Novogene: Sequencing Scale and China’s Genomics Network

Novogene is a clear example of a China-based genomics company turning sequencing capacity into a distributed global research network. Its 2025 annual report lists laboratories in China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, and Japan, with more than 8,000 customers across roughly 90 countries and regions. 

In the first half of 2026, revenue from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas markets slightly exceeded revenue from mainland China. The more interesting story sits beyond machine count: standardized laboratory production, multiple sequencing technologies, bioinformatics, and local delivery are being combined into repeatable research infrastructure. 

What Novogene Actually Does in 2026

Novogene operates across three core areas: basic life science research services, medical research and technical services, and sequencing platform services. Its offering now stretches beyond conventional NGS into single-cell analysis, spatial biology, proteomics, metabolomics and integrated multi-omics. Its current technology portfolio includes Illumina, Ultima Genomics and PacBio platforms alongside other specialist systems.

In 2025, Novogene generated revenue of RMB 2.21 billion (US$307.4 million), up 4.66% year over year. Its total R&D investment reached RMB 168.93 million (US$23.5 million), equivalent to 7.65% of revenue.

The first half of 2026 shows the same tension. Revenue rose 7.09%, while attributable net profit declined 19.82%. R&D expenses increased 45.55%. Scale is still expanding, but technology development and commercial expansion carry a visible cost.

Falcon IV Shows How Novogene Industrializes NGS

The strongest technical clue sits in laboratory automation.

In June 2026, Novogene put its Falcon IV automated delivery system into operation in Tianjin and US laboratories. The system integrates 15 instruments across RNA library preparation, quantification, normalization, and related workflow steps. 

The company says Falcon IV can process 738 samples in 16 hours and up to 1,440 in 24 hours of continuous operation. It reports a 99.45% library-preparation pass rate. These are Novogene‘s own performance figures and should be treated as company-reported metrics. 

The technical significance sits beyond throughput.

Large NGS operations have many steps before samples reach a sequencer. Library construction, QC, normalization, sample movement, scheduling, and record-keeping create opportunities for variation. Turning these processes into software-controlled workflows can make capacity easier to reproduce across laboratories.

That is why Falcon matters to the international strategy. Novogene can expand laboratory capacity while carrying more of its production logic with it.

T7+: The MGI Partnership and Domestic Platform Diversification

In October 2025, Novogene signed a cooperation agreement with MGI Tech. Novogene says it became the first global sequencing-service provider to introduce both the T7+ flagship platform and the T1+ desktop Tb-level sequencer. 

The T7+ supports four flexible slides, with each slide producing up to 3.6 Tb. In PE150 mode, the T7+ can generate more than 14 Tb of sequencing data within 24 hours. A single instrument has a stated annual capacity of up to approximately 35,000 human whole genomes at 30× coverage.

The T1+, meanwhile, is among the world’s fastest desktop Tb-level sequencers, producing Tb-scale data within a day. This partnership diversifies Novogene’s platform matrix beyond Illumina, reducing dependency on a single supplier while expanding service options for large-scale population genomics and clinical applications.

What Novogene RNA-seq Reveals about the Service Model

Novogene delivers end-to-end RNA sequencing solutions spanning RNA extraction, library preparation, sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis. The service portfolio covers transcriptome sequencing, eukaryotic long non-coding RNA, small RNA, prokaryotic RNA sequencing, and full-length RNA isoforms through PacBio Kinnex technology.

A sequencing buyer therefore needs to evaluate much more than reads per run. Sample acceptance criteria, library preparation, QC thresholds, batch handling, turnaround definitions, analysis pipelines, and data delivery all affect a project.

The NovoMagic Plus cloud platform, launched in 2025, adds an AI-powered assistant called Novi that addresses bioinformatics queries and generates publication-ready visualizations including volcano plots, heatmaps, and bubble plots. 

The platform integrates 17 specialized toolkits and supports customizable mRNA-seq report generation, connecting researchers directly from raw data to manuscript-ready figures.

This also explains why RNA sequencing fits naturally with Falcon IV. Falcon IV specifically automates multiple RNA library-preparation steps. The sequencer creates the reads, but the surrounding workflow determines how consistently large numbers of samples reach that point.

The Novogene Labs Network is Becoming Locally Distributed

At the end of 2025, the company reported laboratories in Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou inside China, plus locally operated facilities in the US, UK, Singapore, Germany and Japan. It also reported opening its second US laboratory in Oregon during 2025. 

The Beaverton, Oregon laboratory formally opened on October 20, 2025, adding another US production location alongside Sacramento. 

In August 2026, Cabrini Health independently announced that Novogene plans to establish its first Australian laboratory inside Cabrini’s Malvern clinical and cancer research precinct. It is expected to open in 2027, so this remains planned capacity rather than a functioning laboratory today. 

This regionalization changes what scale means. A sequencing provider can combine centralized technology development with shorter physical sample routes and local scientific teams. Exact regulatory, clinical, and data requirements still depend on the jurisdiction and the project. 

China’s Research Infrastructure Now Includes Sequencing Standards and Data Governance

China’s genomics story extends beyond individual companies.

A national standard, GB/T 43584.1-2025, now covers nucleic-acid and library preparation for massively parallel sequencing. Chinese authorities published it on October 31, 2025, and it took effect on May 1, 2026. 

Human genetic resources remain another important layer. China’s National Health Commission published updated service guidance in March 2025 covering collection, preservation, international scientific cooperation, export of human genetic resource materials, international clinical-trial filings, and prior reporting for some external provision or open use of genetic information. 

These rules matter for international genomic services because laboratory capacity and cross-border sample or data movement are separate questions. Projects involving Chinese human genetic resources require assessment against the applicable rules.

For Novogene, that means China’s growing research infrastructure combines machines, laboratories, standards, automation, computing, and regulatory systems.

What Novogene Tells Us About China’s Genomics Model

Four lessons stand out.

1. First, sequencing scale increasingly depends on process engineering. Falcon IV shows how NGS capacity can become a software-controlled production problem as sample volumes rise.
2. Second, platform diversity matters. Novogene now combines international sequencing systems with Chinese alternatives inside one service network.
3. Third, localization changes what globalization means. Overseas laboratories move parts of production, scientific support, and project management closer to customers.
4. Fourth, the value surrounding sequencing is widening. H1 2026 research-service growth outpaced sequencing-platform growth, while R&D investment rose 45.73% year over year. The company said current research spending includes AI-related tools, spatial omics, proteomics, metabolomics, gene synthesis, gene editing, and other biotechnology areas. 

China’s genomics strength should therefore be judged through systems, not a single throughput number. Novogene provides a useful case: high-throughput sequencing, automated laboratories, bioinformatics, multiple instrument suppliers, local production, and regulatory infrastructure increasingly sit within the same network.

That combination is what makes the company worth studying.

Explore China’s technology systems with ChoZan

Companies such as Novogene are worth studying because they show how Chinese technical capability, automation, local operating models, and international expansion connect.

ChoZan works with teams seeking a closer understanding of these shifts through China research and strategy, expert dialogues, tailored training, consulting, and learning expeditions. 

Our current programs focus on studying Chinese technology and business models directly, then identifying lessons that apply to another market or organization. 

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FAQs about Novogene

What is Novogene known for?

Novogene provides sequencing and multiomics research services covering genomics, transcriptomics, single-cell research, spatial biology, proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics. Its current model combines sequencing platforms with automated laboratory workflows and regional facilities. 

Where is Novogene headquartered?

Novogene is headquartered in Beijing, China. Its current international network also includes operations across the United States, Europe, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and other markets, with an Australian laboratory planned for 2027.

What is Novogene Corporation Inc.?

Novogene Corporation Inc. is the company’s US operating entity. Its current US presence includes laboratories in Sacramento, California, and Beaverton, Oregon, supporting sequencing and broader multiomics research services. 

What sequencing technologies does Novogene currently use?

Novogene currently works with several platforms, including Illumina NovaSeq X Plus, PacBio Revio, Ultima UG100, MGI T7+, GeneMind SURFSeq Q, and Oxford Nanopore technologies across different services and locations.

Does Novogene provide RNA sequencing analysis?

Yes. Its RNA sequencing services can include sequencing, quality control, expression analysis, transcript analysis, and bioinformatics, depending on the selected workflow. Researchers should confirm the exact analysis package and deliverables before submitting samples. 

What is NovoMagic?

NovoMagic is Novogene‘s cloud-based data-analysis environment. Current company materials position it as a tool for accessing, visualizing, and reanalyzing sequencing results, including support for selected transcriptomics workflows and bioinformatics tasks. 

Does Novogene offer long-read sequencing?

Yes. PacBio currently identifies Novogene in Beijing and Munich as certified Revio service providers. Oxford Nanopore also lists the company within its sequencing-service-provider network for long-read applications.

How should a researcher compare NGS service providers?

Compare sample criteria, library methods, read configuration, depth, quality thresholds, failed-sample policies, turnaround definitions, analysis scope, data-transfer arrangements, laboratory location, and platform choice. Instrument throughput alone provides limited information about total project delivery.

How does Chinese regulation affect international genomics projects?

Projects involving Chinese human genetic resources can trigger approval, filing, material-export, or information-reporting requirements. China’s National Health Commission provides current guidance covering international research collaboration and external use of human genetic resource information. 

Is Novogene expanding outside China?

Yes. Its Beaverton laboratory opened in 2025, and Cabrini Health announced a planned Melbourne laboratory in August 2026. H1 2026 figures also show overseas revenue, plus Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, contributing slightly more revenue than mainland China.