- Deep-tech startups in space, fusion, biotech and solar secured fresh funding as investors backed next-generation technologies
- Embodied AI, education and industrial robotics ventures also attracted capital amid continued interest in frontier applications
Light Year Explorer closes pre-Series A+ round, nears $14 million in total funding
Commercial space company Light Year Explorer (光年探索) has completed a multi-million-yuan pre-Series A+ funding round, bringing its total funding to more than 100 million ($14.8 million).
The round was jointly led by JIC Group and Dingxin Capital, with participation from Taicang Angel Fund.
Founded in 2022 and based in Jiangsu’s Taicang, the company develops and manufactures rocket structural components, including stainless steel expansion tanks and fairings.
Its products account for about 60% of a rocket’s dry weight while improving performance and reducing manufacturing costs.
Light Year Explorer currently has an annual production capacity of 40 propellant tanks, covering six diameter specifications ranging from 2.25 meters to 5 meters. The new funding will support mass production, delivery and further R&D.
NewPro Bioworks bags pre-Series A funds to scale bio-manufactured proteins
Shanghai-based synthetic biology company NewPro Bioworks (新苡萃生物) has raised tens of millions of yuan in a pre-Series A round led by Shanghai SSCI Leading Private Equity Fund and Aochuang Leading Fund.
Founded around proprietary FlexBase™ chassis engineering and NeuroBrew™ intelligent fermentation technologies, the company focuses on producing high-value functional proteins such as lactoferrin through biological manufacturing.
Its flagship lactoferrin product has obtained U.S. FDA Self-GRAS recognition, making it one of the early Chinese companies in the sector to achieve the certification.
The funding will support regulatory filings, overseas expansion and manufacturing scale-up.
Blue Star Fusion raises angel+ round at $44 million valuation
Hefei-based fusion energy startup Blue Star Fusion (蔚蓝恒星) has completed a angel+ round worth hundreds of millions of yuan, lifting its post-money valuation above 3 billion yuan ($44.44 million).
Founded less than a year ago, the company has completed three billion-yuan-level financing rounds.
Investors include Gaorong Ventures, Boyu Capital, WH Capital and several individual investors.
The company focuses on high-temperature superconducting stellarator technology, applying AI to magnet configuration design and multi-objective engineering optimization to accelerate fusion device development.
Its first-stage device has completed design and key validation, with plans to build the world’s first full high-temperature superconducting stellarator by 2027.
Solar startup GCL Perovskite secures $15 million Series D round
Perovskite solar startup GCL Perovskite (协鑫光电) has completed a Series D1 round exceeding 100 million yuan ($14.9 million).
The round was led by SinoKing Capital, with participation from HongShan, Xiang’an Capital and Suzhou Asset Management.
The company, based in Jiangsu’s Kunshan, focuses on the development and mass production of perovskite photovoltaic modules and is among the few companies globally with both wet-process and dry-process mass production capabilities.
Its 2.78-square-meter commercial module has achieved a certified efficiency of 26.8%, while the company is exploring applications including utility-scale solar projects and space photovoltaics.
ThinkWheel raises over $4 million in seed+ round for embodied AI education
Shanghai-based embodied AI education startup ThinkWheel (风火轮萤图) has raised 30 million yuan ($4.44 million) in a seed+ round from DNA Fund, Focus Capital and Neware Group.
Founded in March 2025, the company develops AI-powered education products based on four core engines: multimodal learning analysis, education knowledge graphs, adaptive learning and AI content generation.
Its products include EduBuddy AI tutoring agent and the OctoMind personalized learning platform.
The new funding will support the development of embodied AI hardware for proactive human-computer interaction and product iteration.
Max Stable completes angel round for aerial robotics
Ningbo-based engineering robotics startup Max Stable (极稳科技) has completed a multi-million-yuan angel round led by Sharelink Capital.
Founded in 2026 by a team from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Zhejiang University, the company develops robots for high-altitude maintenance of wind turbine blades and large industrial infrastructure.
Its proprietary AIMP aerial intelligent mobility platform and MaxStable™ Control OS enable stable operation in conditions including 100-meter heights and strong winds of up to force 8.
The company has launched two product lines targeting wind power maintenance and industrial structure inspection, and plans to use the funding to build application labs, improve AI decision systems and accelerate commercialization.
