Dapu Bio Completes Series B1 Financing of Over RMB 100 Million to Accelerate Global Commercial Expansion

Recently,DPBIO (hereinafter referred to as "DPBIO") announced that it has completed a Series B1 financing round amounting to hundreds of millions of yuan. This round was led by Luxin Venture Capital Group Co.,Ltd., with participation from Zhuopu Capital, Guangzhou Jinkong Fund Management co.,Ltd., Shenzhen BridgeOne Technology Investment Management Co., Ltd., and Shenzhen Chenmu Yun Technology.。The proceeds from this financing round will be used to support the global commercial expansion of DPBIO’s independently developed droplet microfluidics platforms, with the aim of establishing a globally leading platform for life science instrumentation and tools.

DPBIO, incubated at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and founded in 2018, is dedicated to providing world-leading life science tools and stands as a pioneer in China’s droplet microfluidics industry. The company has established R&D and production centers in Shenzhen and Jiaxing, with an R&D team of nearly 100 members. Focusing on the application of droplet microfluidics technology in biopharmaceuticals and precision medicine, DPBIO strives to become a comprehensive solution provider integrating the R&D and manufacturing of microfluidic chips, instruments, and reagents. It has commercialized multiple scientific instruments based on droplet microfluidics technology, including the CytoSpark Sorting System (microfluidic high-throughput screening system), Galaxy Single Cell Analysis System (single-cell sequencing library preparation system), Nebula dPCR System (digital PCR system), and Exostar Extracellular Vesicles Analysis System (single-vesicle analysis system). These products are applicable to fields such as antibody screening, enzyme evolution, synthetic biology, high-throughput drug screening, cancer research, early cancer screening, targeted therapy, non-invasive prenatal diagnosis, viral quantification, and quality control of biological products. To date, DPBIO has served over 100 leading domestic biopharmaceutical companies, research service providers, and IVD enterprises, achieving numerous “firsts” in the biopharmaceutical sector both domestically and internationally, and has gained widespread recognition within the industry.

High-throughput microdroplet technology can construct nearly ten million picoliter-scale microdroplet reaction units within minutes and complete the screening of tens of millions of microdroplet reaction units in a single round of experiments. Compared with the microliter-scale well plate methods commonly used in laboratory automation, this technology significantly breaks through the limitations of screening throughput, shortens cycles, and reduces costs, bringing revolutionary breakthroughs to fields with urgent high-throughput demands, such as antibody development and microbial screening. DPBIO has meticulously developed the CSP High-Throughput Functional Cell Screening System based on droplet microfluidics technology. Integrating technologies such as droplet generation, fluorescence detection, dielectrophoretic sorting, and single-cell printing, the system can complete functional screening of millions of single B cells within one day, accelerating the antibody development process. The MSP High-Throughput Microbial Screening Platform innovatively introduces absorbance detection and droplet micro-injection technologies on the basis of fluorescence detection, enabling users to complete 10⁷ Library capacity for microbial screening with positivity rates as low as 1‰ achieves a throughput increase of over 4,000-fold compared to traditional methods, while reducing reagent costs to one-millionth of conventional levels. DPBIO’s microfluidic high-throughput screening technology has disruptively transformed the paradigms of antibody development and microbial screening, addressing core challenges related to throughput, turnaround time, and cost for clients. It has already been implemented by numerous leading pharmaceutical companies, AI-driven drug discovery firms, CXOs, and synthetic biology enterprises, ushering in a new era of high-throughput screening.

Microdroplet encoding and quantification technologies enable high-throughput encoding of millions of microdroplet reaction units within minutes, allowing for the rapid detection of cellular and nucleic acid information in each unit. This makes high-throughput analysis at the single-cell and single-molecule levels possible, fundamentally revolutionizing traditional bulk analysis approaches. Leveraging its proprietary gel-encoded microsphere technology, DPBIO officially launched the Xinghai Single-Cell Library Preparation and Sequencing System and the Starscope Bioinformatics Analysis Software in 2022, achieving rapid acquisition and interpretation of massive single-cell datasets. This empowers customers to rapidly construct cell atlases, facilitating research in areas such as disease biomarker discovery, drug target identification, and mechanisms of drug resistance. For instance, single-cell sequencing of tumor samples can reveal changes in cell types, gene expression patterns, and molecular pathways under specific disease conditions, thereby helping researchers identify new drug targets and ushering in a truly personalized era of precision medicine. In the field of single-molecule analysis, microdroplet technology enables the rapid encapsulation of individual molecules into droplets, allowing for precise and sensitive quantification of target nucleic acids, proteins, and nanoparticles—longstanding key topics in life sciences. For example, in exosome detection, DPBIO has introduced the ExoStar Single-Vesicle Analysis System, which provides precise quantification of different exosome subpopulations, offering personalized diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for early screening and diagnosis. Furthermore, in applications such as cell and gene therapies and mRNA vaccines, the absolute quantification advantages of this droplet-based system help customers rapidly establish quality control standard operating procedures for parameters including formulation titer, residual host DNA, mRNA encapsulation efficiency, and empty capsid rate.

As a domestic life sciences instrumentation company, DPBIO has been committed since its inception to becoming an integrated solutions provider that combines instruments, reagents, and intelligent manufacturing of microfluidic chips. The deep integration of engineering, life sciences, and intelligent manufacturing has enabled DPBIO to advance multiple product lines simultaneously, launching several product pipelines within just a few years. Its efficient R&D capabilities and comprehensive manufacturing system have attracted numerous renowned domestic and international enterprises to establish collaborations. In September this year, WuXi AppTec launched DELman, the world’s first automated DNA-Encoded Library (DEL) screening instrument. DPBIO was fully involved in the R&D and production of this instrument and its microfluidic cartridges, helping WuXi AppTec rapidly transform DEL technology into standardized scientific instruments and providing the industry with innovative solutions for small-molecule drug development.

Since its commercial launch in 2022, DPBIO’s portfolio of innovative life science tools has gained widespread recognition from customers and industry stakeholders in the domestic market, thanks to their superior performance and precise product positioning. Its customer base now encompasses leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, research institutes, hospitals, and other scientific research institutions in China. As its product solutions continue to be refined and matured, DPBIO is also initiating its deployment in overseas markets. In this new era, Chinese life science instruments must possess globally leading competitiveness to secure a foothold in the global market and contribute to the international influence of Chinese brands.

Dr. Xu Xiaonan, Founder of DPBIOStatement: We express our gratitude to the investors for their trust and support. Their decisive investment amid the capital winter serves as a strong endorsement of DPBIO’s entrepreneurial mission and development. This round of financing marks a new starting point for DPBIO’s accelerated growth. We will focus on expediting commercialization, expanding into global markets, gaining insights into industry and application trends, and collaborating with partners to drive innovation, with the aim of building an internationally leading life sciences tools platform. Meanwhile, we will continue to develop new technological platforms and applications based on microfluidics technology, striving to apply upstream tools in fields such as drug development, microbial strain breeding, quality control analysis, scientific discovery, and clinical diagnostics, thereby delivering value across the biological industry chain.

Qiu Fang, Deputy General Manager of Luxin Venture CapitalStatement: Life sciences is a key strategic focus for Luxin Venture Capital Group Co.,Ltd. DPBIO possesses a core droplet microfluidics technology platform and has successfully achieved commercialization, with broad application prospects for its products, which are exclusive offerings in multiple scenarios. Adhering to the investment philosophy of growing alongside entrepreneurial enterprises, Luxin Venture Capital aims to collaborate with DPBIO and other portfolio companies to jointly build an ecosystem for the life sciences tools industry.

Zhuopu CapitalStatement: Compared with developed countries, China started later in the field of life science instruments. In recent years, however, the Chinese life sciences industry has gradually entered a period of rapid growth, driven by increasing national investment, sustained venture capital interest, and the return of overseas scientists. As a revolutionary technology, droplet microfluidics boasts an exceptionally broad range of applications. Leveraging the strong technical expertise of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), DPBIO has dedicated itself for over a decade to advancing foundational technologies and achieving industrial commercialization. The company has launched multiple equipment platforms, consumables, and reagents based on droplet microfluidics technology, while also achieving mass production of key engineering components such as microfluidic chips, thereby delivering genuine cost reduction and efficiency gains for downstream customers. Zhuopu Capital is highly optimistic about DPBIO’s efficient R&D capabilities and its future growth potential. Following this investment, Zhuopu Capital will fully integrate resources to continuously empower DPBIO, supporting its development into an internationally leading platform for life science instrument tools.

Guangzhou Jinkong FundGuangzhou Jinkong Fund Management Co., Ltd. stated that it attaches great importance to its strategic layout in the biopharmaceutical and healthcare industries, adhering to an investment strategy focused on early-stage, small-scale, and technology-driven ventures. The life science instrumentation market offers substantial growth potential, with a clear trend toward domestic substitution. The industry is currently at an inflection point of rapid expansion. DPBIO, possessing leading droplet microfluidics technology, ranks among the top-tier enterprises in this niche segment, with promising future growth prospects. Furthermore, as a key supplier within the industrial chain of Da An Gene, a listed company under the Guangzhou Financial Holdings Group, DPBIO will receive deep industrial empowerment from Guangzhou Jinkong Fund following the completion of this investment round, thereby facilitating further market expansion for the enterprise.

BridgeOne Technology InvestmentShenzhen BridgeOne Technology Investment Management Co., Ltd. stated: "BridgeOne has been deeply committed to investing in the smart healthcare sector, consistently focusing on the innovative development of life science instruments, and maintaining strong confidence in the DPBIO team. The DPBIO team has demonstrated exceptional capabilities in product definition and R&D within the cutting-edge field of droplet microfluidics. They have not only developed a diverse product portfolio, including high-throughput screening, single-cell library preparation, and digital PCR solutions, but more importantly, these innovative products effectively address core challenges facing the life sciences industry, offering broad application potential and significant first-mover advantages. Currently, DPBIO’s products have been validated and recognized by numerous renowned enterprises in the medical industry, which not only affirms their technological prowess but also signals their leading position in the sector. We firmly believe that droplet microfluidics, as a revolutionary innovation, will demonstrate its substantial value across more fields in the future. We are highly optimistic about DPBIO’s future and confident that it will become a leading enterprise in the life science instrumentation sector, contributing to global healthcare."

Chenmuyun TechnologyChenmuyun Technology focuses on the development of high-tech innovations in biomedicine, aiming to widely apply advanced technologies to real-world scenarios in the bio-industry to enhance efficiency and create value. As a leading Chinese innovator in high-end life science instruments, DPBIO is firmly committed to advancing cutting-edge medical technologies such as droplet microfluidics. We will support DPBIO in further expanding its market presence, working together for mutual progress and a shared future.

Luxin Venture Capital Group Co., Ltd. (Stock Code: 600783.SH), a subsidiary of Shandong Luxin Investment Holding Group Co., Ltd., is the largest professional venture capital firm in Shandong Province and one of the most influential in China. It is the first venture capital institution listed on China’s domestic capital market. Over the past two decades, the company has managed and operated more than 40 funds with a total scale of approximately RMB 20 billion, covering sectors such as healthcare, military-civil fusion, advanced manufacturing, electronic information, new energy, and new materials. It has facilitated the listing of over 40 companies domestically and internationally. In the healthcare sector, it has invested in a number of outstanding enterprises, including 3D Medicines, Silicon-Based Bionics, Zhongke New Life, Abclonal, Weimai Medical, Meidong Huicheng, Inscinstech, and RemeGen.

Zhuopu Capital focuses on early-stage investments and manages multiple RMB-denominated funds. It has received continuous capital commitments from government guidance funds at various levels in Shanghai, as well as investment support from fund-of-funds such as Kaiyuan Guochuang, Shanghai Shuangchuang, and Yimei Investment. Representative portfolio companies of Zhuopu Capital include New Huanshi Logistics, Yazuishou, Jijia ERP, Haokang Zaijia, Langbote, Fanhu, and Nature Unbounded.

Guangzhou Jinkong Fund Management Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Guangzhou Jinkong Fund”) is a core comprehensive private equity investment fund management platform under the Guangzhou Financial Holdings Group, with a registered capital of RMB 1.1 billion. Rooted in Guangzhou and based in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou Jinkong Fund has deployed its investment business globally. Focusing on industrial chain innovation and upgrading, it has gradually built an investment fund cluster comprising sci-tech innovation fund of funds, state-owned enterprise innovation funds, district-level investment funds, urban renewal funds, rural revitalization funds, life and health funds, and hard technology funds. Leveraging the advantage of Guangzhou Financial Holdings Group’s full financial licenses, it provides portfolio companies with all-around innovative financial services, including industrial chain integration, capital operation, and empowerment through government resources. Currently, Guangzhou Jinkong Fund manages assets exceeding RMB 48 billion. Its fund cluster has cumulatively invested in over 1,000 projects, among which more than 60 companies have gone public.

BridgeOne Technology Investment, established in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, is a venture capital firm focused on the global technology industry, with key investments in smart healthcare, clean energy, and artificial intelligence. The company’s team comprises global scientists, long-term value investors, entrepreneurs, and startup founders, dedicated to helping scientists and world-class entrepreneurs realize their industrial visions. With years of deep engagement in artificial intelligence and smart healthcare, BridgeOne Technology Investment possesses extensive industry chain expertise and a global academic perspective, having established investment positions in intelligent hardware and software medical robots, in vitro diagnostics and precision medicine, surgical tools, and medical services.