The Swiss global financial group Cedrus Investment holds the opening ceremony of its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Beijing on May 31, 2023. Photo: Courtesy of Cedrus Group

Swiss capital Cedrus Group recently completed a new round of investment to the tune of  tens of millions of yuan in a scientific research and reproductive anti-aging company in China.

Cedrus Group, a Swiss-owned global investment group that has been in China for more than 15 years, has once again made further inroads into the Greater China Region by investing in a local company in China - the Hainan Leyun Biotechnology Co, Ltd. ("Hainan Leyun").

As one of the countries with the largest populations and the most concentrated middle-class in the world, the Chinese market is constantly attracting foreign capital. The Cedrus Group of Switzerland is one of many investors drawn to this dynamic market. 

Rani Jarkas, Chairman of Cedrus, explained that the Group decided to invest in the Hainan Leyun because the Chinese company has very strong management team, which is very important. "We want to invest in companies that have very strong management, potential, and are also in line with Chinese government policies," he said. 

"We are committed to being the bridge to give access to Chinese companies that have great products like the Hainan Leyun, to the European markets for the future, as we understand Chinese culture very well, and as a Swiss company, we also know European culture," he noted.

Jarkas also said that he was impressed with the Chinese market, where many Chinese companies are developing good and innovative products, and the quality of the products is becoming better and better. "Chinese companies know the local market very well and are able to adapt," he said.

However, he also pointed out that due to the current international environment, there are many limitations to Chinese companies going abroad.

"So Cedrus wants to be the bridge to help Chinese and European companies acquire products in Europe and other places. Whether we do it jointly or as an advisor or investor, we have many capabilities to complement each other in doing such business. Overall, our group is very positive about the industry. The opening of our Asia-Pacific office here in Beijing shows our commitment, as we believe in the Chinese healthcare industry and China's system and structure." 

At the opening ceremony of its Asia-Pacific Headquarters in May, the Group announced that it would invest 1 billion yuan in the development of healthcare and innovative technologies in the Chinese mainland, including in drug research and development, in vitro fertilization, and nanotechnology devices, among others.

As a biotechnology company focusing on the transformation of scientific research achievements in reproductive medicine, Hainan Leyun's scientific research achievements are the collective hard work and talent of a team of returning doctoral graduates from Stanford University, who have long focused on basic academic research.

With the support of the State Key Laboratory's horizontal topics and the participation of expert teams from several renowned top-tier hospitals conducting clinical observations, after five years of research and development, the Hainan Leyun has successfully launched a series of nutrition reproductive supplementary foods such as Dachao Reco18, Reju28, PCOS, and Dajing No. 1. 

These products fill a void in the market for domestically produced nutritional supplements in China, in areas such as hormone-free ovarian function conditioning, spermatic function conditioning, and polycystic ovarian syndrome and menopausal syndrome relief.

"The supplements produced by the Hainan Leyun from ingredients sourced locally, are both important and beneficial to people's health. I think that's something that should have huge success going forward," said Jarkas.

"Also, Hainan Leyun's supplements in the fertility area are in line with the government's policies. So I think with all these factors and criteria, our investment in the Hainan Leyun will be very good for the Chinese market in the future," he added.

The Cedrus Group is a global private investment bank founded in 2001 specializing in offering private wealth management, investment management, and financial advisory services with a focus on life sciences, technology, natural resources, and nanotechnology industries.

Over the last 15 years, Cedrus has been dedicated to helping global companies navigate the highly competitive and complex life sciences industry, earning the trust of many partners. 

Given its preference for the medical research field in China, Cedrus has successively cultivated and expanded its presence in first-tier cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen. In addition, the Cedrus Group is decided to setting up several private equity funds in the Chinese mainland in 2023.