China's Zhisheng Yougu raises tens of millions of yuan for RNA biopesticides
What's the deal? Shanghai-based Zhisheng YouguDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised a Pre-A round of tens of millions of yuan to develop RNA interference-based biopesticides. The round was led by an affiliate of Henan Agricultural Investment Group, with agrochemical maker Ruipu AgrochemicalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → participating. Proceeds will fund pesticide registration, operations, and technology iteration.
What does it do? Founded in 2020, the company applies RNA interference — technology rooted in a Nobel Prize-winning discovery — to pest control. Founder Miao Xuexia describes it as issuing a "silence order" to specific pest genes, cutting their expression to precisely suppress infestations.
Why now? In May 2026, China opened a registration pathway for RNA biopesticides, giving the sector regulatory certainty it previously lacked. A registration certificate is a pesticide's "birth permit," and the company's first filing targets aphids, a high-incidence, high-resistance pest.
The challenge. RNA pesticides are green and residue-free, but nucleic acid instability and high production costs long blocked field use. Zhisheng Yougu says its stabilisation system now gives products a shelf life of over 600 days at room temperature, and its manufacturing costs are roughly on par with chemical pesticides.
What's the endgame? The company is scaling production to tonne-level output, with a 500-tonne pilot line under construction. It is first targeting fruit and vegetable crops, where residue requirements are strictest, and aims to secure its first registration within one to two years. Miao's five-year goal is to become a world-class active-ingredient supplier.
Why this re-raise matters. The round marks another vote of confidence from capital in the company, which was built by three people from Henan — Miao and two of her former students, general manager Li Haichao and production R&D director Guan Ruobing. Some agrochemical firms, including Ruipu Agrochemical, have already signed on for substantive cooperation.
What could go wrong? RNA biopesticides remain in the early stages of commercialisation. Lowering manufacturing costs and improving field stability are issues the industry must keep working on.
The signal: RNA biopesticides, dubbed "the third revolution in pesticide history," are nearing an industrialisation window. The US approved the first sprayable RNA pesticide in 2023, and RNA insecticides made Science 's top-ten breakthroughs list in 2024 — a global shift that regional Chinese capital is now moving to back.
Read more: sohu.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
