Coyote Bioscience

Coyote Bioscience (北京卡尤迪生物科技股份有限公司) is a Beijing-based in vitro diagnostics company that makes rapid PCR-based molecular point-of-care testing (POCT) systems, founded in 2009 by Li Xiang and active as of the latest independent review, with no indication of acquisition.^{1 • 2} Its best-known product line, FlashDetect, is a family of qPCR (quantitative PCR: lab technique measuring DNA amplification in real time) instruments and fully enclosed cartridge assays designed to deliver molecular test results in minutes outside a central laboratory. The company's highest-profile moment came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when its Flash20 analyzer received a July 2020 NMPA Class III registration and was deployed in mass screening across China, and in December 2020 it closed a Series D round of nearly RMB 600 million led by Hillhouse Ventures.^{3 • 5}

History and founding

The company was registered in Beijing on December 4, 2009, with Li Xiang as legal representative.² Its early products established the pattern later expanded into the FlashDetect line: the Mini8 qPCR instrument obtained a National Class III Medical Device License, and Zika virus detection reagents developed by the company were released to over two-thirds of China's import and export ports (company account).⁵ The company says it holds the international patent technology "Molecular In-Parallel Reaction," which underpins its rapid assay chemistry.⁵

Products and technology

Coyote's core focus is rapid PCR-based molecular diagnostics: portable qPCR instruments, fully enclosed cartridge workflows, reagents, software, and automated sample-to-result systems.¹ The instrument lineup spans FlashDetect Nano, Flash10, Robo, Flash20, Flash48, and Mini8 Plus.¹ The Flash10 is a qPCR platform designed to work with fully enclosed All-in-One cartridges, listed as approved under CE IVDR and by China's NMPA (company claim).^{4 • 1}

Speed and throughput define the product tiers. Respiratory panels cover SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus, and rhinovirus, with sample-to-result times generally in the 18–36 minute range depending on the assay.¹ Flash10 offers daily throughput of 200+ samples for medium-sized laboratories, while FlashTest Robo is an automated sample-in/result-out robot rated at 1,800+ samples per day.² The enclosed cartridge design is intended to reduce contamination risk and simplify testing outside central laboratories.¹ The company targets infectious diseases, women's and children's health, and precision medicine applications.⁴

Funding and investors

Coyote raised four reported venture rounds before the record goes quiet after 2020:

• Series A (2014): RMB 30 million (approx. US$4.9 million) from SAIF Asia / SAIF Partners China.¹
• Series B (2015, reported January 11, 2016): RMB 80 million (approx. US$12.2 million) from Northern Light Venture Capital, SAIF, and Legend Star.¹
• Series C (September 2017): over RMB 100 million (approx. over US$15.1 million) from Longpan Capital, New Equation Investment, and Changan Capital.¹
• Series D (December 23, 2020): nearly RMB 600 million, reported as approx. US$91.6 million, led by Hillhouse Ventures (GL Ventures), with strategic investment from Jinhe Capital (金阖资本) and participation from Huiyuan Capital, FreeS Fund, and Kinghall Ventures.^{1 • 3}

The Series D proceeds were earmarked for research and development, clinical studies, and commercialization of POCT molecular diagnostics products.³

Hillhouse's stated rationale, per its investment statement, was that Coyote had developed China's first approved rapid nucleic acid testing system capable of processing samples in one minute and delivering results within 30 minutes, playing a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic.³

COVID-19 and the testing boom

The pandemic was the company's commercial inflection. In 2020, Coyote launched its proprietary FlashDetect COVID-19 testing products with the support of a State Council special task force, and Flash20 obtained what the company describes as the first domestic registration certificate promoted by China's Ministry of Science and Technology.⁵ Flash20 was approved by NMPA as a Class III medical device in July 2020, achieving 1-minute sample loading and 30-minute results, described at launch as the fastest PCR platform globally.²

By the company's account, Flash20 was adopted by over 1,000 hospitals in China, and its mobile cabin PCR laboratories supported emergency screening in 18 provinces and cities, completing tests for more than 20 million people in Hebei, Liaoning, Anhui, Guangdong, and other areas.⁵ The company also donated over 20 testing devices to 22 Beijing hospitals and RMB 2 million to the International Scientific Exchange Foundation of China.⁵ The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology awarded Coyote an "Advanced Collective" honor for pandemic response, and, working with the Chinese CDC, the company detected variants including Delta; its cabins served sites including the Winter Olympics (company claims).⁵

Business, customers and markets

Bloomberg lists Coyote as producing nucleic acid detection reagents and test kits, developing automated diagnostic systems, and serving hospitals, clinics, and medical centers in China, Europe, and the United States.⁶ The company states that its products are available in over 65 countries and regions, backed by 95 domestic and international patents and ISO 13485 certification; a third-party profile puts exports at 30+ countries including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Europe, India, and Southeast Asia.^{4 • 2} The discrepancy between the 65+ and 30+ figures is unresolved; the higher number is the company's own current claim. Documented registrations cover CE IVD/CE IVDR, China NMPA, and Brazil ANVISA; no FDA clearance appears in the retrieved record.⁴

The company operates R&D centers in Zhongguancun, Beijing, and Silicon Valley, production facilities in Beijing, Tianjin, and Jiangsu, and third-party testing laboratories in Beijing and Tianjin (company account).⁴

References

1. Coyote Bioscience — Whiteford Research Biobase
2. Beijing Coyote Bioscience Co., Ltd. — AIqixie official-website mirror
3. Coyote Bioscience Secures Nearly RMB 600 Million in Series D Funding — VCBeat
4. Coyote Bioscience official English website
5. Coyote Bioscience — About / company history
6. Coyote Bioscience Co Ltd — Bloomberg Markets

Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Business and work › Business and work overview › Companies and corporations › Venture-backed startups and growth companies › Health, biotech, and medtech startups › Diagnostics and genomics companies › Cancer and molecular diagnostics

Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026

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