SZ firm named one of world’s 50 Smartest Companies

Writer: Han Ximin  |  Editor: Holly Wang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2020-11-24

Shenzhen-based Xbiome, China’s first AI pharmaceutical company that specializes in intestinal micro-ecology, has been selected as one of the 50 Smartest Companies in the world by MIT Technology Review, a leading technology and business magazine.

The company, established in 2017, jointly set up a lab with the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 2019, which develops effective pharmaceuticals to treat micro-ecological intestinal disorders, according to Dai Lei, a researcher of SIAT and director of the joint lab.

At this year’s China Hi-Tech Fair, the lab displayed its synthesis bacteria oral agents that can be used for the treatment of cancers and diseases of the nervous system and immune system.

The agents won the Excellent Products certificate at the fair and the company’s microbial pharmaceuticals have received approval for clinical use issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Despite the fact that a significant portion of the intestinal microorganisms have not yet been cultured, presently over 1,000 different microbial species that can reside in the human gastrointestinal tract have been identified. More than 100 trillion symbiotic microorganisms live on and within human beings and play an important role in human health and diseases, according to Dai.

Meanwhile, the Shenzhen government has invested 722 million yuan (US$109.7 million) for the world’s first synthetic biology facility, which focuses on synthetic organism research and will introduce intelligent manufacturing into the research. The facility integrates software control, hardware integration and application of synthetic biology. The research can be widely used in chemistry, energy, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, foods and agriculture sectors.

Since 2010, MIT Technology Review has published an annual list of the 50 Smartest Companies, lauding companies for their respective technological innovations, business successes and future potential.

The list covers a variety of different fields, such as biotechnology and medical technology, computer and electronics hardware, energy and sustainability, transportation, aerospace, fintech, Internet, and optoelectronics and others. The list is also one of the most authoritative lists on technology companies in the world, acting as a guide to the future of emerging technologies.

Two Shenzhen companies, Tencent and DJI, were on the list in 2017.