Helixon Raises $787 Million, Setting a New Global Record for Biotech Fundraising This Year

AI-powered biotech company Earendil Labs (Helixon's international entity) recently announced the completion of multiple financing rounds totaling $787 million, setting a new global record for biotech fundraising in 2026. Investors include Dimension Capital, DST Global, INCE Capital, Luminous Ventures, Miracle Capital, Sanofi, the Biotech Development Fund (jointly established by Hillhouse and Pfizer), along with other existing and new investors.

Gaorong Ventures participated in Helixon's Series A round in early 2022 and has continued to invest in every subsequent round, including the latest financing.

The proceeds will accelerate the development of the company's AI-driven R&D platform, expand its interdisciplinary team, and advance its pipeline to deliver first-in-class and best-in-class therapies for patients with serious diseases.

At the Global Frontier of Pharmaceutical Innovation

Landmark Strategic Partnerships Validate AI R&D Capabilities

Helixon sits at the forefront of global pharmaceutical innovation. Its core advantage lies in deeply integrating artificial intelligence across the entire lifecycle of innovative drug discovery, enabling the systematic generation and advancement of differentiated therapies. The company's proprietary AI platform has incubated more than 40 programs, including HXN-1001 — an anti-TL1A antibody with extended half-life properties currently preparing to enter Phase 2 trials — with multiple additional programs planned for IND submission between 2026 and 2027.

Over the past two years, the productivity and execution of the company's platform have been further validated through its strategic partnership with Sanofi. In 2025, Earendil Labs announced a global exclusive licensing agreement with Sanofi for next-generation bispecific antibodies HXN-1002 and HXN-1003 for autoimmune and inflammatory bowel diseases, with upfront and development and commercial milestone payments totaling $1.845 billion. More recently, Earendil Labs announced a broader strategic collaboration with Sanofi to apply its AI-driven discovery platform to multiple autoimmune and inflammatory disease programs, with potential total deal value of up to $2.56 billion. The cumulative value of licensing and collaboration agreements between the company and Sanofi now exceeds $4.4 billion.

Accelerating the Translation of AI Innovation into Potentially Transformative Medicines

"Artificial intelligence is at the core of everything we do — not merely a research tool, but a production engine powering actual therapeutic programs," said Dr. Jian Peng, founder and CEO of Helixon. "This financing enables us to operate at an entirely different scale, advancing multiple programs into the clinic while building a research organization with lasting impact."

"Our ultimate goal is to help patients who still lack effective treatment options," said Dr. Zhenping Zhu, co-founder, president, and co-CEO of Helixon. "This funding significantly strengthens our ability to translate AI-driven innovation into potentially transformative medicines, and provides us with opportunities to partner with global leaders to accelerate our worldwide R&D programs."

With the new capital, the company plans to expand its AI-driven drug discovery platform while growing its scientific, engineering, and translational teams to support pipeline expansion. At the same time, the company will advance multiple internal programs toward clinical milestones and deepen relationships with strategic partners to accelerate the delivery of innovative medicines to patients globally.