- Deep-tech companies across biotech, precision manufacturing and photonic computing secured fresh capital to accelerate commercialization
- Latest funding rounds highlighted breakthroughs in cell therapy, industrial metrology and next-generation AI optical infrastructure
Hopstem Biotech raises nearly $30 million in Series C funding
Hangzhou-based cell therapy developer Hopstem Biotech (霍德生物) has completed the first closing of a nearly 200 million yuan ($29.6 million) Series C financing round.
The financing was backed by new investors including Tesly Capital, Haibang Venture and Guangzhou Health Investment, along with existing shareholder Longmen Capital.
Founded in 2017, Hopstem focuses on developing universal iPSC-derived cell therapy products. The company operates cell drug R&D centers, GMP manufacturing facilities and quality control centers across Hangzhou and Shanghai, with a combined area of 6,400 square meters.
Its lead candidate hNPC01-FT, an iPSC-derived neural progenitor cell injection, has received IND approval in China for three indications.
The program is the world’s first iPSC-derived neural cell therapy to enter clinical trials for post-stroke hemiplegia and has advanced into Phase I/II dose-escalation studies.
The new funding will support clinical development across multiple indications and preparation for commercial-scale manufacturing.
PMT bags shy of $15 million from Series B to advance precision measurement
Suzhou-based precision 3D measurement company PMT (派姆特科技) has completed a nearly 100 million yuan ($14.8 million) Series B financing round, backed by the Suzhou Advanced Manufacturing Dedicated FoF and Tianjin Teda Group.
Founded in 2019, PMT develops high-precision industrial measurement equipment, including portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machines with accuracy of up to 0.02mm.
The company has built a customer base across automotive, aerospace and heavy manufacturing sectors, serving major enterprises including China State Shipbuilding Corporation, China Nuclear Power Engineering and SAIC Motor.
It is also expanding into semiconductor equipment and new energy battery applications.
The funding will be used for encoder technology upgrades, industrial 3D measurement software development, production expansion and market expansion.
LighteningAGI raises angel, angel+ rounds to develop optical computing chips
Shanghai-based AI optical computing chip startup LighteningAGI (奇算光启) has raised several hundred million yuan through angel and angel+ funding rounds.
The angel round was led by GL Venture, with participation from Baidu Ventures and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech.
The follow-on angel+ round was jointly led by GL Venture, Zhen Fund and Shanghai Engine Fund, with Cowin Capital also investing and existing shareholders continuing support.
Founded in 2024, LighteningAGI focuses on optical computing chips designed to overcome the energy-efficiency limits of traditional electronic computing.
The company has developed proprietary all-optical interference technology and completed tape-out and initial validation of a 256-by-256 optical computing chip.
The new funding will support core technology development and team expansion.
Liobate secures Series B funding to scale thin-film lithium niobate chips
Nanjing-based thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic chip developer Liobate (铌奥光电) has completed a Series B financing round worth several hundred million yuan.
The round was backed by GL Venture, YF Fund, Lenovo Capital and other investors, with existing shareholders including Nanjing Innovation Capital Group, GP Capital, Addor Capital and Guangzhou Industrial Investment Group continuing to participate.
Founded in 2020, Liobate is one of the few companies globally with full-stack TFLN photonic chip technology and mass-production capabilities. Its products cover 800G, 1.6T and 3.2T optical chips as well as coherent optical chips.
The company will use the funding to scale production and advance next-generation AI optical interconnect technologies.
TFLN is regarded as a key technology pathway for ultra-high-speed optical modules, offering advantages in bandwidth, power efficiency and integration.
