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"The Village's Last Hope": Kemi Carves an Unconventional Path to Breakthrough

Produced by | Frontline of Entrepreneurship

Author | Hu Fangjie

Editor | Egg Chief

Visual editor | Xing Jing

Reviewed by | Song Wen

On June 3, Kemi, a collagen-based skincare brand under Freda, announced a partnership with ZDRECH Technology—a company that has seen surging popularity this year—to jointly launch a co-branded gift set featuring the 'ZDRECH Skincare Mask + Kemi Transmembrane Collagen Single-Dose Ampoules,' alongside the release of a white paper detailing breakthroughs in non-invasive transdermal home beauty technology.

Launched in 2023, Kemi was once an obscure newcomer. After establishing 'transmembrane collagen' as its core selling point, the brand leveraged livestreaming and other channels to repeatedly capture public attention. This cross-industry collaboration with ZDRECH further amplifies the brand’s expansion ambitions.

As early as April 26 of this year, Kemi unveiled 'Transmembrane Collagen 2.0'—an upgraded iteration following the initial launch of 'Transmembrane Collagen' on April 18, 2025. The brand claims this advancement marks a leap from 'skin penetration' to 'cell membrane penetration.'

Kemi’s financial performance is equally impressive. In 2025, the brand generated revenue of RMB 155 million, a 258% year-over-year increase. In Q1 2026 alone, Kemi’s revenue surged to RMB 82 million, up 861% year-over-year.

Behind Kemi’s rapid ascent lies Freda’s persistently pressured cosmetics segment: Yilian’s growth has slowed, while Dr. Ai’er has already slipped into negative growth. Kemi has clearly become 'the village’s last hope.' Can Freda successfully break through with Kemi?

1. 'The Village’s Last Hope'

Kemi’s creation was less a brand innovation and more a strategic突围 (breakthrough).

Freda originated as Lushang Property, a real estate developer. In 2018, the company underwent a major asset restructuring, acquiring 100% equity in Shandong Freda Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., officially entering the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors.

(Image / Freda Official Website)

In 2023, the company established cosmetics as its core business direction and launched KeMi, a new brand centered on recombinant collagen, entering a 'second entrepreneurial' phase.

However, this new hope carries significant real-world pressure.

After 2023, Furen Da's cosmetics business saw a sharp slowdown in growth, declining from 22.71% in 2023 to 2.46% in 2024. By 2025, growth turned negative at -9.27%, with revenue reaching RMB 2.246 billion—falling short of the RMB 2.416 billion recorded in 2023.

As Furen Da’s two flagship beauty brands, in 2025, Dr. AiEr’s revenue plummeted by 27% to RMB 947 million, dropping out of the RMB 1 billion club, while Yilian’s growth rate slowed from 12.36% in 2024 to 8.26%.

With its core brands struggling to grow, it has become critical whether new brands can quickly fill the gap. Gao Chunming, Chairman and General Manager of Furen Da Biotech, explicitly positioned KeMi as the 'second growth curve' following hyaluronic acid.

(Photo / KEMI Official WeChat Public Account)

Compared to Yilian, which operates in the mature hyaluronic acid market, the recombinant collagen segment—though technologically demanding—features relatively lower product homogenization and greater pricing premium potential.

More importantly, in today’s beauty industry, where ingredient-driven storytelling has become standard practice, whoever can craft a more tech-forward and differentiated narrative gains pricing power.

Therefore, in its technological approach, KeMi has chosen a path distinctly different from that of Giant Biogene and Jinbo Biotech—transmembrane collagen.

According to public disclosures, KeMi’s transmembrane collagen technology embeds a proprietary cell-penetrating peptide sequence into the gene sequence of recombinant Type III collagen, effectively equipping the collagen with an 'engine' for highly efficient transdermal delivery. Experimental data shows its 24-hour dermal penetration rate is 27.5 times higher than that of conventional recombinant collagen.

In April 2026, KeMi held a 'Transmembrane Collagen 2.0' launch event in Beijing, announcing a breakthrough from 'penetrating the skin' to 'entering cells.' According to data revealed at the event, transmembrane collagen demonstrated a 36.16% increase in efficiency penetrating cell membranes compared to non-transmembrane collagen.

(Photo / KEMI Official WeChat Public Account)

From a technological narrative perspective, this strategy is logically coherent and clearly articulated: first addressing the industry-wide issue of collagen products not being absorbed by citing a '27.5x penetration rate,' then targeting high-spending consumers with cell-level anti-aging claims.

However, for new brands, a distinctive technological narrative is only one aspect; effectively reaching consumers remains a critical component.

2. Heavy Reliance on Online Channels and Weak Offline Presence

Kemi's rise has been heavily dependent on Douyin (TikTok) channels, particularly sales surges from co-hosted live streams.

According to Youmi Youshu, Kemi’s official Douyin flagship store recorded monthly sales of RMB 10 million to RMB 25 million over the past month, implying quarterly sales of approximately RMB 30 million to RMB 75 million.

(Chart / Youmi Youshu, Kemi Douyin Flagship Store Sales Data)

In comparison, according to Furenda's disclosed financial report, Kemi generated revenue of RMB 82 million in Q1 this year. Based on this rough estimate, Kemi’s Douyin flagship store contributed between 37% and 91% of the brand’s total revenue.

Youmi Youshu also indicates that self-hosted live streams accounted for only 31.95% of sales at Kemi’s official Douyin flagship store. This implies that a significant portion of sales came from influencer promotions—over the past month, the brand collaborated with 165 influencers, averaging 5.5 influencers per day.

Public information shows that on May 8 this year, a media-coordinated livestream event for Kemi alone generated over RMB 10 million in GMV—equivalent to the flagship store’s monthly sales.

Unlike many beauty brands that have strengthened their offline channel strategies in recent years, Kemi has minimal penetration in offline retail channels.

In its financial report, Freda disclosed that on the offline sales front, the company has entered traditional retail channels such as Watsons and Intime Department Store, new retail outlets like KKV and Tiaose Shi, as well as specialty cosmetics chain stores.

However, during a recent visit to a Watsons store in Beijing, Chuangye Zui Qianxian found that staff were unfamiliar with the 'Kemi' brand. When a customer asked whether the store carried Kemi essence ampoules, the staff looked puzzled, asked the customer about the product’s packaging color and features, and ultimately failed to locate the item.

Chuangye Zui Qianxian searched for 'Kemi' on Taobao Flash Sale and Meituan and found only four stores listing the product on each platform—all offering five-piece ampoule sets, with no 30-piece full-size packages available.

(Image / Taobao Flash Sale, Meituan)

Compared with competitors in the same segment, the newly launched Kemi has shown no restraint in its pricing strategy.

On Tmall, KeFuMei Collagen Stick 2.0 is priced at RMB 377 for 30 pieces, and Marubi’s Golden Needle Serum at RMB 381 for 30 pieces—Kemi’s Transdermal Collagen Ampoules are priced at RMB 369 for 30 pieces, placing it squarely alongside these established rivals.

Within Freda’s own portfolio, Kemi stands far ahead in pricing. Take another mature Freda brand, Dr. Ai Er, as an example: its No.287 Repair Ampoules and Flash Charge Ampoules cost only RMB 176 and approximately RMB 100 respectively for 30 pieces—roughly half or even one-third of Kemi’s price.

For a brand less than three years old, aggressively investing in traffic acquisition and pricing itself on par with market leaders reveals a clear urgency to gain fame. But is Kemi’s technological narrative compelling enough, and will impulse purchases in live-streaming rooms continue to sustain sales?

Focusing on online channels to achieve rapid scale-up is a reasonable strategic choice during a brand’s early stages. However, as the brand moves into a phase of scaled growth, questions remain: can a single-channel strategy reliant on online ad spending remain sustainable, and can such a high premium hold its ground?

3. The 'Red and Black' of Transdermal Collagen

Beyond the buzz of live-streamed sales, what outsiders are more concerned about is: What exactly is KeyC’s transmembrane collagen? And how does it penetrate the skin and cell membranes?

‘Topical collagen products—I don’t think they work very well (they can’t really penetrate the skin),’ a plastic surgeon from a public hospital’s department of plastic surgery told Chuangye Zui Qianxian.

‘Collagen is a protein with a very large molecular weight. Proteins inherently have very low chances of penetrating the skin. Even if a tiny amount does get through, whether it can actually form collagen fibers is even more questionable. In my view, both topical and oral collagen products have debatable efficacy when it comes to directly replenishing skin collagen,’ she further explained.

However, she also emphasized that skincare products can still be effective even without penetrating the skin.

Another plastic and aesthetic surgeon expressed the same view, noting that due to its large molecular size, collagen struggles to penetrate the stratum corneum.

According to publicly available information, KeyC’s flagship product—Transmembrane Collagen Single-Dose Ampoule—contains not only recombinant collagen but also supramolecular royal jelly collagen liposomes (to build a dermal protective barrier), Yujiaoyuan ECM protein complex (to improve the cellular microenvironment), and PDRN (to stimulate renewal and nourishment), all working together to deliver anti-wrinkle and reparative benefits.

More importantly, this product is backed by two patents that enable it to ‘go beyond the dermis and reach cells directly.’

(Image / KeyC Official Tmall Flagship Store)

Chuangye Zui Qianxian found that a patent application titled ‘A Recombinant Collagen Protein with Transdermal Efficacy, and Its Preparation Method and Use,’ filed in October 2024 by Shandong Freda Bio-Tech Co., Ltd., reveals that during the preparation of recombinant collagen, a cell-penetrating peptide was introduced at the N-terminus of the sequence, resulting in recombinant collagen with enhanced transdermal performance.

Another patent, titled ‘A Composition for Maintaining Skin Cell Osmotic Pressure and Its Use,’ involves combining sugar isomers and D-panthenol in specific ratios to regulate skin cell osmotic pressure. This technology was developed and patented by the Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

(Image / China National Intellectual Property Administration)

According to reports, the application of cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) technology was not pioneered by Kemi.

Patent publication records from the China National Intellectual Property Administration show that as early as 2003, Sichuan University filed a patent application for 'Cryptochrome-based cell-penetrating peptide drug delivery system.' This drug carrier can transport therapeutics directly across the blood-brain barrier and cellular membranes to reach lesion sites, thereby enhancing drug efficacy, with potential applications in treating cancers such as breast cancer.

(Image / China National Intellectual Property Administration)

Multiple patented inventions involving the application of 'cell-penetrating peptides' target treatments for diseases including cancer and psoriasis.

However, according to publicly available information reviewed by Chuangye Zui Qianxian, although cell-penetrating peptides have been studied for decades as a drug delivery tool, their path to clinical translation has been extremely protracted.

An article published on April 21, 2025, on the official WeChat account of Tigermed states, 'To date, no single CPP (cell-penetrating peptide) drug or CPP/drug combination therapy has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),' with the key reason likely being 'the lack of targeting specificity in natural CPPs.'

In other words, natural cell-penetrating peptides typically enter all cells they encounter non-specifically, which can easily lead to off-target effects.

While CPP technology has struggled to gain traction in pharmaceuticals, its topical application in skincare products reduces associated risks. However, given its potent penetration capability, could it potentially increase irritation or sensitivity by delivering active ingredients deep into the skin, or interfere with normal cellular functions? Are there any long-term safety concerns?

Regarding these questions, Chuangye Zui Qianxian contacted Freda (Kemi) for further clarification, but had not received a response as of publication.

Additionally, a researcher at a domestic biotech company told Chuangye Zui Qianxian that another consideration for transmembrane collagen products is whether they use humanized recombinant collagen protein. If not, there is a risk of immune rejection once the product enters cells.

Chuangye Zui Qianxian reviewed Kemi’s product detail page and contacted customer service, learning that Kemi’s transmembrane collagen single-dose vials use recombinant humanized type III collagen protein. However, it remains unclear whether the cell-penetrating peptide used is also humanized. Chuangye Zui Qianxian reached out to Freda (Kemi) for verification, but had not received a response as of publication.

Meanwhile, user feedback on social media platforms also warrants attention.

Currently, multiple severe allergic reaction cases following the use of Kemi’s transmembrane collagen single-dose vials have been reported on Xiaohongshu, with symptoms such as eye redness and swelling being particularly prominent.

Image / Xiaohongshu

Chuangye Zui Qianxian also contacted Freda (Kemi) to inquire whether the brand has acknowledged these user complaints and what follow-up actions are planned, but no response had been received as of publication.

Breakthroughs in new high-efficacy skincare technologies are key to enabling domestic beauty brands to surpass their international counterparts. However, while pursuing strong efficacy, safety must remain an inviolable baseline.

*Note: The featured image in this article is sourced from Kemi’s official WeChat account.

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