Knomix Secures Tens of Millions of Yuan in Investment to Accelerate “Domestic Substitution” of Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Systems | Exclusive Report by 36Kr
Text | Hu Xiangyun
Editor | Hai Ruojing
36Kr learned that Chromai (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. (Chromai) has completed a strategic financing of tens of millions of RMB, exclusively invested by Beijing Medical and Health Industry Investment Fund. The raised funds will be used to expand operations, accelerate market layout, and promote the independent production of high - end equipment and the construction of supply - chain security.
Previously, Chromai had received nearly 100 million RMB in investments from Huagai Capital, Yuansheng Ventures, and Aibo Qingshi. Recently, it completed a tens - of - millions - RMB Series A+ financing from Ninebot Medical.
Founded in 2019, Chromai focuses on the R & D and industrialization of products in the high - end liquid chromatography field. It has currently achieved full - independent R & D of the ultra - high - performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) system from core components to the whole - machine system. At the same time, it has built a full - chain independent innovation system covering software and hardware products and customized technical services. Its products have been applied in multiple fields such as biomedicine, food testing, environmental monitoring, and chemical materials.
As a core and key device in the analytical testing field, the liquid chromatograph has gradually become the mainstream choice for industry analysis and testing, thanks to its core advantages such as ultra - high pressure resistance, high - speed separation, and high sensitivity. For a long time, restricted by factors such as technical barriers, certification thresholds, and brand loyalty, the market in this field has always been dominated by overseas giants. Domestic manufacturers are at a critical stage of technological breakthrough and import substitution.
Among domestic UHPLC enterprises, a few have successfully broken through the technical bottleneck of independent R & D of the whole - machine system and made some substantial progress in the performance of core products. Chromai is one of them. According to the information provided by the company, its core Frontier series of ultra - high - performance liquid chromatography systems, with an ultra - high pressure - resistant design of 22,000 PSI, have "achieved a dual improvement in separation speed and detection sensitivity".
In addition, Chromai's product portfolio also includes the Leaps diversified configuration series, which are a series of UHPLC systems featuring practicality, high efficiency, and cost - effectiveness. "We have successively launched featured configurations such as two - dimensional liquid chromatography systems, bio - inert liquid chromatography systems, and preparative liquid chromatography systems to meet the segmented needs of different industries. It is currently the core product series driving the company's sales growth," Chromai said.
At the software level, Chromai has independently developed the EyouLab intelligent chromatography data management system, which is deeply integrated with the UHPLC system. This system combines AI algorithms with professional data - processing design and can precisely meet the compliance requirements of industries such as GMP and GLP, providing technical support for the intelligent operation of equipment and the standardized management of detection data.
It is also reported that to better meet the actual application needs of various industries, Chromai creates customized solutions based on specific application scenarios. For example, in the biomedicine field, aiming at the pain points such as long R & D cycles, high R & D costs, and shortages of professional personnel in the industry, the company has launched a two - dimensional preparative solution, relying on high - efficiency separation and purification and full - process automation technologies to help customers reduce costs and increase efficiency. In the environmental monitoring field, the company has launched an automated liquid chromatography system for sample pre - treatment, the Online SPE liquid chromatography system, which has a "streamlined configuration, can improve analysis sensitivity, and meet the customers' needs for rapid analysis".
In terms of commercial layout, Chromai officially launched its commercial operation in 2023. In overseas markets, Chromai's products and services have now entered more than 20 countries and regions around the world, and "the proportion of overseas revenue in total revenue has been steadily increasing year by year".
Founder's Views and Introduction of the Investment Institution
Zhang Xin, co - founder and CEO of Chromai, said that since its establishment, Chromai has always adhered to the path of independent localization of high - end liquid chromatography, continuously achieved continuous and rapid growth, and broken the long - term barriers of international brands in the global market. This is due to continuous technological precipitation and innovation, as well as the high recognition of the market. Receiving this investment from the Beijing Medical and Health Industry Investment Fund is not only an honor but also a responsibility. At the same time, he thanked all shareholders for their continuous empowerment and support. Chromai will take this as an opportunity to accelerate the iteration of core technologies and the exploration of cutting - edge technologies, deepen the global market layout, improve production capacity, continuously refine product details, optimize user experience, promote the continuous upgrading of the UHPLC system, become the "leading expert in Chinese UHPLC", and continuously create value for global customers.
Regarding the Beijing Medical and Health Industry Investment Fund: The Beijing Medical and Health Industry Investment Fund (Limited Partnership) is a major industrial fund established under the leadership of the Beijing Government Investment Guidance Fund, focusing on key fields such as biomedicine, high - end medical devices, and scientific instruments. Adhering to the concept of market - oriented investment, the fund focuses on supporting high - quality enterprises with core technological advantages, high growth potential, and industrial driving effects, and helps enterprises break through development bottlenecks and expand domestic and international markets through capital empowerment, providing solid support for Beijing to build an international science and technology innovation center and create a world - class medical and health industry cluster.