Genogic Medical Technology Files IPO Prospectus: Delivering Localized Clinical Solutions for Respiratory Infection Diagnostics in Alignment with National Policies

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept across the globe, with rampant pathogenic microorganisms posing severe challenges to public health.In China, infections caused by pathogens such as bacteria and viruses affect over 200 million people annually, with more than 50 million patients undergoing pathogen infection testing each year. According to data released by the World Health Organization (WHO), deaths from infectious diseases account for 19% of all global deaths.Among various infectious diseases, respiratory infectious diseases are the most contagious. Severe infections are characterized by acute onset, rapid progression, and complex pathogens. Therefore, the ability to detect pathogenic microorganisms more rapidly and accurately is crucial.

Driven by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a surge in the construction of PCR molecular laboratories swept across China. In 2020 alone, more than 2,000 new PCR laboratories were established nationwide, significantly accelerating the development of China’s molecular diagnostics sector. Consequently, there is substantial demand among numerous Grade A tertiary hospitals across the country for the construction and application of PCR laboratories.

The National “13th Five-Year” Plan for the Development of the Bioindustry also explicitly states: In response to major infectious diseases such as acute bacterial and viral infections, including the detection needs for emerging major infectious diseases, accelerate the research, development, and industrialization of in vitro diagnostic instruments, equipment, reagents, and test strips for POCT testing; and expedite the development of new technologies with high specificity, such as molecular diagnostics and biochips.Pathogen Detection for Infectious Diseases Emerges as Another Clinical Application Hotspot in Genetic Testing, Following Genetic Disease Testing and Tumor Mutation Site Detection

Guangzhou Ancient Times of Genomics Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Ancient Times of Genomics”) has keenly seized this market opportunity by establishing long-term partnerships with local hospitals through the provision of on-site, localized solutions. Centered on molecular diagnostics—including but not limited to metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), second-generation sequencing, and third-generation sequencing—the company offers a comprehensive clinical solution for respiratory infections that covers the entire workflow, including testing, products, equipment, technology, interpretation, multidisciplinary consultation, scientific research, pharmaceuticals, and treatment. This approach addresses the urgent need for hospitals to establish their own in-house molecular diagnostic centers.

ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS provides end-to-end solutions covering the entire process of precision diagnosis and treatment of pathogens

Since its establishment in 2019,Over the past year, ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS has successfully signed agreements with leading hospitals, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, Huiya Hospital of The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, and Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, to jointly advance the construction of molecular testing centers. Additionally, it has established a strategic partnership with the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, where Academician Zhong Nanshan is based.While jointly advancing high-quality industry development, we also facilitate the company’s rapid growth.

Currently, sequencing technology is advancing rapidly in China. While the technical barrier to entry is not particularly high, the real challenge lies in effectively integrating this technology into clinical practice. Diagnostic approaches vary depending on disease manifestations, and the degree of optimization across the entire testing workflow directly determines the competitive differentiation among various solutions.

Bao Wei, Co-founder & CEO of ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS“He stated, ‘The healthcare industry is a market that places great emphasis on essential needs and application scenarios.’ He believes that clinical demand is the core of product development.”

The ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS team believes that the development of specialized disciplines is a key focus for the future healthcare market. The company will closely align with clinical needs and support the growth of respiratory specialties by leveraging its molecular testing center as the primary platform and its biobank as a data foundation, thereby expanding into broader market opportunities.

In the future, ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS will focus on building respiratory infection disciplines. By collaborating with hospitals to develop localized solutions, the company aims to support clinical practices in enhancing overall disciplinary development. Leveraging its products in respiratory infections as a strategic entry point, and drawing on the team’s expertise and advantages in regulatory certification, the company will strive to accelerate the regulatory approval of mNGS products, promote standardization of industry testing, and achieve broader coverage for its core products and intellectual property. On the technology front, ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS will concentrate on molecular platforms, including but not limited to next-generation sequencing (NGS), third-generation sequencing, and other molecular technologies.

The rampant spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of PCR laboratories and nucleic acid testing in China, while simultaneously highlighting the growing demand among Grade A tertiary hospitals nationwide to establish their own molecular testing centers. However, molecular sequencing platforms impose significant and stringent demands for multidisciplinary talent, spanning from initial library preparation to downstream data interpretation. Leveraging its team’s capabilities and resources, ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS has formed long-term collaborations with hospitals in need by providing on-site, localized solutions. It offers comprehensive clinical solutions for respiratory infections, centered on molecular testing, thereby addressing the urgent need for hospitals to establish their own molecular testing centers.

Localized solutions address the historical challenges of distance and turnaround time that hospitals have faced in molecular sequencing, thereby improving the efficiency of detecting respiratory infectious pathogens. Taking hospital pathogenic microbiology testing as an example: diagnostic products for pathogenic microorganisms include both DNA- and RNA-based assays. However, due to the instability of RNA, which degrades rapidly over short periods, detection rates are compromised, making remote transportation followed by testing unfeasible. The provision of localized molecular testing solutions enables hospitals to achieve substantial improvements in both operational efficiency and accuracy.

In product development, ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS adopts a dual approach: on one hand, it continuously optimizes its products to better support clinical practice; on the other hand, by establishing close collaborations with clinical institutions, it drives continuous product upgrades from the perspective of clinical needs.

Collaboration with the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health and related institutions has provided ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS with abundant, high-quality clinical guidance resources.ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS is driving high-level industry development and enhancing the discipline construction capabilities of regional central hospitals across China through comprehensive collaboration with the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health.

Bao Wei, CEO of ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS, reports to Academician Zhong Nanshan (far right)

ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS’ ability to accurately grasp market trends and successfully incubate ventures is inseparable from the joint efforts of its founding core team.

“The core members of our founding team came from BGI Genomics and Da An Clinical Laboratory,” Bao Wei recounted the formation process of the ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS team. He stated that several core members of ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS had been deeply involved in the entire molecular diagnostics sector, ranging from genetics and oncology to infectious diseases, and participated throughout the entire workflow—from probe design and algorithm development to raw material sourcing—achieving remarkable results. It was precisely this years-long dedication that gave them deep insight into the significant growth potential of the molecular diagnostics sector. Recognizing that the core of this development lies in addressing the needs of clinical integration, and aiming to respond to national policies strengthening specialty development and medical technology consortiums, they sought to resolve the pain points in integrating molecular diagnostics with clinical practice by providing comprehensive solutions for both in-hospital and out-of-hospital settings. Thus, several former colleagues who shared a commitment to rooting themselves in this field chose to embark on this new journey together, becoming comrades-in-arms who support each other through the challenges of entrepreneurship.

“Dr. Zhang Yong is the leader of our company in terms of technical research and development.” From Bao Wei’s account, VCBeat learned that the companyCo-Founder & Chief Scientist, Dr. Zhang YongHe was a core member of the founding team at BGI Genomics and the founder and first director of the China National GeneBank. In 2015, Dr. Zhang Yong joined Daan Clinical Laboratory as Chief Scientist, where he met and became close friends with Bao Wei and other individuals who would later become founding members of ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS.

“Dr. Zhang Yong is a Visiting Professor at the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, and serves as Executive Committee Member of the Professional Committee on Clinical Data and Biobank Resources under the Chinese Research Hospital Association, Executive Committee Member of the Tissue Biobank Branch of the China Biopharmaceutical Technology Association, and Committee Member of ISO/TC 276 (Biotechnology) of the International Organization for Standardization,” Bao Wei stated that Dr. Zhang Yong can provide comprehensive strategic judgments on the company’s technological development direction, ensuring that the company avoids errors and minimizes detours in its technological pathway.

Dr. Duan Zhifeng, another core member of the company, is a representative figure known for his hands-on approach to implementing and deploying the company’s technologies at the grassroots level. Bao Wei introduced to VCBeat that the companyCo-founder & CTO, Dr. Zhifeng DuanHe previously served as the Head of the Microbiome R&D Team for Genewiz China and as the Head of Molecular Diagnostics at Da An Clinical Laboratory. He possesses extensive experience in day-to-day product development, laboratory establishment and management, molecular platform construction, and GMP regulatory submissions.

“Xinglong is primarily responsible for the company’s future strategic layout in IT, AI, and big data,” Bao Wei continued.Co-Founder & COOWang XinglongHe is the head of the company's IT division, with exceptional expertise in data and network management. With 15 years of experience in the mobile internet industry, he has held various roles including sales, product management, marketing, operations, Vice President, and co-founder & CEO, accumulating extensive industry experience and resources.

Bao WeiI have served as President of the Laboratory Division and President of Business Operations at Yunkang Group (Da An Clinical Laboratory), as well as a Mentor at Da An Chuanggu and an Honorary Professor. I possess extensive collaborative resources with over 130 large hospitals across China, along with broad networks and resources spanning the upstream and downstream sectors of global genetic testing manufacturers.

In Bao Wei’s view, the role of CEO is multifaceted. It requires not only accurately steering the company’s strategic direction but also ensuring that core team members aboard this corporate vessel each fulfill their responsibilities and leverage their unique strengths. Furthermore, a CEO must strive to provide appropriate support to help each core member perform their duties effectively.

“Complementary capabilities” is the term Bao Wei uses most frequently when describing core team members. He believes this is the defining characteristic of the ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS team: each member contributes their unique strengths, with clear role definitions and complementary skill sets.

Bao Wei believes that ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS has chosen to focus on the molecular diagnostics sector not only because of its vast growth potential, but also with the aim of driving the full domestication of the entire industry chain in this field. This strategy is intended to enable China to achieve leapfrog development in advanced technologies for pathogen genetic testing, thereby contributing to the new era of precision medicine and allowing more people to benefit from technological advances in genetic testing that enhance human health and enable scientific and effective disease prevention.

Furthermore, according to Bao Wei, ANCIENT TIMES OF GENOMICS has gained recognition from multiple investment institutions, and its fundraising efforts are progressing in an orderly manner.