Qihe Biotech Closes Over RMB 200 Million Series A to Accelerate Gene Editing R&D and Commercialization

Recently, Suzhou Qihe Shengke Biotechnology Co., Ltd. ("Qihe Shengke") completed an oversubscribed RMB 200 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Beijing Biomedical Industry Investment Fund, with participation from Chang Development Group, Mingzhe Asset Management, and C&D Capital. Gaorong Ventures participated in Qihe Shengke's oversubscribed Pre-A round in 2023.

The proceeds will be used primarily for deep R&D of the company's gene editing technologies, optimization and expansion of its gene editing product pipeline, and commercialization platform deployment — further strengthening its core competitiveness and market influence in the biotechnology sector.

Founded in 2021, Qihe Shengke is a biotechnology enterprise focused on developing novel gene editing technologies to create superior biological traits and products.

The company has established a world-leading, fully independent and controllable gene editing technology system, achieving significant progress across multiple fronts: discovery and optimization of new gene editing tools, development of safe and efficient delivery systems, and creation of breakthrough germplasm resources.

In 2023, the team became the first globally to achieve precise large-fragment DNA insertion technology, spearheading worldwide breakthroughs in gene editing technology and product innovation. This provides robust technical support for gene stacking-based biobreeding and plant synthetic bio-manufacturing industries, demonstrating enormous application potential. Qihe Shengke's achievements have earned numerous accolades, including China's Top 10 Scientific Advances of 2023, Cell's Best Papers of 2023, and Nature's Seven Technologies to Watch in 2024, fully underscoring the company's leading technical capabilities.

Qihe's commercialization progress ranks at the industry's forefront. The company has secured two Chinese plant gene editing biosafety certificates and became the first Chinese enterprise to obtain USDA exemption for gene-edited products in the United States. Looking ahead, Qihe Shengke's forward-looking technology platform also holds promise for broader applications in biomanufacturing, biomedicine, and beyond.

Qihe Shengke Plant Factory

Yang Haiquan, Co-founder and Chief Business Officer, stated: "Following this funding round, Qihe's R&D capabilities will be further strengthened and industrial deployment will accelerate comprehensively. Our team will wield next-generation gene editing technology as our cutting edge, innovating industrial ecosystems and business models to deeply unlock the unlimited potential of biomanufacturing and biobreeding — contributing transformative power to the development of China's strategic emerging industries. Particularly in biobreeding, we aim to pioneer a new era of China's independent agricultural biotechnology and build a solid defense line for national food security."

Dr. Kevin Zhao (Zhao Tianmeng), Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, stated: "Global gene editing technology has entered a new phase. We have been continuously exploring how to leverage innovative combinations of various gene editing technologies to deliver products the market needs. To achieve this goal, we will iteratively develop proprietary foundational gene editing tools and delivery systems, continuously upgrading our technical competitiveness."

Dr. Zhang Bei, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "We are grateful for the trust of our new and existing shareholders. Operating in the biotechnology industry, we are full of confidence while keenly aware of our great responsibility. This funding round represents high recognition of Qihe Shengke's technical strength, team capabilities, and market potential. We are especially thankful for the strategic support from Beijing Biomedical Industry Investment Fund. We will fully utilize these funds to accelerate the market conversion of biotechnology. At the same time, we will actively pursue multi-party collaborations to jointly advance the vigorous development of biobreeding and biomanufacturing industries, contributing greater strength to the rapid application of new quality productive forces and global sustainable development."

Going forward, Qihe Shengke will deeply focus on market demands, accelerate the pace of technological innovation, pursue innovative external partnerships, develop market-oriented and customer-centric biotechnology products, and drive the company toward becoming a "global leading biotechnology company."