Guangzhou, January 23, 2026 – On a chilly spring day, over 200 government representatives, industry experts, partners, investors, and employees gathered in Guangzhou Science City to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Guangzhou Canton Biologics Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (“Canton Biologics”), a leading Chinese large-molecule CDMO. Under the theme “A Decade Together, Forging a New Future,” the event traced the company’s journey from a 300‑square‑meter lab to an internationally recognized service provider.

The anniversary’s visual identity captured the spirit of Canton Biologics’ first decade: a stylized “10” that tells a story of scientific ambition. The “1” takes the shape of a cylindrical bioreactor, its scale marked “2016–2026” – a silent testament to countless days and nights of process development and GMP manufacturing. The “0” unfolds as a DNA double helix, the original symbol of life sciences, rising in endless progression. Together they reflect Canton Biologics’ path “from zero to one, from one to infinity” – from breaking new ground to reaching for the boundless. The logo adorned invitations, gifts, and backdrops, silently narrating how Canton Biologics has distilled time into milestones and science into an emblem.

01. A Seedling in Saline Soil: The First Decade from Zero to One

The celebration opened with a keynote by Dr. Shen Xiao, Founder and CEO of Canton Biologics, titled “Ten Years to Sharpen a Sword – The Blade’s First Test.” He revisited the company’s early days, from a video message of “Good luck” from his mentor Professor Florian Wurm to the 2016 launch in a 300‑square‑meter lab. “Back then, the domestic large‑molecule CDMO market was almost a blank slate,” Dr. Shen recalled. “We chose a difficult but promising path – focusing on R&D and manufacturing services for recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, and other large molecules.”

The first years were like “surviving in saline soil.” The team had to overcome technical hurdles, build an international‑standard quality system, and earn the trust of local innovators. In 2018, the success of the company’s first snake‑venom protein recombinant process development project brought well‑deserved recognition. “Canton Biologics was like a resilient seedling growing on barren land,” commented Dr. Yao Wang, an investor in the Series C round. “Every bit of growth required extraordinary effort, and it was precisely that environment that forged Canton Biologics’ technical strength and service resilience.”

With China’s accession to ICH in 2017, domestic innovative drug R&D took off. Benefiting from its location in the Greater Bay Area and its maturing technology platforms, Canton Biologics rapidly grew into a well‑known large‑molecule CDMO in South China and beyond. The team expanded to 300 people, and the company built R&D centers and commercial manufacturing bases in Guangzhou Science City and Foshan, completing a full‑chain layout from early development to commercial production.

02. The Blade’s First Gleam: Acquisition of Germany’s FyoniBio

The warmest applause came when Dr. Shen mentioned the 2022 acquisition of FyoniBio. Described as a “counter‑current going global,” this move marked Canton Biologics’ critical step from a local player to an international operator. “Competition in China’s CDMO market had become intense, and overseas – especially in Europe – there were doubts about Chinese companies. Even we ourselves had uncertainties about whether the acquisition would succeed,” Dr. Shen admitted.

Acquiring FyoniBio – a unit spun off from Germany’s renowned Glycotope with a 15‑year history and 40 employees from multiple countries – was seen both internally and externally as a “high‑risk but necessary strategic breakthrough.” Despite integration challenges (cultural differences, team consolidation, technical alignment, and travel difficulties due to the pandemic), mutual trust and shared technical passion kept the team and clients stable. FyoniBio made significant progress and became profitable in 2025, laying a solid foundation for Canton Biologics’ overseas expansion. “Thank you for Dr. Shen’s trust – today’s results are the best response to that decision,” said Dr. Lars Stöckl, a member of FyoniBio’s management team who traveled from Berlin to Guangzhou for the celebration.

“The acquisition gave us a window into the European market and invaluable experience in managing an international team – it was the first test of our blade on the global stage,” Dr. Shen concluded.

03. Riding the Waves: Technology Deepening and Global Footprint

Over ten years, Canton Biologics has grown from a startup on the Pearl River to an international CDMO serving more than 100 biopharmaceutical companies worldwide. It has completed over 300 CMC projects for large‑molecule drugs, including many in late‑stage clinical trials and commercial phases. The company’s technology platforms have expanded from early recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies to bispecific antibodies, viral vector gene therapy, biosimilars, veterinary biologics, and recombinant humanized collagen.

“We have witnessed and participated in the golden decade of China’s biopharmaceutical innovation,” said Dr. Liu Songkai, Head of Business Development at Canton Biologics. “From early follow‑on innovation to true source innovation, from serving local needs to out‑licensing to global first‑tier players – every industry shift has pushed us to higher standards.”

A highlight of the anniversary event was Canton Biologics’ announcement of a strategic partnership with a well‑known European biotech company, under which Canton Biologics will provide full‑process services from R&D to commercial production for its innovative bispecific antibody product. “This means our internationalization is no longer about isolated breakthroughs – we are building a networked global service capability,” explained Dr. Han Yue, Vice President of Marketing.

At this major corporate milestone, Dr. Shen shared his vision for the future: with China and Germany as dual core hubs, Canton Biologics will build a service network covering major global biopharma markets. By 2028, overseas revenue is expected to account for more than 80% of total revenue, making Canton Biologics a significant player in the global large‑molecule CDMO market. “In the next decade, we will evolve from ‘internationalizing Chinese services’ to ‘localizing global services,’” Dr. Shen said. “We will not only bring China’s capacity and technology to the world, but also build local teams in key global markets, truly integrating into the global biopharmaceutical innovation system.”

04. Celebrating the Journey: Honoring Dedication and Drawing the Future

A special exhibition area, “A Decade of Shared Journey – Co‑creating a New Future,” showcased key milestones through photographs: the Guangdong Pearl River Talent Program, the first IND filing, the completion of a commercial manufacturing base, the acquisition of FyoniBio, the first overseas commercial production order… “Behind every milestone are countless days and nights of dedication by our colleagues,” said Mr. Wei Qingkun, an early team member and now Vice President of Operations. “What I remember most are the moments when our team worked side‑by‑side to solve technical challenges for clients – those are the precious assets we have accumulated and the true reflection of our entrepreneurial spirit of mutual trust and reliance.”