BGI Life Science Industrialization Accelerator Completes 2019 Cohort and Files IPO Prospectus

On December 6, the 2019 Blue Rainbow Annual Conference and the Closing Ceremony of the BGI Life Health Accelerator were successfully held. After a six-month program, the BGI Life Health Accelerator officially concluded, featuring impressive presentations by representatives of the graduating projects. The annual conference brought together top scientists, star startup projects, and entrepreneurship and industry service organizations. Through thematic shares and roundtable discussions, participants analyzed new scientific discoveries and technological hotspots, shared entrepreneurial insights gained over the past year, and explored opportunities for industrial collaboration and ecosystem development.

At the outset of the event, Xu Xun, CEO and Executive Director of BGI Group and Dean of Shenzhen BGI Research Institute, delivered an opening address. He emphasized BGI Group’s consistent prioritization of advanced technologies across all business divisions. This enduring commitment underscores the significance of the Blue Rainbow Accelerator Program in further realizing the value of technological advancement, industrial development, and social impact.

Guo Qiushan, CEO of Blue Rainbow and Managing Partner of Miracle Light Venture Capital Fund, reviewed the remarkable achievements of the 2019 BGI Accelerator Program. Guo noted that Blue Rainbow’s incubation paradigm has shifted from merely facilitating resource connections to deep involvement. Meanwhile, incubation efforts are becoming more specialized, with explorations into joint incubation models. It was reported that this year’s accelerator program saw an overall earlier stage of project development, with over 85% of projects having not secured prior financing before joining the program. The proportion of project founders from research institutes increased significantly, accounting for more than half of all participants. In addition, the accelerator system underwent comprehensive upgrades and iterations, ranging from core courses to flagship events, while introducing new initiatives such as one-to-many entrepreneurial consultations, elective accelerator courses, and collaborative exchange programs. To date, two cohorts of the accelerator have been successfully held. Alongside steadily growing influence and attention, the program has cumulatively created over 300 new jobs, achieved a total project valuation of RMB 2.1 billion, and maintained a financing success rate of 64%.

Subsequently, BioTroy and FlashQuant Technology, as representatives of outstanding graduation projects from the accelerator program, made impressive appearances and shared the latest progress of their respective projects. Leveraging breakthrough advances in the regulation and targeting of tumor immune checkpoints, BioTroy has developed novel immune checkpoint inhibitors and will further pursue the research and development of new targeted drugs focusing on key tumor-suppressor pathways. FlashQuant Technology is a company providing point-of-care molecular diagnostic solutions. Its independently developed rapid molecular diagnostic platform, FLASH Dx, based on microfluidics technology, enables a fully enclosed, one-touch sample-to-result process. The platform is widely applied in the detection of infectious disease pathogens, companion diagnostics, medication guidance, identity verification, environmental monitoring, and food safety.

During the keynote session of the annual conference, Guo Qiushan delivered a presentation titled “Hotspots and Focus: The Supporting Power of Industry and Ecosystem in Investment,” providing a comprehensive interpretation of the life sciences industry from an investment perspective. Professor Shi Qihui from the School of Basic Medical Sciences at Fudan University discussed tumor liquid biopsy from the perspective of single-cell sequencing. Xia Qiangwei, CEO of Yongdao Zhiyuan, shared insights into the high-resolution mass spectrometry landscape and novel applications of capillary electrophoresis, highlighting Yongdao Zhiyuan’s innovative breakthroughs in the CE-MS field. As a pioneer in gene therapy in China, Li Bin, Chairman of Nuofo Biopharma, shared the first-mover advantages in ophthalmology amidst the global wave of gene therapy.

Furthermore, the event featured multiple roundtable forums, including “Response Modulation and Therapeutic Strategies Targeting the Tumor Immune Microenvironment,” “New Opportunities Unlocked by Technological Breakthroughs for POCT Solutions,” “Early Cancer Screening: Selection and Combination Strategies for Cancer Types, Omics Biomarkers, and Samples,” and “Market Opportunities, Industrial Bottlenecks, and Response Strategies for Gene and Cell Therapies.” Leading scientists and entrepreneurial pioneers in the industry engaged in stimulating discussions on the development landscape of specialized sectors and the future trends of cutting-edge technologies, offering fresh insights and inspiration.

It is reported that the 2020 BGI Accelerator Program has officially launched its recruitment. Blue Rainbow will continue to enhance its incubation capabilities, focusing on accelerating the industrialization of life sciences.