WillingMed Completes RMB 100 Million Pre-A Financing to Accelerate Expansion in Pathogen Detection

VCBeat has learned at the earliest opportunity that,WILLINGMED (Beijing) Micro-Rock Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “WILLINGMED”) has recently completed a Pre-A financing round of hundreds of millions of yuan,This round of financing was led by Bailin Capital, with participation from Yizhuang State-owned Investment, Data Capital, and Rongyu Capital. Songrui Phase I, an investor from the previous round, continued to increase its support.

The proceeds from this round of financing will be primarily allocated to the following strategic priorities:

1. R&D Investment: Continuously optimize and upgrade WILLINGMED’s PIseq® pathogen metagenomic testing products and the one-stop mNGS automated intelligent testing system;

2. Registration and Filing: Accelerate the registration testing and clinical trials for the ultra-sensitive mNGS-based bloodstream infection detection kit;

3. Clinical Laboratory Network: Strive to build a nationwide network of medical testing laboratories and a top-tier domestic marketing team;

4. Tianwang Laboratory: In collaboration with top-tier tertiary hospitals in China, we have jointly established the “China Pathogen Microorganism Tianwang Laboratory” to build an intelligent big-data analytics platform for pathogenic microorganisms tailored to regional populations in China.

WILLINGMED is a high-tech enterprise focused on precision medicine for infectious diseases. In late 2019, the company secured tens of millions of RMB in its angel round, exclusively led by Mifang Capital. In this current round, Beilin Capital served as the lead investor, with co-investment from Yizhuang State-owned Investment, Data Capital, and Rongyu Capital. These investment firms have demonstrated strong track records in the healthcare and wellness sector.Leveraging two major technological platforms—ultra-broad-spectrum metagenomics and ultra-fast microfluidic chips—WILLINGMED has innovatively applied metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) technology to pathogen diagnosis, enabling the simultaneous detection of over 24,000 types of pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

Currently, WILLINGMED has rapidly completed its clinical application layout for a series of mNGS-related testing products, including the PIseq® metagenomic testing product, the first hypersensitive metagenomic testing product for bloodstream infections using whole blood samples, and the development and market launch of a one-stop automated intelligent mNGS testing system.

In terms of facility construction, WILLINGMED has completed the development of its R&D center, medical testing laboratory, high-standard GMP workshops for reagents, and GMP workshops for equipment. It operates two comprehensive north-south bases in Beijing and Hangzhou that integrate scientific R&D, medical testing, and reagent and equipment production, thereby accelerating the rapid delivery of pathogen detection products and delivering an exceptional customer experience to clients in North China, East China, and surrounding regions. Meanwhile, the company has established strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Illumina and Runda Medical, expediting the regulatory registration and market rollout of its metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) products for pathogen detection.

WILLINGMED has been recognized as a National High-Tech Enterprise, a Technology-Based Small and Medium-sized Enterprise, and a “Golden Seed” Enterprise. It was also included in Zero2IPO Group’s “2020 Venture50 Sprout List” and the “2020 Healthcare Venture50” by VCBeat. The company’s independently developed “Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Kit for Pathogenic Microorganisms” and “Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Service for Pathogenic Microorganisms” were certified as New Technologies and New Products (Services) of Beijing in 2020. To date, WILLINGMED has filed 11 invention patents (all accepted) and registered 13 software copyrights, and has achieved perfect scores in multiple external quality assessment programs organized by the National Center for Clinical Laboratories under the National Health Commission.

WILLINGMED’s marketing team is led by more than ten industry veterans with two decades of experience in China’s top-tier anti-infective sector. Backed by extensive clinical expert resources and rich professional expertise, the team has served over 200 tertiary hospitals, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Peking University People’s Hospital, Peking University First Hospital, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, and The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, delivering nearly 20,000 precise diagnostic tests for clinical patients in departments such as Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Medicine, ICU, Pediatrics, Neurology, Hematology, and Oncology.

Dr. Gai Wei, Founder & CTO of WILLINGMEDFor over a decade, we have been dedicated to the precise diagnosis of infectious pathogens, accumulating extensive expertise in interdisciplinary fields such as molecular biology, pathogenic microbiology, bioinformatics analysis, and chip-based equipment. We possess a profound understanding of the development of clinical molecular diagnostic products. He emphasized, “While mNGS (metagenomic next-generation sequencing) products for pathogen detection serve as a powerful tool for diagnosing infections, there is significant room for improvement in their clinical application. The comprehensive nature of mNGS must not come at the expense of precision; instead, extensive refinement and optimization are required for each specific sample type to ensure more authentic and reliable test results. Over the years, we have invested substantial research efforts, building on our accumulated expertise to address key challenges in clinical applications, such as human host nucleic acid removal, background noise reduction, bioinformatics algorithms, and specialized databases. This has led to the development of PIseq®, our five core patented technologies covering the entire mNGS workflow: PathoXtract® for pathogen enrichment and extraction, HarmonicLib® for balanced DNA+RNA co-library preparation, DESC® dual-engine high-precision species identification algorithm, PathoDB® large-capacity three-tier pathogen database, and RPM-rC™ dual-threshold interpretation technology based on dynamic window-shifting background correction. These innovations enhance the reliability of clinical test results and provide more precise diagnostic evidence for clinical practice.”

Regarding this round of financing, Dr. Gai Wei stated, “We sincerely appreciate the recognition and trust of our investors in this round. WILLINGMED will continue to uphold its philosophy of ‘derived from clinical practice, serving clinical practice,’ consistently develop industry-leading technological products and services, accelerate the clinical application of its one-stop automated intelligent mNGS detection system, deliver tangible clinical benefits for patient diagnosis and treatment, and strive to become a leader in the field of precision infectious disease diagnostics.”

WILLINGMED is a high-tech enterprise dedicated to precision diagnostics for infectious diseases. Founded in 2019, its core team hails from renowned domestic and international research institutions such as Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. With nearly two decades of deep expertise in the field of precise pathogenic microorganism detection, the company possesses extensive experience in the research and development of molecular diagnostic technologies and products for infectious diseases, regulatory registration, manufacturing, commercialization, and third-party medical laboratory services. WILLINGMED holds multiple proprietary core technologies in areas such as metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and automated testing, empowering precision medicine for infections. It provides accurate and rapid clinical diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients with infectious diseases, striving to become a global leading provider of precision medical products and services for infectious diseases.

Beilin Capital, established in 2020, is an emerging professional equity investment firm founded by seasoned industry leaders and investors with extensive experience in the healthcare sector. The firm focuses intensively on high-potential, high-growth subsectors such as in vitro diagnostics (IVD), biopharmaceuticals, and high-end medical devices. With a profound understanding of industry investment dynamics, Beilin Capital adopts a research-driven approach and a strategy oriented toward industrial integration. By leveraging its team’s expertise in research, investment and financing, and resource integration, the firm supports industry leaders with strong foundational capabilities and emerging enterprises with significant R&D potential, helping them expand their presence in the global healthcare industry.

Beijing E-Town International Investment & Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “E-Town Capital”) was established in February 2009. It is a state-owned investment and financing company dedicated to supporting the industrial transformation, upgrading, and technological innovation of Beijing’s E-Town area. Adhering to the demands of real economy and industrial development, leveraging financial service innovations, and fully integrating government resources with market forces, E-Town Capital has continuously built a diversified industrial investment platform, a comprehensive financial service platform, and an innovation-driven industrial cluster hub. Currently, E-Town Capital serves as one of the five municipal-level entrusted investment management institutions for equity investment funds in Beijing. Its subsidiaries include E-Town Industrial Investment, Financing Guarantee, Financial Leasing, Microcredit, Mobile Silicon Valley, CYCC Credit, and E-Town Hong Kong.

Data Capital is a specialized firm focused on private equity investments in early-stage and growth-stage companies. Established in 2010, the firm currently manages multiple RMB and USD funds, making it one of the few dual-currency fund managers in the market. Through years of dedication, Data Capital has gradually built its investment strengths in next-generation information technology (big data and artificial intelligence, chip design, cybersecurity), healthcare, and consumer services, while maintaining a steady and prudent investment style. Data Capital not only provides financial support to enterprises but is also committed to partnering with outstanding Chinese entrepreneurs to cultivate world-class companies rooted in China and to establish itself as a leading third-party professional investment institution in the country.

Rongyu Capital, established in 2015, is a private equity investment firm focused on the healthcare and wellness sector. With a registered capital of RMB 150 million, the firm has deployed over RMB 1 billion in investments. Its investment team is led by pioneers who were among the first in China to specialize in the healthcare industry, bringing more than 18 years of private equity experience and a track record of over 100 past investments. As a subsidiary of Rongyu Holding Group, the company also owns a controlled industrial platform, Rongyu Pharmaceutical, and a healthcare venture capital service platform, Touhu.com, jointly embodying the investment philosophy of “financial capital + industrial expertise.”