Puyi Biotech

What Puyi Biotech does

Puyi Biotech (普译生物) is a privately held Chinese nanopore gene sequencing platform company founded in November 2021, commercially operating since January 2024 and headquartered in Beijing with its legal entity relocated to Shaoxing, Zhejiang in March 2026. The company develops and manufactures a full-stack nanopore sequencing ecosystem covering three tiers of hardware (PolyseqOne mid-throughput single-chip sequencer, PolyseqHive mid-throughput six-channel sequencer, and PolyseqX2 high-throughput 800 GB sequencer), proprietary reusable silicon sequencing chips (PolyseqCell, PolyseqXCell), automated sample-prep equipment (PolyseqUniFlow, PolyseqLibPrep), and a portfolio of library preparation and chip cleaning reagent kits. The underlying technology is built on self-developed novel biological nanopore atomic-level structures, proprietary sequencing chemistry systems (C2.0 high-precision and C1.0 high-sensitivity), silicon-based integrated circuit chips, and the proprietary Basscall AI basecalling algorithm, with claimed full domestic self-sufficiency across all four core sequencing modules.

Puyi Biotech generates revenue primarily through direct enterprise sales of nanopore sequencers and consumables to large institutional customers including top research institutes, Class III hospitals, disease control centers, and customs inspection authorities. The recurring consumables model (chips, library prep kits, chip cleaning kits) is anchored to the installed base, which reached hundreds of instruments nationally by early 2026. The company complements direct sales with strategic application partnerships — notably Wuhan Beina Medical for clinical diagnostics and Hebei Reproductive Hospital for reproductive health — and participates in a National Key R&D Program consortium alongside China Agricultural University, CAS Institute of Semiconductors, and Central South University. As of March 2026 the company had raised approximately 260M CNY in cumulative venture funding across angel, Series A (led by Wanfu Biotech), and Series B (led by Zhejiang Yinhe Guoke Consumer Health Equity Investment Fund) rounds, with IDG Capital, CAS VC, BOC Capital, and Chang Development Group as additional institutional backers.

The company's customer base spans four primary segments — research and academia, clinical and medical testing, disease control and public health, and customs and border inspection — with applications covering pathogen detection, tumor molecular typing, hereditary disease screening, reproductive health (PGT), forensic analysis, and biosecurity. Puyi positions itself as a domestically controlled alternative to imported nanopore platforms, claiming 100% core reagent self-sufficiency and benefiting from China's strategic push for indigenous sequencing technology. As of early 2026, core products were still in the medical device registration process, indicating that regulated clinical IVD commercialization represents both the largest near-term opportunity and the principal regulatory risk.

Name

Puyi Biotech

Legal name

Polyseq Biotech Co., Ltd.

Website

https://polyseq.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Puyi Biotech (普译生物) is a Chinese nanopore gene sequencing platform company developing self-developed sequencers (PolyseqOne, PolyseqHive, PolyseqX2), reusable silicon chips, reagent kits, and AI basecalling algorithms, selling through direct enterprise sales to research institutes, Class III hospitals, disease control centers, and customs authorities across China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

DNA Sequencing Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Molecular Biology & Genomics Instruments (PCR/qPCR, Sequencing, Microarrays) (HLAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Genomics & Molecular Diagnostics (Trial Support) (HLAGAEAD), Transcriptomics & Gene Expression Profiling Services (HLAGANAE), Microbiome Analytics, Sequencing & Bioinformatics Platforms (HLAAAFAI), mRNA & Nucleic Acid Manufacturing Services (mRNA/saRNA/Plasmid DNA) (HLAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Nanopore gene sequencing
• DNA sequencing instruments
• Sequencing reagent kits
• Genomic analysis platforms
• Nanopore sequencing chips

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Nanopore Gene Sequencing Instruments and Chips: Sale of nanopore gene sequencing instruments (PolyseqOne, PolyseqHive, PolyseqX2) and consumable sequencing chips (PolyseqCell, PolyseqXCell). This constitutes the primary revenue stream. The company has delivered hundreds of instruments nationally.
2. Sequencing Reagent Kits: Sale of配套 reagent kits including library preparation kits (regular, rapid, barcode), chip cleaning kits, and other consumables required for the sequencing workflow. These form a recurring consumables revenue stream tied to instrument installations.
3. Sequencing Solutions and Services: Integrated solutions covering pathogen detection, tumor research, genetic disease screening, and other application-specific workflows. After-sales service including installation, training, warranty, and software upgrades are provided as part of the commercial offering.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Puyi Biotech develops, manufactures, and sells nanopore-based gene sequencing instruments (PolyseqOne, PolyseqHive, PolyseqX2), complementary automation equipment, reusable silicon sequencing chips (PolyseqCell, PolyseqXCell), and a full line of library preparation and chip-cleaning reagent kits. Its platform is built on self-developed nanopore proteins, sequencing chemistry (C1.0 and C2.0), silicon chips, and AI basecalling (Basscall) for long-read, high-accuracy genomic sequencing sold to enterprise and institutional customers.

Product overview

Puyi Biotech offers a comprehensive nanopore gene sequencing ecosystem consisting of three tiers: (1) Hardware sequencers including PolyseqOne (medium-throughput single-chip), PolyseqHive (medium-throughput six-channel), and PolyseqX2 (high-throughput dual-channel 800Gb); (2) Complementary automation equipment PolyseqUniFlow and PolyseqLibPrep for sample processing; (3) Consumable reagents including sequencing chips (PolyseqCell for medium-throughput, PolyseqXCell for high-throughput), library construction kits (standard, rapid, and barcode variants), and chip cleaning kits for chip regeneration. The platform is powered by proprietary sequencing chemistry systems (C2.0 high-precision and C1.0 high-sensitivity) and AI-driven signal decoding algorithms that enable long-read, high-accuracy nanopore sequencing for applications spanning scientific research, clinical diagnostics, pathogen detection, reproductive health, tumor detection, forensic analysis, and public health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Polyseq: Primary product brand under which nanopore gene sequencing instruments (PolyseqOne, PolyseqHive, PolyseqX2), sequencing chips (PolyseqCell, PolyseqXCell), and reagent kits are marketed. The brand encompasses the company's full nanopore gene sequencing system product line.

Quantifiable outcome

• 270+ intellectual property achievements including domestic and international patents
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 河北生殖妇产医院 (Hebei Reproductive and Obstetrics Hospital)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2025Scientific research strategic partnership for assisted reproduction and prenatal diagnosis using Puyi nanopore sequencing. Puyi's founding scientist and chairman Prof. Huang Yihua was appointed as a research expert consultant to the hospital's '石家庄市出生缺陷精准防控技术创新中心' (Shijiazhuang Birth Defects Precision Prevention and Control Technology Innovation Center).
• 中国农业大学 (China Agricultural University)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Collaborating partner in the National Key R&D Program '高精度、高通量纳米孔测序系统研发' project, jointly undertaking the BT&IT fusion special project with 9 other institutions.
• 中国科学院半导体研究所 (Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Collaborating partner in the National Key R&D Program project, providing semiconductor chip expertise for the high-accuracy, high-throughput nanopore sequencing system development.
• 中南大学 (Central South University)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Collaborating partner in the National Key R&D Program project, providing clinical and medical research expertise for nanopore sequencing applications.
• 武汉贝纳医学科技有限公司 (Wuhan Beina Medical Technology Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2025Comprehensive strategic partnership for clinical application promotion and custom development of nanopore sequencers. Beina Medical focuses on clinical application transformation and molecular diagnostic reagent development in pathogen detection, tumor, and hereditary disease areas. PolyseqOne was deeply tested on the Beina platform before the partnership was signed, demonstrating stable 1 Gb chip output in 2h and median Q16 accuracy.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Singular Genomics: Developer of the G4 benchtop sequencer and forthcoming long-read (PX) platform. An emerging multi-omics competitor expanding into the long-read space adjacent to Puyi's nanopore offering.
• Element Biosciences: US-based developer of the AVITI benchtop sequencing platform. An emerging alternative to both Illumina and long-read players, competing for mid-throughput sequencing share in research and applied markets.

Broad incumbents

• Illumina: Global short-read sequencing incumbent dominating the broader sequencing market. Not a direct nanopore peer, but the principal competitor for sequencing budget allocation and the catalyst for domestic substitution in China (unreliable entities list).
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Life-science tools incumbent supplying sequencing (Ion Torrent), reagents, and instruments. Competes broadly with Puyi for clinical and research workflow budgets and distribution channels globally.
• Roche: Diversified diagnostics incumbent with sequencing interests (including prior nanopore investments via Stratos Genomics). Represents both a potential commercialization partner and a long-term competitive threat in clinical sequencing.

Direct peers

• Pacific Biosciences (PacBio): Long-read sequencing competitor using SMRT (zero-mode waveguide) technology. Competes with Puyi for high-accuracy long-read genomics, structural variant, and clinical research applications globally.
• Oxford Nanopore Technologies: Global leader in nanopore sequencing with MinION, GridION, and PromethION platforms. Direct competitor to Puyi's Polyseq product line across research, clinical, and applied markets; both companies build around proprietary biological pore proteins and AI basecallers.
• MGI Tech (BGI Group): Major Chinese sequencing instrument maker (DNBSEQ platforms) and broader BGI genomics ecosystem. Competes with Puyi for Chinese life-science and clinical customers, though currently focused on short-read rather than nanopore.
• GeneMind Biosciences (真迈生物): Chinese developer of sequencing platforms including nanopore-based SURFSeq. Another domestic long-read competitor addressing similar research and clinical use cases as Puyi.
• QitanTech (齐碳科技): Chinese nanopore sequencing developer also pursuing full-stack domestic nanopore platforms. Closest direct Chinese competitor to Puyi, competing for the same domestic substitution opportunity in research and clinical markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors9 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 Puyi Biotech