Xuanyan Bio Completes Tens of Millions RMB Angel Funding to Accelerate AI-Driven Platform for Major Disease Management

Early screening, diagnosis, disease progression management, and treatment of complex diseases (such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases) have long been challenging issues in the medical field. With the rise of artificial intelligence,AI has been widely applied in the medical field, demonstrating significant advantages and potential in assisting healthcare professionals with disease diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment. Recently, this field has witnessed another major milestone.

VCBeat has learned that Shanghai VILLANELLE LIFE Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (“VILLANELLE LIFE”) has announced the completion of a tens-of-millions-yuan angel financing round, exclusively led by Hainan Qianganghui Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership). The funds raised will be used for preclinical research on INTX-001, a novel antibody drug targeting a previously unexplored cancer target; the development of downstream in vitro diagnostics (IVD) pipelines; and the creation of IVD products and software leveraging AI to predict the progression of major diseases (including early screening and metastasis).

VILLANELLE LIFE, established in April 2021, is dedicated to building an AI-driven platform for drug discovery, early screening, and assisted diagnosis to address unmet medical needs. Guided by the principles of precision medicine, the company has developed an AI-powered platform for novel drug target identification. Leveraging clinical real-world patient samples collected from more than 20 Grade A tertiary hospitals, and integrating proprietary AI algorithms with bioinformatics analysis technologies, VILLANELLE LIFE has established a unique, integrated precision medicine platform. This platform spans the entire value chain—from upstream target and biomarker discovery to downstream development of drugs, early screening tools, and assisted diagnostic solutions—aiming to meet the urgent clinical demands for early screening, diagnosis, disease progression management, and treatment of complex diseases (such as cancer, acute and critical illnesses, and cardiovascular diseases), which have long been highlighted by experts as requiring immediate attention.

VILLANELLE LIFE was founded in the United States by Fudan University School of Life Sciences alumni Xiao Siyu and Cao Xuanye, with Professor Ju Dianwen, Director of the Department of Biopharmaceuticals at Fudan University School of Pharmacy, serving as Scientific Advisor. The team comprises professionals from top-tier universities and institutions both in China and abroad; 90% of its members hold PhDs obtained overseas and possess robust scientific backgrounds along with work experience at leading global medical institutions.

VILLANELLE LIFE’s upstream target discovery business has been operating steadily for five years, having developed nearly 100 projects in collaboration with hospitals and institutions. The company holds more than ten patents in China and the United States, has published over 20 academic papers, and has achieved a cumulative impact factor exceeding 200. Its downstream business has yielded substantial results, including global commercialization rights for the monoclonal antibody INTX-001. A patent for the anti-X monoclonal antibody INTX-002 is currently pending application; preclinical data demonstrate excellent efficacy and a strong safety profile. IND applications for INTX-001 are expected to be filed in 2024–2025, with market approval anticipated by 2028. The IND application for INTX-002 is also projected to be submitted in mid-2025.

In addition to its drug pipeline, the platform holds 10 patents for auxiliary diagnostic products, featuring a robust and diversified portfolio.

It is reported that VILLANELLE LIFE, leveraging its big data platform and cutting-edge algorithms, has recently developed several industry-leading models in addition to the widely publicized model for predicting severe acute pancreatitis. These include an expression profile-based auxiliary diagnostic model for thyroid cancer metastasis, and a computational model for coronary artery stenosis that achieves unprecedented precision down to quartiles.

In the development of the drug INTX-001, VILLANELLE LIFE has elucidated the underlying mechanisms of the target and completed preliminary large-animal studies as well as validation for indication expansion. These efforts have not only yielded encouraging results but also laid a solid foundation for subsequent preclinical studies.

Leveraging its unique innovation and practicality, the VILLANELLE LIFE team has shone brightly in competitions across major platforms. The team has not only been featured by mainstream media outlets such as China Newsweek, People’s Daily Online, and Nanfang+, but has also garnered numerous honors, including the Championship for International Projects in the Shanghai Division of the 9th China International “Internet+” College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, First Place in the Yangpu District Startup Managers’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Camp, and Third Prize in the iFlytek AI Developer Competition.

Regarding the acquisition of this round of financing,Xiao Siyu, Co-Founder of VILLANELLE LIFE“Democratizing Data-Driven Healthcare”: Bringing big data-driven, more precise and efficient healthcare to every individual is the original mission behind the founding of VILLANELLE LIFE. We are honored to have earned the full trust and support of Qianganghui Investment. With the acceleration provided by this round of financing, we aim to leverage real patient samples as our engine, world-class technology as our driver, and innovation as our foundation to develop, manufacture, and promote AI and big data-powered products for more precise and efficient prediction, diagnosis, and treatment, ensuring that every individual can benefit from precision medicine in the AI era.

Ge Jiancheng, Founding Partner of Qiangang Huistated: “Bladder cancer is the most common malignant tumor in the urinary system and one of the top ten most common cancers worldwide. It ranks first in China and second globally in terms of incidence among urogenital tumors. We have great confidence in the core team of VILLANELLE LIFE in their innovative research capabilities and ability to translate scientific achievements into practical applications in this field. In the IVD (in vitro diagnostics) sector, accuracy and efficiency are the most critical factors in determining product value. The technical advantages of the VILLANELLE LIFE team in this area have already been well demonstrated, and the development and translation of subsequent products are progressing at an accelerated pace. We are honored to collaborate with the VILLANELLE LIFE team and hope that the company’s research outcomes will benefit a broad patient population as soon as possible.”

Qianganghui Investment is an investment firm dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation in the field of hard technology. Its investment focus is primarily on biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, new materials, and other sectors, with a commitment to facilitating the industrial application and commercialization of cutting-edge scientific research achievements. The firm strives to identify outstanding teams and market opportunities, discover value, respect value, and grow value.