GL Capital leads $125m round for Hzymes Biotechnology

Industrial Bank, Guangfa Qianhe Investment, and Guokejiahe, a fund initiated by Chinese Academy of Sciences Holding, also participated. Existing backer Tenyall Investment, a Nanjing-based VC firm focused on healthcare, re-upped.

Founded in 2015, Hzymes specializes in enzymes gene mining and characterization, as well as enzyme optimization and remodeling. It aims to break a monopoly among foreign suppliers in the Chinese market. Enzymes are important raw materials for the biopharmaceutical, vaccine, and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) industries.

Hzymes has developed more than 300 raw materials of IVD reagents on its various R&D platforms. The company claims its IVD products are widely used in the biopharmaceutical, vaccine production, molecular diagnosis, and biosensing industries. It has partnerships with around 100 domestic and overseas IVD reagent manufacturers, selling products in 25 countries.

GL Capital focuses on buyout and growth opportunities in China healthcare. The firm was launched in 2010 by Jeffrey Li, the son of former Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference head Li Ruihan. Standout investments include the $605 million privatization of US-listed SciClone Pharmaceuticals. SciClone went public in Hong Kong in March with a market capitalization of HK$12.7 billion ($1.64 billion).

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Save this article  
• Send to  

• Topics
• Greater China
• Expansion
• Healthcare
• China
• Pharmaceuticals
• GL Capital