Hangzhou Weiyuan Biotechnology

What Hangzhou Weiyuan Biotechnology does

Hangzhou Weiyuan Biotechnology is a synthetic biology company founded in January 2023 and headquartered in Hangzhou, China. The company applies AI-driven enzyme engineering to design, build, and commercialize biocatalysts and functional protein ingredients for industrial biomanufacturing, serving customers in pharmaceuticals, daily chemicals, and health products. Its proprietary platform integrates computational enzyme design with directed evolution and process scale-up, supported by a data asset of more than 100,000 lead enzyme sequences and 1,000+ functionally active enzymes, and a pipeline of 30+ R&D programs and 10+ industrialization projects. Cumulative R&D investment exceeds 50 million RMB, and the company holds 38 core IP assets of which 6 are granted patents.

The business model centers on B2B technology licensing, custom enzyme development, and joint industrialization with downstream manufacturers. Weiyuan generates revenue through milestone-based R&D service fees, royalty arrangements on licensed enzymes, and direct supply of functional ingredients, reporting production cost reductions of 30-50% for most engineered products and over 90% for 2-3 flagship enzymes at ton-level manufacturing scale. Framework agreements exceeding 100 million RMB have been signed with large listed companies and state-owned enterprises, and the company has identified 4-5 products with individual sales potential above 100 million RMB. The company is also planning a downstream B2C pivot into health supplements and cosmetics, alongside a roadmap that includes an A+ funding round and an eventual IPO.

The company is led by founder and CEO Wu Yan, a repeat entrepreneur whose prior venture Lide Bio was exited at approximately 1.8 billion RMB, and CTO Luo Zhibo, a Tsinghua PhD. Recognitions include National High-tech Enterprise status, Zhejiang Province Seed Unicorn designation, and membership in multiple synthetic biology industry alliances. As of September 2025 the company employed approximately 80 staff, with stated plans to scale to 200-300 as commercialization accelerates.

Name

Hangzhou Weiyuan Biotechnology

Legal name

杭州微远生物科技有限公司 (Hangzhou Weiyuan Biotechnology Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://wybio.cc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hangzhou Weiyuan Biotechnology, founded in 2023, is a Hangzhou-based synthetic biology company that applies AI-driven enzyme engineering to design and commercialize biocatalysts and functional protein ingredients for pharmaceutical, daily chemical, and health product manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Synthetic Biology / Pharmaceutical Intermediates

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Chiral / Asymmetric Synthesis & Complex Chemistry Services (HLAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small-Molecule API Process Development & Route Scouting (HLAGAHAA), Small-Molecule API Commercial Manufacturing (HLAGAHAB)

Keywords

• Synthetic biology manufacturing
• Pharmaceutical intermediates
• Enzyme engineering
• Biocatalysis products
• Functional raw materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Hangzhou

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. B2B sales of chiral intermediates and functional raw materials: Primary revenue stream. Direct product sales of chiral pharmaceutical intermediates (e.g., (R)-Styrene oxide, Dapoxetine intermediates, R-Lipoic acid, Edaravone intermediates) and functional raw materials (e.g., Pearl Protein Peptide, Duodenum Heparinoid, L(-)-Borneol) to pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, and health product manufacturers. Revenue grew from tens of thousands RMB in 2023 to several million in 2024 to tens of millions in 2025. Plan to achieve initial profitability in 2026.
2. Long-term framework supply agreements with enterprise customers: Multi-year supply framework agreements exceeding 100 million RMB signed with large listed companies and state-owned enterprises. Locks in high-value-added chiral chemicals and functional raw materials markets. Customers are B2B pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food manufacturers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hangzhou Weiyuan Biotechnology designs and manufactures chiral pharmaceutical intermediates and functional raw materials using an AI-driven enzyme directed evolution platform combined with cell-free multi-enzyme cascade biotransformation. The company produces single-enantiomer API building blocks (e.g., Dapoxetine, Rimegepant, Edaravone intermediates) and natural-product-derived ingredients (e.g., Pearl Protein Peptide, Duodenum Heparinoid, L(-)-Borneol) for pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food manufacturers. It offers custom synthesis and ton-scale production under multi-year framework supply agreements exceeding 100 million RMB.

Product overview

Hangzhou Weiyuan Biotechnology (杭州微远生物科技有限公司) operates a platform-plus-modules architecture in synthetic biology: the unifying core is its AI-Driven Enzyme Directed Evolution Platform, which combines machine-learning design with high-throughput wet-lab experimentation and draws on a proprietary Industrial Enzyme Library (先导酶库). Three innovation-platform modules — Smart Evolution in Industrial Enzymes (工业酶智能进化), Enzymatic Hydrolysis Development of Natural Products (天然产物酶解开发), and Construction of Multi-enzyme Cascade Systems (多酶级联系统构建) — sit on top of this core and together feed two commercial product lines: Chiral Pharmaceutical Intermediates (医药中间体) and Functional Raw Materials (功能性原料), the latter including Pearl Protein Peptide (珍珠蛋白肽), Duodenum Heparinoid (类肝素), and L(-)-Borneol (L(-)-龙脑).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chiral Pharmaceutical Intermediates A portfolio of chiral intermediates for pharmaceutical use, manufactured using AI-engineered enzymes and multi-enzyme cascade systems to achieve high enantio- and regio-selectivity. Examples include (R)-Styrene oxide, Dapoxetine intermediates, R-Lipoic acid, Edaravone intermediates, Ceftobiprole intermediates, Bortezomib/Ixazomib intermediates, Ibrutinib intermediates, Edoxaban/Betrixaban intermediates, and Mirabegron intermediates. Sold to pharmaceutical manufacturers under framework supply agreements.
• Functional Raw Materials A line of functional raw materials produced via the enzymatic hydrolysis platform for cosmetics, food, and health product manufacturers. Includes Pearl Protein Peptide (for skin whitening/anti-oxidation in cosmetics), Duodenum Heparinoid/Sulodexide (for thrombosis prevention/health products), and L(-)-Borneol (for pharmaceutical and fragrance applications).
• Custom Synthesis Services Multi-gram to ton-scale custom synthesis of chiral building blocks, reference compounds, and small-volume research chemicals for pharmaceutical R&D teams and CDMO customers, using the company's proprietary enzyme platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-50% cost reduction for most products vs. market; >90% cost reduction for 2-3 select products
• +8 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major (multi-year framework agreements), major (co-host of major industry conference), major (co-organizer of major ai competition) and minor (talent source).

• List of multiple large listed companies and state-owned enterprises (unnamed)major (multi-year framework agreements)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Per multiple announcements, Weiyuan has signed multi-year framework cooperation agreements exceeding 100 million RMB in total with multiple large listed companies and state-owned enterprises. The partnerships lock in demand for high-value-added chiral chemicals and functional raw materials. Specific customer names are not disclosed in public materials; the relationships are described as deep business and product cooperation.
• 健诺集团 (Jianuo Group)major (co-host of major industry conference)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Co-hosted the 3rd Yangtze River Delta Functional Nutrition Food Industry Conference and the "Synthetic Biology and Nutritional Anti-aging" Forum (held Dec 27, 2025 in Fuyang, Anhui). Co-organizer of one of the most authoritative industry conferences in the Yangtze River Delta region for nutrition and health. Provides platform for Weiyuan to demonstrate and validate products in the anti-aging ingredient space.
• 中国保健协会市场工作委员会 (China Health Care Association Market Working Committee)major (co-host of major industry conference)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Provided guidance and co-organized the 3rd Yangtze River Delta Functional Nutrition Food Industry Conference and the "Synthetic Biology and Nutritional Anti-aging" Forum (Dec 27, 2025, Fuyang, Anhui). Brings together top research institutions (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China CDC, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine). Validates Weiyuan's positioning in the anti-aging ingredients space.
• 华为 (Huawei) - Huawei Cloudmajor (co-organizer of major ai competition)Technology or Integration · 1 December 2025Co-organized the Suzhou Industrial Park "Huawei Cloud Cup" 2025 AI Application Innovation Competition (via Huawei (Suzhou) AI Innovation Center). 229 participating companies; Weiyuan won enterprise track second prize. Award includes Huawei AI cloud resources and expert support. Validates technology leadership in AI+biomanufacturing and opens path to deeper technical partnership with Huawei Cloud ecosystem.
• SISPARK (苏州国际科技园 / Suzhou International Science Park)major (co-organizer of major ai competition)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Co-organized the "Huawei Cloud Cup" 2025 AI Application Innovation Competition with Huawei (Suzhou) AI Innovation Center. Competition covered AI+manufacturing, AI+medical, AI+robotics scenarios. Recognized as a high-level, high-standard industry innovation event.
• 浙江大学 / Zhejiang University (founder's alma mater, talent pipeline)minor (talent source)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Recruitment and talent pipeline partner. Founder Wu Yan (1982) graduated from Zhejiang University Chu Kochen College (竺可桢学院) Bioengineering in 2003. Multiple PhDs on the team from Zhejiang University, including the founder. The 2nd anniversary article highlights "Tsinghua, Zhejiang, Zhejiang University of Technology, Nankai multi-university PhD team" as a core competency.
• 清华大学 / Tsinghua University (co-founder's alma mater, talent pipeline)minor (talent source)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Recruitment and talent pipeline partner. Co-founder & CTO Luo Zhibo (罗志波) holds a PhD in Engineering from Tsinghua University (advisor: Prof. Jin Yong, Prof. Lin Zhanglin), and is a postdoc in Business Administration from South China University of Technology. Multiple PhDs on the team are from Tsinghua. The 2nd anniversary article highlights Tsinghua as part of the multi-university PhD team core competency.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PharmaBlock Sciences (皓元医药): Chinese pharmaceutical intermediates and building blocks company with deep chiral chemistry capabilities serving global pharma R&D and commercial customers. Directly comparable to Weiyuan on chiral intermediates, target customer base (pharma manufacturers), and B2B CDMO-style business model.
• Codexis: US-based enzyme engineering company using directed evolution and computational biology to develop biocatalysts for pharmaceutical and sustainable chemistry applications. Most direct functional analogue of Weiyuan's AI-driven enzyme directed evolution platform, including the same Design-Build-Test-Learn paradigm and chiral pharmaceutical intermediate focus.
• Conagen: US synthetic biology company using enzyme engineering and fermentation to produce high-value ingredients for food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Directly comparable to Weiyuan on enzymatic production of functional ingredients (e.g., bioactive peptides, natural flavors) for cosmetics and health applications.

Emerging players

• Bota Bio (恩和生物): Chinese synthetic biology startup combining enzyme engineering and AI to develop sustainable biomanufacturing processes for chemicals and ingredients. Comparable to Weiyuan on enzyme-driven biomanufacturing platform, AI-enabled strain/enzyme engineering, and early-stage commercialization of bio-based products.
• Bluepha (蓝晶微生物): Chinese synthetic biology company using engineered microbes to produce biomaterials (PHAs) and other bio-based products. Comparable to Weiyuan as a fellow Chinese SynBio platform company pursuing AI-enabled strain engineering and scale-up, though focused on different end markets.

Broad incumbents

• Asymchem Laboratories (凯莱英医药): Large publicly-traded Chinese CDMO with strong chiral chemistry, API process development, and commercial manufacturing capabilities serving global pharma. Overlaps with Weiyuan on small-molecule chiral intermediates and APIs but operates at much larger scale and broader service portfolio.
• WuXi STA (合全药业): Global leading CDMO (subsidiary of WuXi AppTec) with comprehensive small-molecule API development, chiral chemistry, and commercial manufacturing services. Overlaps with Weiyuan's pharmaceutical intermediate business but at vastly larger scale and breadth.
• Novonesis (formerly Novozymes): Global industrial enzyme leader providing biocatalysts and enzyme solutions across food, pharma, and industrial markets. Comparable to Weiyuan on the underlying enzyme technology platform and industrial enzyme applications, though Novonesis operates at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Ginkgo Bioworks: US synthetic biology platform company building engineered organisms and enzymes for customers across pharma, food, and industrial markets. Comparable to Weiyuan as a platform-plus-applications synthetic biology model using AI/automation and large enzyme libraries, though Ginkgo is much larger and broader.

Regional players

• Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research / Chinese generic API platforms (representative: Apeloa Pharma): Large Chinese API manufacturers and CDMOs producing generic small-molecule APIs and intermediates for domestic and international markets. Comparable to Weiyuan as competitors supplying chiral APIs and intermediates into the same Chinese pharmaceutical customer base, often with broader portfolios but less differentiated green chemistry positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hangzhou Weiyuan Biotechnology