Singlomics Biopharmaceuticals Secures RMB 100 Million Series A Financing to Advance Single-Cell Sequencing-Driven Drug Development

VCBeat has learned that Beijing Singlomics Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Singlomics”) recently announced the completion of its Series A financing round, raising nearly RMB 100 million. The round was co-led by GL Ventures and Huagai Capital, with participation from Beijing Changping Science Park Development Co., Ltd., Shoufa Zhan, Tianjin Huizhi, and Peppermint Fund. The proceeds will be primarily used to further upgrade its world-leading single-cell sequencing technology, accelerate the clinical development of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, and expand its product pipeline.

Danxu Biologics, established in 2020, is dedicated to leveraging its globally leading single-cell sequencing technology platform for the research and development of antibody-based therapeutics, continuously advancing innovative drug discovery for indications including infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders. Its first product candidates, neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (DXP593 and DXP604), entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with BeiGene in August for the global development, manufacturing, and commercialization rights outside of Greater China. Danxu Biologics will also collaborate with the Changping District Government of Beijing to establish an antibody drug production facility, making new contributions to strengthening Beijing’s biomedical innovation industry chain.

Professor Xie Xiaoliang, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Advisor of Danxu Biology, is an internationally renowned biophysical chemist. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He previously served as the Mallinckrodt Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University. In 2018, he made the decisive choice to return to China full-time to contribute to scientific research and education. He currently holds the Li Zhaoji Chair Professorship at Peking University, serves as Director of the Peking University Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, and directs the Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Gene Diagnosis. Over the past decade, Academician Xie has spearheaded the rapid development and medical application of single-cell genome sequencing technologies, establishing himself as one of the pioneers in this field. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he immediately organized a multi-institutional, multidisciplinary collaborative effort. His team was the first to successfully apply single-cell genomics to the screening of human neutralizing antibodies, thereby rapidly identifying highly potent neutralizing antibodies that hold promise for providing robust and effective treatments for COVID-19.

Academician Xie Xiaoliang, Co-founder & Chief Scientific Advisor of Danxu Bio

Dr. Xu Zhang, Co-founder and CEO of Danxu Bio, earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tokyo in Japan and subsequently obtained her Ph.D. from the Department of Applied Physics/Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University. She also served as President of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association at Harvard. During her studies at Harvard, she worked under the supervision of Academician Xiaoliang Sunney Xie, focusing her research on single-cell DNA/RNA sequencing and functional genomics. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, she played a significant role in the development of COVID-19 therapeutics and made substantial contributions as one of the core inventors of key patents. Dr. Zhang has actively explored industrialization and innovation-driven entrepreneurship for many years. Previously employed by McKinsey & Company, a world-leading strategic management consulting firm, she has accumulated extensive management consulting experience across major global biopharmaceutical markets, including China, the United States, Japan, and Europe. She has developed commercialization strategies, optimized product pipeline portfolios, and improved operational efficiency for numerous renowned multinational pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Xu Zhang, Co-founder & CEO of Danxu Biologics

Dr. Cao Yunlong, Co-founder and Scientific Advisor of Danxu Bio, received his bachelor’s degree in Physics from Zhejiang University and earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University under the supervision of Academician Xie Xiaoliang. He currently serves as an Associate Researcher at the Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics (ICG) at Peking University. Dr. Cao has been dedicated to the technological development of single-cell sequencing. During the research and development of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, he played a pivotal role in both experimental design and implementation. He is one of the principal inventors of several related patents and the first author of a highly acclaimed paper on high-potency SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies published in the top-tier biological journal Cell, which has received widespread recognition in the academic community.

Dr. Cao Yunlong, Co-founder & Scientific Advisor of Danxu Bio

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with strong support from the Beijing Municipal People’s Government and the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, Professor Xie Xiaoliang’s team at Peking University leveraged their years of accumulated expertise in high-throughput single-cell sequencing technology. In collaboration with Beijing You’an Hospital, the Institute of Medical Laboratory Animal Science at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Sino Biological Inc., and other institutions, they screened memory B cells from more than 60 recovered COVID-19 patients and identified multiple highly potent neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Peking University granted Daxi Biosciences an exclusive global license for the relevant patents.Daxi Biosciences, based in Changping District, Beijing, has been vigorously advancing the industrialization of two lead antibodies, DXP593 and DXP604, with support from the Beijing municipal and Changping district governments. This effort encompasses preclinical studies, manufacturing (in partnership with WuXi Biologics), and clinical development. The lead candidate, DXP593, has demonstrated robust neutralizing activity against both pseudoviruses and live viruses, positioning it at the forefront of global SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody research. In rodent models infected with SARS-CoV-2, DXP593 also exhibited strong therapeutic and prophylactic efficacy. DXP604 binds to a different epitope than DXP593 and also displays high neutralizing activity. DXP593 and DXP604 are poised to become highly competitive components of cocktail therapies for COVID-19 treatment, with the potential to emerge as world-leading interventions for prevention, treatment, and mitigation of drug resistance caused by viral mutations. Daxi Biosciences is currently collaborating with Beijing You’an Hospital to advance domestic Phase I clinical trials.

Danxu Biologics and BeiGene entered into an exclusive licensing agreement on August 27 for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization rights of COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies worldwide, excluding the Greater China region, to accelerate overseas clinical development. The Phase I clinical trial is expected to commence this month in Australia, enrolling up to 30 healthy volunteers. The Phase I/II clinical trials will be initiated in multiple countries before early October, enrolling patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Information regarding these two clinical trials will be posted on clinicaltrials.gov.

Yi Nuoqing, Co-Chief Investment Officer of Hillhouse Capital and Head of Biopharmaceuticals and Medical Devices at GL Ventures, stated, “We continuously monitor the commercial translation efforts of top scientists worldwide and provide long-term support. Within less than three months, Professor Xie Xiaoliang’s team successfully identified neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the blood of convalescent patients using state-of-the-art single-cell sequencing technology. Preclinical animal studies demonstrated that this antibody molecule can effectively inhibit and provide short-term prevention against SARS-CoV-2 infection, positioning the team at the forefront globally in this field. The collaboration with BeiGene will significantly accelerate subsequent clinical development. We believe that Danxu Bio’s single-cell genomics technology platform will unlock broader opportunities for new drug discovery and development in the future.”

Zhu Jingyang, Senior Investment Manager at Huagai Capital’s Healthcare Fund, stated, “In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has urgently needed new technological platforms to disrupt existing R&D paradigms and accelerate innovation. As a rising star in the field of innovative drug development, Danxu Bio boasts a solid foundation in globally leading single-cell sequencing technology, a high-quality founding team, and highly efficient execution. We look forward to Danxu Bio bringing more first-in-class drugs to the pharmaceutical community in China and around the world, thereby creating deeper industry value.”

Wang Ying, General Manager of Chang Development, stated: “We are delighted to support the rapid growth of Danxu Bio in Changping District. We believe that Danxu Bio will inject new vitality into the biopharmaceutical ecosystem of Changping District, Beijing, and attract more strategic talent in the pharmaceutical sector. We will fully assist Danxu Bio in meeting its development needs and jointly build new large-molecule drug production capacity, further strengthening the biopharmaceutical innovation industrial chain in Changping District.”

Liu Yuwen, Founding Partner of Peppermint Angel Fund, stated: “Danxu Bio boasts world-class technical expertise and a top-tier team. We are confident in its ability to establish a more innovative methodological framework to identify new breakthroughs in the treatment of various complex and refractory diseases. We look forward to Danxu Bio leveraging its technological advantages to bring about new transformations in the novel drug R&D industry.”

GL Ventures is the venture capital fund under Hillhouse Capital that focuses on early-stage innovative companies. It primarily invests in four key sectors: biopharmaceuticals and medical devices, software services and original technological innovations, consumer internet and technology, and emerging consumer brands and services. Biopharmaceuticals and medical devices have long been a core investment focus for Hillhouse. Over the past decade, Hillhouse has invested in more than 160 outstanding pharmaceutical and medical device companies, including BeiGene, Innovent Biologics, Junshi Biosciences, I-Mab, Frontage Laboratories, Nanomicro Technology, Medcaptain Medical Technology, PINS Medical, Primarius Technologies, Peijia Medical, MicroPort CardioFlow, Venus Medtech, Yisi Medical, Shenqi Medical, Biomate Medical, Antengene Corporation, Dadi Group, Huamai Tech, MicroPort CRM, Demed Medical, and Bekang Medical. We aim to partner with enterprises as “friends of time,” jointly driving innovation and development in the healthcare sector to benefit more patients.

Huagai Capital, with the vision of “becoming the most trusted investment partner for entrepreneurs and investors,” focuses on private equity investments in three major sectors: healthcare, TMT (Technology, Media, and Telecom), and culture and education. The firm has managed cumulative fund assets exceeding RMB 15 billion, with ten portfolio companies successfully listed. Its healthcare funds concentrate on biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare services, prioritizing industry M&A consolidation within the healthcare sector as well as investment opportunities in high-growth, high-tech enterprises at early to mid-stages.

Beijing Changping Science Park Development Co., Ltd. is a one-stop industrial ecosystem investment and operation platform established by the Changping District Government. Over the years, it has deeply cultivated the pharmaceutical and health industries, creating multiple professional service platforms, including shared platforms for instruments, equipment, and testing services; small-scale and pilot-scale platforms for cell therapy and gene therapy; third-party medical testing laboratories; and contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) for medical devices. Furthermore, Changping Development leverages its fund-of-funds and cooperative funds to strategically invest in the pharmaceutical and health sectors. Its fund-of-funds system has invested in over 200 healthcare companies, with a total investment amounting to nearly RMB 7 billion. Meanwhile, Changping Development also conducts direct investments using its own capital and has initiated healthcare-focused direct investment funds, deploying capital across various frontier technologies in the broader healthcare sector. Notably, portfolio companies such as Aier Medical, InnoCare Pharma, and Genetron Health have successfully gone public.

Beijing Capital Science and Technology Development Group is a technology investment and service group established in accordance with the deployment of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Beijing Municipal People’s Government. It serves as a market-oriented instrument supported by the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission to advance the construction of Beijing as a national center for technological innovation. The Group focuses on the “0 to 1” stage of scientific and technological achievement transformation, prioritizing key sectors such as pharmaceuticals and healthcare, new materials, and artificial intelligence. Its core mission is to facilitate the landing in Beijing of major projects involving the transformation of scientifically and technologically significant achievements that hold substantial value and are still at the stage of applied exploratory research or pre-research. The Group has made direct investments in projects including Huahui Anjian, Yimiao Shenzhou, Zhongke Jingshang, the Graphene Research Institute, and Guolian Wanxin. Meanwhile, it actively supports the transformation and implementation of technological innovations through managing its own subsidiary funds, participating in other subsidiary funds, and establishing new-type R&D institutions.

BOHE Angel Fund, established in 2015, is China’s first pharmaceutical and healthcare angel investment fund dedicated to global early-stage innovative R&D enterprises. It is committed to building China’s premier platform for identifying, nurturing, and incubating early-stage biotechnology projects and facilitating technology transfer. The fund’s seasoned investment team collaborates with an international “think tank” of top-tier scientists, business leaders, and entrepreneurs. It focuses on cutting-edge life science technologies urgently needed in the Chinese market, as well as the development of novel drugs targeting new mechanisms and targets in oncology, autoimmune diseases, and anti-infective therapies. Additionally, the fund strategically invests in innovative precision medicine solutions, including early disease screening and molecular imaging. By leveraging a deep understanding of the pathways and cycles of technology commercialization, BOHE Angel Fund aims to enhance the success rate and accelerate the growth of its portfolio companies.