Morning Star | Weitao Biotech Raises Over 100 Million Yuan in Angel Round Led by Qiming Venture Partners
Innovative companies in the global in vivo cell therapy space
Recently, Vitae Biotech (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. ("Vitae Biotech"), a global innovator in in vivo cell therapy, announced the completion of an angel round exceeding RMB 100 million. The round was led by Qiming Venture Partners, a leading global venture capital firm. The proceeds will be primarily used for iterative optimization of the company's core technology platform, as well as clinical translation and development of its lead candidate for autoimmune diseases.
Founded on June 25, 2025, Vitae Biotech was spun out from the in vivo CAR-T platform of Beijing Grit Biotechnology Co., Ltd. ("Grit Bio"). Vitae Biotech develops in vivo CAR-T therapies based on targeted LNP delivery systems, focusing on bringing transformative treatments to hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases. By enabling direct CAR expression within a patient's T cells, the approach eliminates the cell isolation, expansion, and lymphodepletion preconditioning required by conventional autologous CAR-T therapy — fundamentally addressing the three core pain points of "high cost, long cycle, and high toxicity." This promises to significantly compress treatment timelines, evolve cell therapy toward off-the-shelf drug formats, and substantially improve patient accessibility.
Meanwhile, Vitae Biotech's targeted LNP delivery system demonstrates outstanding performance in precision, safety, and manufacturing compatibility. Through a unique technical approach, it enhances T-cell targeting efficiency, effectively reduces off-target risks, and accommodates large-scale production. The company's proprietary targeting technology enables efficient T-cell activation and durable CAR expression, showing excellent B-cell depletion across multiple preclinical models with favorable safety upon repeat dosing. Its lead candidate has already entered the clinic and generated promising initial human data.
As the lead investor in this round, Qiming Venture Partners has long cultivated deep expertise in healthcare innovation, with particular focus on frontier technologies including cell therapy and gene delivery. Kan Chen, Partner at Qiming Venture Partners and Co-Head of Healthcare Innovation, commented: "Vitae Biotech's technical solution addresses the critical challenges of conventional CAR-T therapy, and its targeted LNP delivery platform demonstrates globally leading potential in targeting efficiency, safety, and manufacturing compatibility. We are optimistic about Dr. Yarong Liu's team's industrialization experience in cell therapy, as well as Grit Bio's FTE model as a safeguard for R&D efficiency. We will leverage our global industrial resources to help accelerate Vitae Biotech's clinical advancement and international partnerships, enabling Chinese innovative drugs to secure a leading position globally."
**Yarong Liu, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Vitae Biotech, said: "**We are grateful for the trust placed in us by Qiming Venture Partners and all participating investors. As dedicated practitioners in China's cell therapy field, our team remains committed to filling unmet clinical needs through technological innovation. Vitae Biotech's in vivo CAR-T approach represents an important step toward advancing cell therapy in the directions of 'off-the-shelf' and 'accessibility.' This financing round will accelerate clinical validation of Vitae Biotech and its in vivo CAR-T pipeline. Going forward, we will continue to uphold our philosophy of 'insight-driven demand, independent innovation,' striving to bring more innovative treatment options to patients."
This round was led by Qiming Venture Partners, with participation from B Capital, Xingze Capital, and Shunxi Fund.
PAST HIGHLIGHTS
Founded in 2006, Qiming Venture Partners currently manages 11 USD funds and 7 RMB funds, with total assets under management reaching $9.5 billion. Since its inception, the firm has focused on investing in outstanding early- and growth-stage companies in Technology and Healthcare.
To date, Qiming Venture Partners has invested in over 580 high-growth innovative companies, of which more than 210 have listed on the NYSE, NASDAQ, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, Shanghai Stock Exchange, and Shenzhen Stock Exchange, or exited through M&A and other means. Over 80 portfolio companies have become recognized unicorns or super-unicorns.
Many of Qiming Venture Partners' portfolio companies have grown into the most influential players in their respective fields, including Xiaomi (01810.HK), Meituan (03690.HK), Bilibili (NASDAQ:BILI, 09626.HK), Zhihu (NYSE:ZH, 02390.HK), Roborock (688169.SH), UBTECH (09880.HK), WeRide (NASDAQ:WRD), HyperStrong (688411.SH), Insta360 (688775.SH), Unisound (09678.HK), Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals (603087.SH), Tigermed (300347.SZ, 03347.HK), Zai Lab (NASDAQ:ZLAB, 09688.HK), CanSino Biologics (688185.SH, 06185.HK), Schrödinger (NASDAQ:SDGR), MicroPort EP MedTech (688617.SH), Sanyou Medical (688085.SH), Amoy Diagnostics (300685.SZ), Berry Genomics (000710.SZ), SinoCellTech (688520.SH), Yuanxin Technology, Insilico Medicine, MediLink Therapeutics, LaNova Medicines, Zhipu AI, StepFun, Biren Technology, and others.