Caprico Biotech Secures Tens of Millions in Pre-A Financing to Advance Flow Cytometry Innovations

VCBeat has learned that Caprico Biotechnologies (hereinafter referred to as “Caprico”) successfully completed its Pre-A round of financing, amounting to tens of millions of RMB, in September 2023. This round was jointly invested by Guangzhou Huangpu Biomedical Industry Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd. and Yabao Pharmaceutical Group Co.Ltd., with Ruiling Capital serving as the exclusive financial advisor. This marks Caprico’s latest round of financing following its angel round completed in June 2022.

The proceeds from this round of financing will be primarily used to expand the R&D team, develop innovative products, and strengthen the sales team of the U.S. subsidiary, thereby increasing global market share.

Head of Huangpu Medical FundIt is stated that: As cell therapies continue to permeate clinical applications and public awareness of immunity gradually increases, flow cytometry will increasingly play its unique role in clinical practice. This is precisely why we have consistently focused on the field of flow cytometry. Caprico Biotechnologies is a company with independent R&D and innovation capabilities for cell lines at the source of flow cytometry reagents. With an R&D center established in the United States and a production and sales center in China, the company addresses critical domestic supply chain bottlenecks with its high-titer products and enters European and American markets with its uniquely innovative products, thereby implementing an international development strategy.

Head of Yabao Pharmaceutical GroupStatement: Flow cytometry reagents are in high demand in clinical departments such as hematology and are indispensable for the development of immunotherapy products and academic research. Diagnostic flow cytometry reagents impose stringent requirements on antigen epitopes and involve a series of development processes, including cell line development, fluorescent labeling, and purification. High-quality flow cytometry reagents require extensive R&D and refinement over a prolonged period. Caprico, a subsidiary of Caprico Biotechnologies, has dedicated nearly a decade to product development. In addition to launching a series of high-quality flow cytometry antibody reagents that meet routine clinical diagnostic needs, it has also developed various flow cytometry antibody reagents featuring both significant innovation and substantial clinical value. We recognize Caprico Biotechnologies’ team for its independent end-to-end R&D strategy in the field of flow cytometry diagnostic reagents—spanning from antibody cell line construction to the final diagnostic product—as well as their craftsmanship and commitment to continuous innovation. We are delighted to participate in this round of financing and look forward to advancing alongside Caprico Biotechnologies.

Professor Li Runzhao, Vice Chairman of Caprico Biotechnologies and CEO of U.S.-based CapricoCaprico Biotechnologies positions itself with specialized, refined, distinctive, and advanced products as its core competitiveness, focusing on the development and application of immunophenotyping in disease diagnosis, testing, and treatment. Caprico’s vision is to become a leading biotechnology company both domestically and internationally, providing comprehensive solutions, methods, and tools for immunophenotyping and immunoassays in clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, and scientific research. We aspire to build a distinctive, purpose-driven enterprise equipped with cutting-edge technologies, contributing to the advancement of immunological applications in China.

Mr. Wang Hui, Chairman of Caprico BiotechnologiesStatement: We extend our sincere gratitude to all shareholders for their trust in Caprico Biotechnologies and for their recognition of the company’s growth potential. As a high-tech biotechnology enterprise, we regard innovation as our vitality and quality as our lifeblood; these are the fundamental foundations and aspirations of our operations. Moving forward, the company will uphold the rule of law and serve society. By delivering innovative, high-quality products, we aim to earn societal recognition. We believe that society will not fail our enterprise or its individuals; by prioritizing social value, commercial value will naturally follow. Our team will remain united and committed, embodying the core cultural values of respect, integrity, humility, and discretion. We will actively assume responsibilities, standardize management, expand our business, and enhance the brand value of Caprico. Our goal is to ensure that those who trust Caprico feel assured, comfortable, and warmly supported, thereby deepening their trust in us.

Huangpu Medical Fund is a professional private equity investment management institution. Its primary sponsors include Guangzhou Development District Holding Group, Leading Capital, BeiGene, and Guoju Venture Capital. The fund focuses on investments in the life sciences and healthcare industries, with extensive investment layouts in areas such as biologics, innovative medical devices, and synthetic biology. Leveraging BeiGene’s R&D strengths in biologics, its funds are based in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, integrating academic resources from China and around the world. They are committed to incubating and empowering projects in life sciences, innovative healthcare, and synthetic biology, working closely with outstanding entrepreneurs to co-create first-class products, thereby contributing to humanity’s fight against disease and the promotion of health and well-being.

Yabao Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. is a corporate group with a history spanning over 40 years, listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (A-shares) in 2002. As a high-tech enterprise, Yabao Pharmaceutical has been recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as one of the “Top 100 Chinese Pharmaceutical Industrial Enterprises.” In recent years, the company has prioritized innovative drugs, guided by clinical needs, introduced high-end talent, and built an international R&D team. It has established a National Enterprise Technology Center, a Postdoctoral Research Station, and an Academician Workstation. The company holds more than 1,000 intellectual property rights, including granted patents, registered trademarks, and copyrights. Committed to fostering core competitiveness through cutting-edge global technological innovation, Yabao Pharmaceutical pursues internationalization as its strategic direction by recruiting international talent and building global platforms, advancing toward comprehensive, multi-modal international expansion.

Caprico Biotechnologies is a national high-tech enterprise integrating clinical and research-grade flow cytometry reagents, supporting flow cytometers, and specialized fluorescent dyes. The company boasts a robust scientific team comprising over twenty industry experts, including six professors and more than ten PhD holders. It has assembled an international advisory board of top-tier flow cytometry experts, led by Professor Wang Sa, President-Elect of the International Clinical Cytometry Society (ICCS). Adhering to its business philosophy of “Technology, Innovation, and a Better Life” and its core values of “Pragmatism, Innovation, and Pursuit of Excellence,” Caprico Biotechnologies aims to establish itself as a world-class and domestically leading biotechnology company rooted in the fields of immunodiagnostics and immunotherapy.

Caprico Biotechnologies has established a comprehensive hybridoma cell bank at its Henan production base, featuring complete production and quality control systems for Class I, II, and III in vitro diagnostic (IVD) reagents, thereby achieving full localization of manufacturing. The company has been honored with titles such as “Henan Province Antibody Cell Bank and Application Engineering Research Center,” “Zhengzhou Enterprise Technology Center,” “Henan Province Specialized, Refined, Differential, and Innovative SME,” and “2022 Seed Unicorn Enterprise.” Caprico Biotechnologies has fully established its U.S. subsidiary, Caprico Biotechnologies, Inc., which serves as a center for R&D, production, and overseas sales, as well as the instrument manufacturing center of Hunan Caprico Biotechnologies Co., Ltd.

Caprico Biotechnologies has developed and manufactured the world’s exclusive TRBC1 detection antibody, China’s only FLAER, and high-performance products such as Kappa and Lambda light chain antibodies. The company offers standardized conjugation with 23 types of specialty fluorophores, including the iFluor™ series, mFluor™ series, and PE-CF594. With over 320 proprietary hybridoma cell lines and more than 2,000 high-performance flow cytometry antibodies, Caprico serves the global flow cytometry market, with customers distributed across Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania.