Henan fund backs synthetic biology startup Xizi Shenghe, anchoring production in Henan

What's the deal? Henan Huirong FundDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has made an exclusive strategic investment in Hangzhou-based synthetic biology startup Xizi Shenghe Technology. The deal also connects the company to a biomanufacturing pilot base owned by Henan Investment GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.

What does the company do? Xizi Shenghe was incubated by Westlake University's Future Industries Research Center and brings together synthetic biology scientists from Jiangnan University and Zhejiang University, an AI enzyme engineering team, and biomanufacturing process experts. It focuses on oral and skin anti-ageing products.

Why now? Founded in March 2025, the startup has moved quickly to develop and produce high-value ingredients including recombinant collagen, rare ginsenosides, and cytidylic acid at low cost and scale.

What's the endgame? A core part of the deal is building Xizi Shenghe's own large-scale production base, sited in Henan. The location will tap local industrial supply chains to link pilot testing, industrialisation, and mass production in one chain.

What changes for the company? The partnership with Henan Investment Group's pilot base aims to close the loop from research to production to sales, speeding the path to market for more of its products.

The signal: The move shows Chinese regional funds using capital to pull emerging synthetic biology firms toward their local manufacturing bases, trading investment for industrial anchoring.

Read more: sohu.com

Image credit: Alexander van Dijk