Huili, a company devoted to the computational design of enzymes, is one of few biomanufacturers with core technologies and mass production and commercialization capacity.
Synthetic biology company Huili Biotechnology (Chinese：惠利生物) secured nearly CNY 300 million in a Series A round led by Legend Capital （Chinese：君联资本）and BioTrack Capital（Chinese：博远资本）, followed by Cenova Capital（Chinese：千骥资本）, Yunqi Partners（Chinese：云启资本） and ZWC Partners（Chinese：众为资本）.
The proceeds will be used to accelerate the construction and operation of large-scale production facilities, build new product pipelines and expand the team.
Synthetic biology is hailed as an emerging technology that leads to sustainable manufacturing and promises a broad market. According to Zhe Wang, an analyst from CITIC（short for China International Trust and Investment Corporation）Securities, the global market size of synthetic biology is expected to maintain a high CAGR of 22.5% from 2020 to 2025, surpassing USD 20 billion by 2025.
The modification of enzymes could determine biocatalytic performance. Huili’s computational design platform provides analysis and design of the sequence-structure-function of enzymes. Instead of directed evolution, the company optimizes the screening efficiency and enzyme modification through computational design.
Based on the platform, Huili has developed products in the pharmaceutical field, completing the process from laboratory development to industrial production and commercialization. Compared with traditional chemical methods, the company decreases costs by 30% and increases yields by 70%.
Huili has multiple product pipelines in fields including pharmaceutical intermediates, animal protection and food. Furthermore, with a R&D center in Tianjin and a production base in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, Huili has embarked on the expansion of flexible production lines.
Huili’s competitors include Huaheng Biological Technology(Chinese：华恒生物，SH688639), Cathay Biology(Chinese：凯赛生物，SH688065) and Bota Biology(Chinese：恩和生物).