What Cabio does

Cabio (嘉必优生物技术, SSE: 688089), founded in 2004 in Wuhan, China, is a synthetic biology platform company that uses microbial fermentation to produce high-value nutritional and functional ingredients — principally ARA (arachidonic acid), DHA algae oil, β-carotene, sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid), and HMOs including 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL). The company's underlying technology stack spans strain engineering (precision gene editing, high-throughput screening, multi-omics), intelligent fermentation control, and downstream separation/purification/microencapsulation, all held under a portfolio of 83–154 authorized patents with full independent IP for ARA and DHA strains and processes. Cabio was the first Chinese company to industrialize ARA production, drafted relevant GB national standards, and operates from manufacturing facilities in Wuhan and Ezhou (Gedian), with ARA/DHA oil capacity above 570 tons and 555 tons respectively post-Phase II expansion.

The company sells exclusively B2B into human nutrition, animal nutrition, and personal care/cosmetics, with a "one customer, one plan" co-development model. Infant formula manufacturers — Nestlé, Danone, Feihe, Yili, Junlebao, Beingmate, Abbott — are the core revenue engine and historically drove over 95% of revenue (easing to ~80% as new segments scale). Cabio's growth vectors include DHA supplements (Daqin Yiyao), sialic-acid-based cosmetics ingredients (L'Oréal Yue Sai, natur&), animal feed fatty acid balancing via subsidiary Jialiduo, and the newly approved 2'-FL HMO targeting formula manufacturers globally. The Nourish Ingredients partnership adds Tastilux® for plant-based proteins as a new vertical.

Cabio is publicly listed on the Shanghai STAR Market since December 2019 (ticker 688089.SH), reported FY2024 revenue of approximately ¥555M (USD ~$76M, up 25.19% YoY), and Q1–Q3 2025 net profit of ¥129M (+54.16% YoY). The company exports to 30+ countries through direct enterprise sales and a Cargill distribution partnership, with international revenue rising from under 10% at IPO to roughly 40% by 2025. Regulatory approvals — EU Novel Food, US FDA GRAS, EFSA, US Organic, and China's first cosmetic new ingredient filing for sialic acid — form a structural barrier to entry and underpin international expansion.

Name

Cabio

Legal name

嘉必优生物技术(武汉)股份有限公司

Website

https://cabio.cn

Company type

Public

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cabio is a Wuhan-based synthetic biology company that produces premium nutritional ingredients — ARA, DHA, β-carotene, sialic acid, and HMOs — via proprietary microbial fermentation, supplying global infant formula, cosmetics, and animal nutrition manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nutritional Food Ingredients

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122), Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Baby Feeding Supplements & Fortifiers (Probiotics, DHA/ARA, Vitamins) (CRADAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic & Clean-Label Baby Nutrition (CRADAEAK), Cultures, Probiotics & Fermentation Ingredients (Starter Cultures, Yeast, Adjuncts) (CRADAOAI), Organic Functional Feed (Probiotics, Enzymes, Yeast, Essential Oils) (AFADAJAJ)

Keywords

• Microbial fermentation ingredients
• Nutritional lipid ingredients
• Human milk oligosaccharides
• Arachidonic acid production
• DHA algae oil

Headquarters

HQ city

Wuhan

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Human Nutrition - Infant Formula Ingredients: B2B sales of ARA (arachidonic acid) oil/powder and DHA algae oil/powder to infant formula manufacturers. Revenue from key accounts including Nestlé, Danone, Feihe, Yili, Junlebao. This is the core revenue driver, historically >95% of revenue, declining to ~80% as new segments grow.
2. Human Nutrition - Health & Functional Foods: Sales of DHA, SA, HMOs, and β-carotene into adult nutritional supplements, fortified foods, and special medical foods. Growing segment (~20% of revenue) including DHA in the 2023 Health Food Ingredient Directory.
3. Personal Care & Cosmetics Ingredients: Sales of sialic acid (SA/N-acetylneuraminic acid) as a cosmetic ingredient and finished-concept formulations to personal care brands. China's first approved cosmetics new ingredient. Used by L'Oréal (Yue Sai brand), natur&, SNP, Yagejia, Majiml and others.
4. Animal Nutrition: Sales of fatty acid balance products (利多能® Balance Milk) to livestock, poultry, and pet food manufacturers via subsidiary Jialiduo. Addresses 'anti-biotic replacement' market opportunity.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cabio produces premium nutritional ingredients through proprietary microbial fermentation and synthetic biology, including ARA (arachidonic acid) oil and powder, DHA algae oil and powder, β-carotene, N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid/SA), and Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) such as 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL). The company sells these functional ingredients as B2B raw materials to infant formula manufacturers (Nestlé, Danone, Feihe, Yili, Junlebao), health food producers, cosmetics brands (L'Oréal Yue Sai), and animal feed manufacturers, with operations spanning 30+ countries.

Product overview

Cabio (嘉必优生物技术) is a biotechnology company specializing in synthetic biology-based manufacturing of nutritional ingredients. The company operates a one-main-two-wings business structure: Human Nutrition (core ARA and DHA products, plus HMOs and sialic acid), Animal Nutrition (via subsidiary Jialiduo), and Personal Care/Cosmetics (via subsidiary Zhongke Guanggu). The product portfolio includes core products ARA and DHA algae oil as foundational omega fatty acids, supplemented by strategic products like HMOs (2'-FL and related oligosaccharides), sialic acid (燕窝酸/SA), beta-carotene, and the newly launched Tastilux® ingredient. All products utilize proprietary microbial fermentation and synthetic biology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 嘉启初 (Jiaqichu): HMO product brand under CABIO, used for infant nutrition and formula applications.
• 燕媉元 (Yanmianyuan)

Products and services

• 嘉必优® ARA (Arachidonic Acid) ARA is a ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid obtained through biosynthetic technology, essential for human growth and development. Cabio's ARA was the first in China to receive EU Novel Food and US FDA GRAS approval and is widely used as a mandatory ingredient in infant formula.
• 嘉必优® DHA Algae Oil (DHA 藻油) DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) is a ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid produced from single-cell algae through biosynthesis in closed, clean environments. The product has received FDA GRAS and EU Novel Food approval and offers a traceable, sustainable supply chain for infant formula, adult nutrition, and fortified foods.
• 嘉必优® β-Carotene (β-胡萝卜素) Fermentation-sourced β-carotene with high purity, available in multiple formats (crystal, oil suspension, microgranules, dry powder, emulsion) for natural color and food ingredient applications.
• Sialic Acid / SA (N-乙酰神经氨酸) Sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid) produced via fermentation by subsidiary Wuhan Zhongke Guanggu with purity exceeding 98% HPLC. Used in infant formula, health foods, cosmetics, and personal care, with applications in brain development, anti-viral activity, and skin care including anti-wrinkle, antioxidant, and moisturizing functions.
• HMOs Human Milk Oligosaccharides (including 2'-FL) Human Milk Oligosaccharides including 2'-FL, 3-FL, 3'-SL, 6'-SL, and LNnT developed via Cabio's synthetic biology platform for infant formula, gut health, immune regulation, and brain development applications. Selected as a National Bio-Manufacturing Iconic Product by China's MIIT.
• Tastilux® Specialty food ingredient developed through partnership with Nourish Ingredients, targeting plant-based and alternative protein markets to provide animal-like flavor and aroma in meat alternatives, ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and flavor applications.
• 嘉必优® Fish Oil Powder (鱼油粉) Microencapsulated fish oil powder developed with Australian company Pharmamark using CSIRO-patented technology to address Omega-3 instability and oxidation, available in various DHA/EPA ratios for different age groups in infant and adult nutritional applications.
• 利多能® Balance Milk - Animal Nutrition Fatty Acid Solutions Fatty acid balance solutions for livestock, poultry, aquaculture, and pet food markets, addressing 'antibiotic ban in feed' requirements via precision fatty acid balancing products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue grew from ¥312M (2019) to ¥555M (2024), CAGR 12.2%. Q1-Q3 2025: ¥428M (+10.56% YoY), net profit ¥129M (+54.18% YoY).
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nourish Ingredients (Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2024Cabio and Nourish Ingredients signed a strategic partnership on November 12, 2024, to develop and commercialize Tastilux®, a specialty fat ingredient for plant-based and alternative protein markets. The partnership leverages Cabio's manufacturing capabilities and Nourish Ingredients' precision fermentation technology to serve the alternative protein, ready-to-eat meals, snack, and flavor markets.
• Daqin Yiyao (达因药业) & Nspc (纽斯葆)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2024Three-party strategic agreement signed August 9, 2024, for customized DHA 'Gold Standard Oil' (金标油) for Yekexin children's DHA nutritional supplements. Combines Daqin Yiyao's pediatric formulation expertise, Cabio's DHA ingredient quality, and Nspc's manufacturing standards.
• Tianjin University Synthetic Biology Frontier Research Institute & Wuqing Development ZoneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2023Three-party strategic cooperation signed November 9, 2023, to build a high-level, full-chain, open-ended technology platform for synthetic biology industry transformation in Wuqing, Tianjin. Leverages Tianjin University's research capabilities, Cabio's industrialization expertise, and Wuqing's biomedical industry advantages.
• Tianjin University (as lead, with Tsinghua, Nankai, Jiangnan, BGI, others)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2022National Key R&D Program 'Green Biomanufacturing' Special Project 'Industrial Strain Genome Artificial Rearrangement Technology'. Cabio leads the 'Rearranged Industrial Strain Scale Testing and Application' sub-project. Partners include Tianjin University (lead), Tsinghua University, Nankai University, Jiangnan University, BGI, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Nanjing Tech University, Zhejiang University of Technology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology.
• Feihe (飞鹤乳业)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 January 2022Strategic cooperation agreement signed January 4, 2022, between Feihe Dairy and Cabio. The two companies agreed to deepen cooperation in supply chain, R&D innovation, and technology reserve. Feihe has maintained a 20+ year relationship with Cabio as ARA/DHA supplier. The partnership aims to strengthen Feihe's global competitiveness through joint product development.
• NestlécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCabio supplies ARA and DHA ingredients to Nestlé globally. Cabio has passed Nestlé's global supplier audits. Nestlé is one of Cabio's most significant international accounts, with Cabio supplying ingredients incorporated into Nestlé's infant formula products worldwide.
• DanonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCabio is a strategic ARA and DHA ingredient supplier to Danone, serving its global infant formula business. Danone is a major international account alongside Nestlé.
• CargillcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCargill serves as Cabio's global distribution partner, leveraging its worldwide distribution network to deliver Cabio's nutritional ingredient products to customers across Europe, Americas, and Southeast Asia where Cabio does not have direct sales presence.
• Chinese Academy of Sciences (中科院) - Multiple institutescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing R&D partnerships with multiple CAS institutes: Institute of合肥物质科学研究院 (sialic acid strain development), Institute of等离子体物理研究所 (HMOs research), Institute of水生生物研究所, and others. CABIO-A-2 DHA algae oil strain sourced from CAS.
• Tianjin University, Huazhong Normal University, China Agricultural UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing academic partnerships for joint laboratories, talent training, and R&D collaboration. Tianjin University partnership on synthetic biology and green biomanufacturing. Huazhong Normal University receiving education donations and scholarship programs. CABIO University provides employee development.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Kerry Group: Taste and nutrition ingredients supplier with broad fermentation-derived ingredients (yeast extracts, probiotics, taste modulation); sells into similar B2B food, beverage, and supplement manufacturers as Cabio.
• Novonesis (formerly Chr. Hansen / Novozymes): Microbial fermentation platform producing cultures, enzymes, probiotics, and HMOs (e.g., 2'-FL); competes with Cabio's HMO franchise and shares the synthetic biology / precision fermentation category positioning.
• ADM: Global ingredient powerhouse with broad oils, nutrition, and fermentation-derived ingredients portfolio serving food, beverage, and supplement customers comparable to Cabio's enterprise accounts.
• IFF: Major flavors, fragrances, and ingredient supplier with a Health & Biosciences portfolio including probiotics, enzymes, and fermentation ingredients comparable to Cabio's nutritional additives offering.

Direct peers

• dsm-firmenich: Global leader in ARA, DHA, and nutritional lipid ingredients via microbial fermentation; Cabio's principal direct competitor in ARA/DHA, historically dominant in international markets before patents expired in 2023.
• Evonik: Producer of DHA/Omega-3 oils from algae (Veramaris joint venture with DSM) and other fermentation-based ingredients; competes with Cabio in the global omega-3 lipid ingredient market for infant formula and supplements.

Regional players

• Angel Yeast: China-based leading fermentation company producing yeast and yeast derivatives for food, animal nutrition, and biotechnology applications; comparable Asia-region scale fermentation competitor for nutritional ingredients.

Emerging players

• Bota Bio: Chinese synthetic biology platform developing fermentation-based ingredients, with similar strain engineering and B2B ingredient focus to Cabio; represents emerging competition in synbio-derived nutritional ingredients.
• Gnosis by Lesaffre: Fermentation-derived nutritional and functional ingredients (including yeast-based and microbial ingredients) for human and animal nutrition; direct overlap with Cabio's fermentation-based ingredients platform.

Others

• Cargill: Cabio's global distribution partner for ARA/DHA across 30+ countries; also a major producer of food ingredients in its own right, making it both a channel partner and adjacent ingredient competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A1 record

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Cabio