Qitian Gene Completes Tens of Millions RMB Series A Funding Round Exclusively Invested by XieLi Investment

Recently, Qitian Gene Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (“Qitian Gene”) announced the completion of its Series A financing round, raising tens of millions of RMB, with Xieli Investment as the sole investor. Following this round, Qitian Gene will continue to enhance its production facilities, expand capacity, accelerate market access initiatives, and strengthen its team by attracting top talent, thereby supporting rapid business growth.

Qitian Genomics specializes in the research and development and application of isothermal nucleic acid amplification technologies. The company primarily develops diagnostic kits and instruments for molecular detection and provides technical services, operating as an integrated technology enterprise encompassing R&D, manufacturing, sales, and service. Its products are mainly targeted at the public health sector (including inspection and quarantine at airport ports, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and food safety), the medical field (such as hospitals and community healthcare), scientific research (including universities, academies of sciences, and enterprises), public safety (such as epidemic prevention and control, and military biochemical defense), and the ecological environment (including GMO testing, species identification, and environmental microbiology).

Since its establishment in Wuxi in 2012, the company has completed the construction of a GMP-compliant large-scale production base and passed the cleanroom performance testing (Class 100,000 and Class 10,000) conducted by the Wuxi Institute for Drug Control. Following its inclusion in the National Major Science and Technology Projects during the 13th Five-Year Plan period in 2017 (as the lead unit for one sub-project and participant in three projects), the company was again included in the National Major Science and Technology Projects during the 13th Five-Year Plan period in 2018 (as a task undertaking unit for four projects).

The company’s main products are categorized into test kits, instruments, and technical services. Among these, the RAA (Recombinase Aided Amplification) products offer the advantages of isothermal amplification, rapid results, high accuracy, strong specificity, and high sensitivity, with simpler and faster operation compared to existing PCR technologies. The reagent products can be formulated as lyophilized powders, facilitating transportation and storage. All testing procedures can be performed at room temperature, ensuring ease of use and enabling a one-step molecular detection process. The supporting detection instruments are designed as portable, miniaturized devices capable of real-time, rapid detection of infectious pathogens, pathogenic foodborne microorganisms, genetic diseases, gene mutation sites, and ctDNA. These products are applicable in various fields, including rapid food safety testing, point-of-care in vitro diagnostics for major infectious diseases, testing in remote and field settings, hospital-based POCT, and precision medicine.

The company currently provides products and services to entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureaus, centers for disease control and prevention, and other agencies across various regions, maintaining strong long-term partnerships with these institutions.

Zhai Gang, Founding Managing Partner of Xieli Investment, stated: “As a next-generation molecular diagnostic technology, Qitian’s proprietary RAA isothermal amplification technology holds promise for widespread application in clinical diagnostics, inspection and quarantine, species identification, food safety, and other fields.”

Figure: Ms. Wang Zhihong, founder of the company

Wang Zhihong, the company’s founder and chairperson, has previously worked at state-owned enterprises, foreign consulting firms, and pharmaceutical companies, serving as a project manager and general manager during her tenure. In 2008, Wang joined the “12th Five-Year Plan Major Special Project on Biopharmaceuticals: Trichosanthin Mutant for AIDS Treatment.” In 2010, she initiated research and feasibility studies on the development and application of isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology. Leveraging over a decade of industry experience and in-depth knowledge of the biomedical sector, she rapidly assembled a founding team after establishing Qitian Gene, quickly building scaled capabilities spanning product R&D, technology, production, and sales.

Founder Wang Zhihong stated that upon the completion of this financing round, the company will continue to strengthen its team building.

“Talent is the foundation of a company’s development, and we will continue to improve our production facilities, as production capacity is paramount,” she stated. “Meanwhile, the company will accelerate market expansion, effectively promoting the application of next-generation molecular diagnostic technologies across various sectors, with the aim of becoming a leading enterprise in the field of isothermal amplification-based molecular testing.”