AOI Biosciences, an Osaka-based biotechnology company, has secured approximately 500 million yen in new financing through a third-party allotment and a secondary share transfer. The round includes additional commitments from existing investors and participation from multiple new venture capital firms and corporate investors. With this transaction, the company's cumulative funding has reached about one billion yen.
Funding Structure and Investor Base
The financing was completed on September 14, 2026 with existing backers Japan Venture Capital, SBI Shinsei Corporate Investment, and i-nest capital increasing their positions. New participants include GoAhead Ventures, Seiho Investment Works, SUMISEI INNOVATION FUND, SBI Okasan Alternative Investments, BIG Impact, and CITIC Venture Capital. The capital injection is intended to accelerate two core businesses built around the neo-self antibody platform and quantum-inspired drug discovery.
Strategic Use of Proceeds
AOI Biosciences aims to expand domestic adoption of its β2GPI neo-self antibody test while accelerating commercialization across Asia including Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia. The company also plans to broaden its pipeline of neo-self antibody diagnostics and drug discovery programs for multiple autoimmune diseases. A portion of the new funds will support further research and development of its allosteric drug discovery technology using quantum-inspired optimization.
Diagnostic Test and Clinical Evidence
The β2GPI neo-self antibody test is a blood-based diagnostic that identifies antibodies associated with miscarriage, thrombosis, and other complications that account for roughly 20 percent of recurrent pregnancy loss cases. Clinical studies show that treated positive patients achieved more than double the pregnancy rate in infertility and over 1.7 times the live birth rate in recurrent pregnancy loss. The test is currently available in more than 300 medical institutions across Japan.
Global Expansion and Advanced Medical Status
In Japan, the test has been approved as Advanced Medical Care A for recurrent pregnancy loss, which helps reduce patient out-of-pocket costs through municipal subsidies. AOI Biosciences has also begun commercial deployment in Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia, with plans to pursue broader adoption in these and other global markets. The company is using the test as a platform to address infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss while preparing additional applications in autoimmune diseases.
Allosteric Drug Discovery Platform
AOI Biosciences has co-developed a platform with Toshiba using the quantum-inspired optimization solution SQBM+ to predict allosteric sites from protein structure data. This computational approach avoids the heavy labor and cost of traditional experimental methods and can identify new target regions in proteins once considered undruggable. The company expects this technology to help overcome the depletion of drug targets that currently limits the creation of effective therapies.
Investor and Leadership Commentary
Investors described the company as a promising biotechnology venture with strong research capabilities and a clear path toward global growth in reproductive and autoimmune health. Representative Director Shinichi Sueda stated that the funding will help the company strengthen its internal organization, expand markets, and create new businesses that contribute to global health. He reaffirmed the company's vision of building a world where ordinary health is not threatened.
The new financing positions AOI Biosciences to scale its diagnostic business beyond Japan and deepen its drug discovery capabilities in autoimmune diseases. By combining clinically validated diagnostics with an innovative approach to previously undruggable targets, the company is targeting both near-term commercial growth and long-term therapeutic breakthroughs. The participation of domestic and international investors signals growing confidence in Japanese biotech innovation and its potential to address unmet medical needs worldwide.