Chinese start-up ventures into 3D imaging of biomolecules, aims for IPO in 2027

Shuimu BioSciences, a Chinese start-up specialising in advanced imaging devices for viruses and smaller biomolecules, is aiming for an initial public offering in 2027 after selling its first self-developed product this year, according to CEO Allen Guo Chunlong.

The company focuses on cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM), a technique that involves firing beams of electrons at flash-frozen specimens to capture thousands of images. The images are then used to reconstruct precise three-dimensional structures and dynamics of biomolecules, such as proteins.

Cryo-EM represented “the most advanced tool for humanity’s understanding of the underlying microscopic structures of life”, Guo said in an interview, noting that the technology had long been “entirely monopolised” by overseas firms like US-based Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Since achieving breakthroughs in 2013 and 2020, Cryo-EM technology has become an increasingly vital tool in drug discovery. A single machine can stand several metres tall and cost millions of US dollars.

Shuimu’s self-developed Cryo-EM machine marked China’s entry into the field, Guo said.

Founded in 2017 in Beijing, Shuimu Biosciences originated from a partnership agreement between Tsinghua University, the Beijing municipal government and Thermo Fisher to establish a Chinese Cryo-EM drug discovery institute.