfeng, Fortune Venture Capital, Lingang Venture Capital, Yuanju Capital, Yuansheng Venture Capital, Xingze Capital, Taikang Investment, and Yuanhe Origin, securing hundreds of millions of yuan in total financing. The company currently employs nearly 400 people, with over 90% having backgrounds in life sciences and clinical medicine. These employees generally possess many years of experience working in gene sequencing, pharmaceutical, and diagnostic companies, as well as medical institutions and microbiology research organizations. More than 20% of the staff hold doctoral degrees, and over 50% hold master’s degrees.

To date, GensKey Medicine has obtained several Class I and Class II medical device registration certificates, two granted invention patents, and more than 20 computer software copyrights. The company has established in-depth collaborations with multiple top-tier clinical institutions and published over 20 high-impact SCI papers, including five articles in which its researchers served as co-first or co-corresponding authors. In July 2020, GensKey Medicine’s “Pathogenic Microorganism Sequencing Data Analysis Software” successfully received a medical device registration certificate.

GensKey Medicine will continue to invest in the development of new technologies and products, promote the comprehensive application and widespread adoption of genetic testing for infectious pathogens, benefit a broad base of patients and healthcare providers both domestically and internationally, and strive to be the premier partner in genomic sequencing for infectious pathogens.

GensKey Medicine, founded in 2017 and headquartered in the Zhongguancun Life Science Park in Changping, Beijing, has been continuously deepening the application of molecular diagnostic technologies in the field of infectious diseases. It is the only company offering solutions based on three high-throughput testing platforms. Its testing laboratories and service networks span more than ten provinces and municipalities across China. GensKey Medicine has established in-depth collaborations with top-tier institutions, including China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Peking University People’s Hospital, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, the Hematology Hospital of the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), and Lu Daopei Healthcare Group. Serving over 1,000 clinical institutions, the company provides comprehensive solutions encompassing metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) diagnostic products and testing services for departments such as respiratory medicine, hematology, clinical laboratory, critical care, and infectious diseases.

GensKey Medicine’s Beijing and Tianjin branches are National High-Tech Enterprises, having received honors such as National Technology-Based SMEs, Tianjin Eagle Enterprises, and Tianjin Strategic Emerging Industry Leading Enterprises. The company was ranked among the 2020 Zhongguancun “Top 10 in Virus Detection Technology” and for two consecutive years has been listed as one of Venture 50’s Most Valuable Investment Companies by Zero2IPO Group, as well as among VCBeat’s “Top 100 China Innovative Medical Services.”

Beijing Taikang Investment Management Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Taikang Investment”) is among the first batch of private equity fund managers for insurance funds approved by the former China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC), and serves as a specialized private equity fund management platform under Taikang Asset Management. Adhering to Taikang Asset Management’s investment culture driven by research and excellence, Beijing Taikang Investment aims to establish itself as a leading, professional, and market-oriented private equity investment institution.

Beijing Taikang Investment employs a tripartite investment strategy driven by direct investments (via Zhangjiagang Taikang Qianzhen Equity Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership)), fund-of-funds investments (via Zhangjiagang Taikang Qianheng Equity Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership)), and insurance ecosystem resources. It focuses on investing in outstanding enterprises and leading funds in vertical sectors within the big health, innovative technology, and major consumer goods industries. To date, the team has completed investments totaling billions of RMB, with representative portfolio companies including industry leaders such as Didi Chuxing, Meituan Dianping, and Innovent Biologics.

Yuanhe Origin, a member of Suzhou Yuanhe Holdings Co., Ltd., is a market-oriented, specialized early-stage equity investment platform. It focuses primarily on investment opportunities in startups and growth-stage enterprises within the Healthcare and TMT sectors. The platform manages ten funds with a total scale of approximately RMB 4 billion, comprising both venture capital (VC) funds and angel funds targeted at specific regions.

Yuanhe Origin’s investment style is characterized by a focus on early-stage ventures, a preference for technology-driven companies, and a steadfast commitment to its promises, earning it a strong reputation among early-stage tech startups. To date, it has invested in and managed over 200 high-quality enterprises, including Ascentage Pharma, CStone Pharmaceuticals, JW Therapeutics, Jiangsu Beiren, TZTEK, Beikang, and Zhizhu.