Cardinal Biocraft raises $7.49M Pre-A for AI synthetic biology
What's the deal? Cardinal BiocraftDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an AI synthetic biology startup also known as 智衍造物, has raised US$6.88M in an early-stage Pre-A round. Backers include Hefei-based industrial funds via chantou guozheng investment and chantou big health seed fund, alongside the greater bay area entrepreneurship guidance fund, shanghai rongquan yuanji fund, and guannan's equity and talent funds.
What's the company building? Cardinal Biocraft uses Yarrowia lipolytica yeast as a chassis cell, applying AI to design key enzymes and build stable industrial strains via artificial chromosome technology. It has commercialised astaxanthin, with pilot-scale production costs already below those of traditional chemical synthesis.
Where the money goes: The company will upgrade its strain-building platform and construct production lines, while advancing EPA, DHA, and other omega-3 pipelines. It says astaxanthin orders have passed US$1.38M.
Why now? The round follows a tens-of-millions-of-yuan angel round in 2025, led by DT Capital and Shenzhen Capital Group. Investors are signalling continued support as the firm shifts from research toward industrial-scale output.
What could go wrong? The key test is whether Cardinal Biocraft can scale production reliably and prove a durable cost advantage — not just the AI narrative. A single funding round does not confirm that commercialisation has been cracked.
The signal: China's synthetic biology funding remains active, but capital is tilting toward companies with real products and a clear path to scale. Cardinal Biocraft's local industrial-fund backers offer research and production resources — the kind of support favoured as the sector moves past pure technology stories.
Read more: itjuzi.com
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