Seed Health, a microbial sciences company developing next-generation probiotic applications and live biotherapeutics, announced the close of a $40 million Series A.

WHO: Seed Health is a microbial sciences company pioneering applications of microbes for human and planetary health. In collaboration with leading academic researchers, the company advances breakthrough discoveries in microbial science across a pipeline of novel therapeutics, consumer health innovations, and environmental solutions.

WHY: The funding will be used to launch new microbe product categories, expand the company’s digital health platform, develop new microbial stabilization technologies, and expand internationally.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: “Advances in research reveal the vast potential of microbes to transform how we live and care for ourselves, our children, and our environment. We are inspired to steward this next generation of probiotics and microbiome-based innovations that will disrupt and forever change the global categories of health, hygiene, diet and self-care,” said Ara Katz, Seed Health co-founder and co-CEO.

“We are converging advances in sequencing technologies, metabolomics, and functional strain characterization to gain insight into microbial communities and develop interventions that are effective across a heterogeneous population or personalized,” said Raja Dhir, Seed Health co-founder and co-CEO. “These proceeds accelerate our multi-platform, multi-technology approach to efficiently take breakthrough research from discovery to market across ecosystems of the body at various life stages, developmental windows, and health conditions.”

“We are inspired to support Seed Health’s bold vision to realize the potential of microbes to impact health, sustain life on our planet and revolutionize how we live,” said Ernesto Schmitt, Craftory co-founder. “Their commitment to rigor and transparency goes beyond exceptional science and probiotic innovation. They have quickly become industry leaders in their field and stewards of a new standard in science communication and global brand-building in consumer health. Their education and sustainability-first ethos reflects our mission to invest in challenger companies and founders with conviction.”

“We are incredibly impressed with Seed Health’s decentralized model in microbiome, which enables them to efficiently advance breakthrough research from discovery to development, validation, clinical research, and scale up. Their combination of scientific rigor, human-centered design and omni-channel expertise, uniquely positions them in the fast-growing global field of probiotics and live biotherapeutics,” stated Artis Ventures’ Managing Partner, Stuart Peterson.

“I am inspired by Seed’s bold vision to ferment the future, using microbes to rethink health,” stated George Church, PhD, SeedLabs Advisor and Head of Synthetic Biology at Harvard Wyss Institute.

DETAILS:

• The round was led by impact investor The Craftory, alongside TechBio investor Artis Ventures and life science investor Gisev with participation from existing investors Founders Fund and 8VC.
• With the company’s scientific board of leading microbiome researchers, clinicians, and academic partners, Seed Health has assembled an Intellectual Property estate and Master Cell Bank (MCB) with microbial applications across gastroenterology, dermatology, oral hygiene, pediatrics, women’s health, and nutrition.
• Seed Health’s flagship DS-01, a 24-strain broad-spectrum probiotic, recently received IND authorization for clinical trial in IBS patients with Dr. Anthony Lembo at Harvard Medical School. It is also under study in four additional clinical trials to evaluate efficacy in endpoints related to constipation, post-alcohol gut microbiota restoration, urolithin production, and recovery after broad-spectrum antibiotics.
• The clinical pipeline includes a slate of randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trials evaluating the company’s interventions and characterizing distinct microbiomes on and within the human body.
• Beyond the consumer health roadmap, Seed Health’s first live biotherapeutic will enter FDA and EMA (European Medicines Agency) trials this year for recurrent Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) with renowned vaginal microbiome researcher Dr. Jacques Ravel in partnership with Luca Biologics.
• Beyond human health, the company established SeedLabs to develop microbial applications for pressing ecological and environmental challenges. The first innovation was a probiotic for honey bees. The next initiatives will focus on coral regeneration, biomaterial development, and space, and will be announced later this year.
• In June 2017 the business also raised $3.5 million of seed funding from Collaborative Fund, VC BoxGroup, VC Bold Capital Partners, 8VC, and Cameron Diaz, and other angels.