China Venture Roundup Volume 12 | The edtech startup that raised USD 265 million in Series C

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Key trends we observed

An increase in investment activity was observed in the week of 22 – 29 November. 102 deals were made in comparison to the previous week’s 74 agreements. Healthcare remains the top-performing industry with 16 deals (21.6%) while strategic investments remains the leading category with 32 deals (31.37%) observed.

Going public — Top IPOs of the week

Youran Dairy
Estimated valuation USD 2 billion
IPO filed on 29 November

Youran Dairy Group Co Ltd. formally submitted a prospectus to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on the evening of 29 November to list on the main board. Huatai International and Credit Suisse are joint sponsors.

Founded in August 2007, Youran Dairy is a comprehensive agricultural and animal husbandry enterprise, headquartered in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. It was formerly known as Inner Mongolia Yili Animal Husbandry Development Co Ltd.

As of 30 June 2020, Youran Dairy operates 65 pastures and owns 287,000 dairy cows. The firm is constructing six more pastures which are expected to be operational in 2022. According to its reported income for the first half of 2020, Youran Dairy is now the largest dairy products and services provider in China.

Startups on our watchlist

Education

Niuniu Chengzhang (牛牛成长): Founded in 2017, Series A

Niuniu Chengzhang established its children’s physical education business in 2018, employing a similar model as Pinduoduo and Airbnb. Through the Niuniu Chengzhang app, parents can initiate and self-organize virtual or in-person sports classes for their children. Once their location has been confirmed, Niuniu Chengzhang assigns an instructor to lead the class.

Niuniu Chengzhang has seen rapid growth rooted in its content, reputable instructors, and seamless user interface. The company has expanded from Shanghai to Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, and currently counts over 5000 students.

The app has been disrupting the physical education industry both online and offline. Having physical education classes at home or within the user’s neighborhood has solved the issue of finding a venue. The app currently lists over 4,000 venues available for its physical education programs, solving the issue of finding a venue for users. The platform also provides livestream classes.

Physical education is both a universal subject and an underdeveloped sector. Niuniu Chengzhang hopes to achieve further regional penetration, refine their teaching content, and grow the brand’s awareness.

Healthcare

Xbiome (未知君): Founded in 2017, Series B+

Xbiome is an AI-based microbiome drug development company. The firm’s researchers have launched a new type of clinical trial named the Investigator Initiated Trial (IIT) to carry out clinical research and data collection on microbiome drugs.

Over the past three years, Xbiome has partnered with several medical institutions in China, including the Beijing Cancer Hospital, Shanghai Xinhua Hospital, and Southern Medical University. In addition, their produced microbiome drugs have demonstrated successful therapeutic effects.

Xbiome has been working on different fields of research including tumor immunotherapy, nervous system, and immune diseases. The company also focuses on targeted treatments for nervous system diseases, and has carried out clinical studies on the effectiveness of Fecal Microbial Transplantation in autistic children with gastrointestinal symptoms at the Shanghai Xinhua Hospital.

Want to catch up on what’s been happening in China’s venture scene? Check out our earlier volumes of China Venture Roundup here.