Mapping your gut health is an important factor that can have profound consequences on an individual’s physical and mental health. That’s why MIG Capital, a Munich-based venture fund, has made an effort to broaden the scope of microbiome companies.
Matthias Kromayer, a managing partner with MIG Capital, and a molecular biologist by training, is part of the team of investors that helped Covid vaccine developer BioNTech SE get its start. He notes that the earliest microbiome companies often focused on single bacteria and delivered only disappointing results.
That’s why MIG led a €13 million ($14 million) series A funding round in mbiomics GmbH, a German startup uses high-resolution imaging to understand the interplay between microbiome and host. mbiomics uses fluorescent molecules that reflect light to identify more than a hundred bacteria at the same time. The particles glow in various shades and intensity of color, making it easier for computers to count and calculate the bacteria.
mbiomis’s ultimate goal is to develop synthetic consortia of bacteria that could mimic the effect of a fecal transplant, the type of microbiome therapy that has been most successful so far. The company is yet to be disclose which diseases its therapies will target, but they are expected to start testing their first therapy in three years.
The signature achievement of MIG Capital is the development of BioNTech SE, the Covid-19 vaccine developer. The company was founded in 2008 by two Turkish siblings, Ugur and Ozlem Sahin, who were looking to create a personalized medicine. They have since developed multiple vaccines and are now leading the market for immune treatments for cancer.
More recently, this venture firm has made the decision to invest in the high-resolution imaging technology of mbiomics. They believe this decision could potentially unlock a new understanding of the human gut microbiome and create treatments more tailored to individual needs.
Ultimately, MIG Capital is making a play on gut health through the mbiomics investment. Their ultimate hope is that this will help drive impact and create opportunities that can power decisions critical to improving human health.