Opmbio Secures RMB 100 Million Strategic Financing to Expand Its Media + CDMO Integrated Platform

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous innovative enterprises have faced dual challenges in operations and financing. VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that, amidst a severe fundraising environment, Optimize Biosciences has urgently onboarded China Life Health Industry Fund as a key strategic partner, completing a new round of financing worth RMB 100 million. Haoyue Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor for this round. The proceeds will be used to expand production lines for cell culture media and the CDMO service platform, as well as to attract talent and expand overseas business.

During the pandemic response, as a leading domestic one-stop service platform for cell culture media and CDMO, Optimize joined hands with its innovative pharmaceutical partners to fight the “epidemic,” promptly developing high-quality cell culture media products to support the production of therapeutic viral antibodies and vaccines, and providing “Culture Medium" and "Telemedicine Technology"Consulting services."

Optimize actively responds to the national call, ensuring that the company’s “Instant Epidemic Preventionunder the premise that every employee feels “Love in the Details” containment measures. These measures ensured that R&D and production staff could conduct experiments and product validation around the clock, providing “Culture Medium" and "Telemedicine Technology“Consulting services.”

Over the past two years, with the successive launch of multiple blockbuster biologics in China—including PD-1 monoclonal antibodies and biosimilars of rituximab, adalimumab, and bevacizumab—the Chinese biologics market is on the verge of an explosive growth. As a key raw material for biologic production, accounting for more than 30% of production costs, serum-free media represents a promising market expected to reach tens of billions of yuan. However, the domestic serum-free media market remains monopolized by overseas giants such as Thermo Fisher, Merck, and HyClone, which collectively hold approximately 90% of the market share. Due to pain points associated with imported brands, including high prices, long supply lead times, and a lack of customized services, there is an urgent need for domestic substitution. This is particularly true for highly competitive biologics such as PD-1 monoclonal antibodies and other me-too drugs or biosimilars, which are expected to fall into a “price war” dilemma under the influence of national medical insurance price reduction policies. There is therefore an immediate need for high-quality, cost-effective domestic serum-free media brands to help reduce production costs.

Dr. Xiao Zhihua, founder of Optimize, has focused on the development of cell culture processes since his graduate studies, boasting over 20 years of R&D and operational management experience in the serum-free media industry. The company’s CDMO platform is led by a professional team under the guidance of Dr. He Yunfen, providing end-to-end services from cell line construction to pilot-scale production that comply with dual filing requirements in China and the United States. Leveraging a core technology-driven, experienced, and highly competent management team, Optimize specializes in the high-end antibody media market. With extensive expertise in customized media solutions, its product quality rivals international brands while offering significant cost-performance advantages. The company ranks among the leaders in market share within China’s serum-free media sector, with over 90% of its portfolio consisting of high-end antibody media. Possessing a distinct first-mover advantage in a future market valued at tens of billions, Optimize holds promising growth prospects.

Optimize currently serves over 300 clients, encompassing China’s leading biopharmaceutical companies, universities, and research institutes. More than 30 clinical-stage projects are utilizing Optimize’s culture media and CDMO services, with the most advanced having reached Phase III clinical trials. Optimize’s culture media and CDMO services meet the regulatory requirements for dual filings in both China and the United States. As a domestic culture media brand, Optimize has taken the lead in entering the pre-IPO stage and demonstrates strong potential to become a unicorn company. Upholding its mission to provide global biopharmaceutical companies with the most cost-effective culture media and CDMO services, Optimize addresses critical technological bottlenecks in the biopharmaceutical sector through innovation, thereby contributing to the advancement of China’s biopharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Xiao Zhihua, Founder, Chairman, and General Manager of Optimize, stated: “It has been a privilege to witness and participate in the vigorous development of the biopharmaceutical industry over the past decade. Optimize is committed to building an ecosystem-wide industrial chain, adhering to the quality policy of ‘Exquisite Craftsmanship, Superior Quality,’ continuously optimizing our culture media products and CDMO services, empowering clients to develop high-quality innovative drugs, reducing production costs, improving product quality, enhancing clients’ market competitiveness, and contributing to the greater health industry. We extend our gratitude for the trust of our valued clients and the support of our investors along this journey. This partnership with China Life Health Industry Fund represents the capital market’s recognition of the Optimize team and will accelerate the company’s progress!”

Wan Yiqing, President of China Life Equity Investment Company, stated: “The China Life Health Industry Fund focuses on the medical and healthcare industry chain, serves national strategies, supports the real economy, and demonstrates China Life’s commitment. We leverage long-term, stable insurance capital and abundant resources to facilitate the transformation and upgrading of the medical and healthcare industry, safeguard public health with a sense of duty to our country and people, and drive high-quality development of the medical industry chain through innovation. Optimize has achieved import substitution for cell culture media—a core raw material in biopharmaceuticals—and made breakthroughs in key core technologies, standing out as an exemplary innovative enterprise. The China Life Health Industry Fund will fully support Optimize in increasing technological investment, strengthening R&D efforts, and building China’s leading domestic brand of culture media, jointly propelling China’s medical and healthcare industry to the forefront of the world.”

Zhang Junjie, Partner at China Renaissance, stated, “The present moment marks a new starting point for the commercialization and original R&D of China’s biopharmaceutical industry. Today, an increasing number of innovative products are transitioning from the laboratory to the market and being included in the National Reimbursement Drug List, thereby benefiting both healthcare providers and patients. Meanwhile, production quality and cost optimization aligned with payment capabilities have become increasingly critical. In the face of population aging, significant clinical demands driven by changes in the disease spectrum, and ongoing healthcare reforms, China not only needs more high-quality innovative pharmaceutical companies but also requires a robust industrial foundation for biopharmaceutical processes. The China Renaissance Healthcare Industry Fund believes that Optimize, as a leading enterprise mastering core raw materials for biopharmaceuticals and providing CDMO services, will be better positioned to stand alongside its innovative biopharmaceutical clients in this new stage of industry development. Together, they will address and resolve challenges encountered during commercialization, thereby supporting the long-term, healthy growth of the industry.”

Li Jiangfeng, Managing Director of Healthcare Investments at Fortune Capital, stated, “As the Series A investor in Optimize, we are delighted to welcome China Life Health Industry Fund as a new partner. In recent years, China’s biopharmaceutical industry has gained strong momentum, with its high growth rate and vast market potential creating unprecedented opportunities for the domestic cell culture media and CDMO sectors. Dr. Xiao, who hails from a global giant in the biopharmaceutical cell culture media industry, brings extensive sector expertise. Since returning to China to launch his venture, he has swiftly positioned Optimize as one of the leading players in this niche segment, while fostering a team culture characterized by diligence, pragmatism, focus, and efficiency. Fortune Capital looks forward to collaborating closely with our new partners to accelerate Optimize’s rapid development in the biopharmaceutical field and help it become China’s most professional brand for biopharmaceutical products and services.”

Haoyue Capital stated, “As a key component of raw materials for biopharmaceutical production, serum-free media has long been monopolized by import-dominated giants. As the leading domestic player in this field, Optimize represents a scarce and valuable investment opportunity. Haoyue Capital is honored to have served as the exclusive financial advisor for Optimize’s current financing round. We are highly optimistic about Optimize’s potential as an internationally leading one-stop service platform integrating serum-free media and CDMO capabilities. We are pleased to have assisted Optimize in completing this round of financing. An outstanding company requires not only strong R&D capabilities but also forward-looking strategic vision, which is essential for building a platform-based enterprise. These qualities of Optimize have been widely recognized by many top-tier investment institutions and strategic partners. With the successful completion of this financing round, and as the company scales up industrialized production of its culture media and expands its CDMO one-stop service production lines, we believe that Optimize will leverage its technological and strategic advantages, supported by capital infusion, to continuously consolidate its industry position, strengthen its industrialization efforts, and achieve new strategic breakthroughs.”

Founded in 2013 and located in the Shanghai International Medical Zone, Optimize is a leading one-stop serum-free media + CDMO service platform in China. Committed to the domestic substitution of serum-free culture media, it provides industry-leading CDMO services including cell line construction, process development, and pilot-scale production. The company has established a 2,000 m² GMP-compliant media production workshop, a 1,500 m² media R&D laboratory, and a 4,000 m² CDMO platform in Zhangjiang Science City. Its CDMO services focus on preclinical cell line construction, process development, and sample production for Phase I & II clinical trials, equipped with one 200L and one 500L GMP production lines, along with a comprehensive antibody quality analysis platform. Innovative drug projects served by the company are currently undergoing clinical trials in both China and the United States. The media production line has obtained ISO9001 and ISO13485 certifications.

The company previously secured nearly RMB 100 million in strategic investment from well-known venture capital funds in the industry, including Fortune Capital and Huaxing Medical Industry Fund.

China Life Healthcare Fund, initiated and established by China Life Equity Investment Co., Ltd. in 2016 with an initial size of RMB 12 billion, is a leading large-scale medical industry investment fund in China. Adhering to the philosophy of “investing in innovation, investing in value, and investing in the future,” the fund has invested in a number of outstanding leading enterprises in the healthcare sector and established strong partnerships with numerous top-tier institutions both domestically and internationally.

Haoyue Capital was founded in 2013, committed to becoming a bridge connecting China’s healthcare industry with capital. Haoyue Capital’s research and transaction coverage spans multiple sub-sectors, including biopharmaceuticals, innovative medical devices, IVD and precision medicine, healthcare services, and smart healthcare. The firm’s team comprises senior investment bankers with extensive experience in China’s healthcare sector. They closely monitor market dynamics and investment trends in healthcare over the long term, publishing weekly healthcare investment reports and thematic research studies to interpret new policies and emerging frontiers from Haoyue’s perspective.