Guoke Xinglian

Guoke Xinglian, also branded CAstar, is a Beijing based synthetic biology company that uses precision fermentation and gene editing to produce bioidentical human milk glycoproteins, starting with human lactoferrin. Founded in 2021 and built on technology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the company has developed a proprietary food grade Kluyveromyces marxianus yeast chassis it says is the first to express human milk glycoproteins in yeast. Guoke Xinglian has raised more than 200 million yuan (about 29.2 million dollars) to date, including a 100 million yuan (about 14.6 million dollar) Series A+ round in February 2026 led by Shanghai Zhuiguang Julian, Lenovo Capital, and a fund under Changjin Holdings. Its human lactoferrin has entered trial production and is aimed at infant formula, clinical and functional nutrition, and women's wellness applications, both domestically and for overseas partners.

Company Facts

• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Founded: 2021
• Type: startup
• Website: https://www.castarunion.com
• Industries: Precision Fermentation, Alt Dairy, Biotech, Functional Nutrition, Infant Formula Ingredients