Challenbio Secures New Tens-of-Millions-Yuan Financing to Roll Out High-End Domestic Flow Cytometry Products Worldwide

As learned by VCBeat, Beijing Challen Biotechnology Co., Ltd., a leading enterprise in China’s flow cytometry sector, recently announced the completion of tens-of-millions-yuan financing. The round was exclusively invested by Peiyang Begonia Fund, with Bridge Capital serving as the sole financial advisor. This fresh capital backing comes shortly after the financing closed in April 2026, marking renewed favor from the capital market.

The high-parameter flow cytometry export ban issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which took effect on January 16, 2025, sent shockwaves across the entire flow cytometry industry. The regulation prohibits exports to China of flow cytometry instruments featuring over 26 channels, full-spectrum detection and cell sorting capabilities. While imposing substantial impacts on the development of life sciences in China, the ban also creates significant opportunities for domestic flow cytometry manufacturers.

Flow cytometers, known as the "Cell CT" in life science research and clinical diagnostics, are widely applied in cutting-edge fields including immune function assessment, hematological disease diagnosis, and monitoring for tumor immunotherapy. For a long time, the global market has been dominated by international giants. High-end instruments carry steep price tags and feature formidable core technical barriers, which have severely restricted independent development of life science research and precision medicine in China.

Statistics indicate that China’s flow cytometry market exceeded 6 billion yuan in 2025, with an annual compound growth rate above 15%. High-end instruments account for over 60% of total demand, yet domestic devices capture less than 20% market share, concentrated mainly in the mid-to-low-end segment. Boosted by the 15th Five-Year Plan’s push for the localization of life science tools and high-end medical devices, alongside the rapid advancement of precision medicine, domestic flow cytometry players are poised to seize substantial development opportunities.

Founded in 2020, Challenbio has always adhered to its core mission of "developing integrated intelligent biological detection solutions to empower scientific research, industrial development and precise clinical diagnosis and treatment". Drawing on profound technological accumulation, the company has continuously rolled out domestic products including MateCyte (2-laser, 8-color), LongCyte (3-laser, 14-color), FongCyte and 4-laser FongCyte S, achieving successive key breakthroughs and establishing itself as a representative enterprise in China’s domestic flow cytometry sector.

The CytoStellar series spectral flow cytometer was successfully launched in 2025. Equipped with over 5 lasers and 78 channels, the instrument supports autofluorescence elimination and resolution of similar fluorophores. It achieves breakthrough detection capacity of up to 50 colors per single tube, substantially lowering the complexity of panel design for research analysis. Boasting outstanding performance metrics, the system greatly elevates the innovation standard of domestic flow cytometry products.

ElaraCyte, Challenbio’s new high-throughput flow cytometry system targeting research and industrial customers, debuted in 2026. Equipped with four lasers, the instrument delivers optimized capabilities including ultrafast high-throughput testing, detection of 80 nm microparticles, 384-well plate compatibility, ultra-low dead volume and sample recovery. Tailored for individual research and biopharmaceutical R&D scenarios, it provides a systematically optimized solution covering speed, precision, stability and user experience, aiming to become a mainstream instrument for research-oriented flow cytometry applications.

Challenbio has launched a six-color lymphocyte subset reagent for flow cytometry, delivering a cost-effective localized solution for clinical immune assessment.

The reagent is highly compatible with the company’s LongCyte and ClinStellar series flow cytometers. Leveraging the high-sensitivity resolution of the multi-laser, multi-color platform combined with automated software gating templates, it enables precise detection of subtle changes in subsets such as CD4⁺ T cells, helping reduce manual errors. It provides reference support for auxiliary diagnosis and therapeutic response monitoring of immunodeficiency diseases, autoimmune disorders and other conditions.

The introduced volumetric absolute counting technology utilizes the instrument’s plunger pump to precisely control sample volume. It eliminates the need for costly counting beads, simplifying workflows and drastically cutting consumable costs per test. While maintaining analytical accuracy, the technology delivers exceptional cost performance, making it suitable for large-scale clinical screening scenarios.

As an original domestic reagent, Challenbio has realized full-process localized R&D and production spanning antibody labeling, fluorescent dyes and supporting software. The company can flexibly adjust antibody panels to meet domestic clinical demands. Equipped with a fully Chinese operating interface and supported by a professional technical team, it delivers convenient services tailored to the characteristics of local populations.

Challenbio’s reagent solutions for cytokine detection, refined immune subset analysis and platelet testing also center on precise detection, with strengths in cost control and localized services. These products facilitate the standardization and popularization of flow cytometry applications in disease diagnosis across China.

Challenbio has built a comprehensive product portfolio covering diverse application demands ranging from high-end research to grassroots clinical popularization.

In 2023, Challenbio entered into a strategic cooperation with Becton Dickinson. Challenbio provides exclusive OEM manufacturing of MateCyte for BD. Tuned as a dedicated instrument for lymphocyte subset testing, the system serves as a preferred industry solution. This partnership stands as a model of collaboration between a domestic flow cytometry enterprise and a globally renowned brand.

As of April 2025, Challenbio had delivered a total of 1,000 flow cytometers. One instrument, delivered to the research group led by Professor Wang Qiankun at Shenzhen Bay Laboratory with the mission of exploring the unknown, marks a key milestone for Challenbio in market expansion and customer service.

Since the launch of Challenbio’s full-spectrum flow cytometer CytoStellar in 2025, the instrument has won bids from numerous institutions including Zhejiang University, Nankai University, Capital Medical University and the National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing (NIBS). This serves as solid evidence of Challenbio’s progress in advancing cutting-edge products to new heights.

Entering 2026, Challenbio has accelerated market expansion of its spectral flow cytometers not only across China but also secured sales and shipments to developed economies in Europe and the United States. Expert users at renowned key laboratories in Europe have widely recognized the instruments after evaluation. It is projected that Challenbio will generate over ten million yuan in overseas revenue from its high-end spectral flow cytometry products in 2026.

Challenbio aims to engage global customers with premium products, win recognition and favor for its brand worldwide, and deliver China-born solutions to serve life science research and clinical diagnostics across the globe.