Whole Biome Secures $35 Million Series B Funding to Advance Natural Microbiome Therapies for Chronic Diseases

VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) learned from foreign media that on May 30, U.S. local time, the biotechnology company Whole Biome completed a $35 million Series B financing round. The funds from this round will be used to support the company’s development of biotechnologies that leverage microbiome culture techniques to treat chronic human diseases.

It is reported that this round of financing was led by Sequoia Capital, with participation from True Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and AME Cloud Ventures. In addition, Whole Biome has expanded its board of directors, with Roelof Botha, a partner at Sequoia Capital, joining the company’s board.

Whole Biome, founded in 2014 and headquartered in California, USA, is a biotechnology company dedicated to improving patient care models by targeted modulation of the human microbiome.

Multiple microbial communities exist within the human body, exerting a significant impact on human health. Traditional medications often rely on biologics to help maintain the balance of these microbial communities; in cases where diseases progressively worsen, such drugs may even directly inactivate abnormal microbial populations to treat the associated conditions. This approach not only fails to support long-term therapy but also compromises the body’s intrinsic biological integrity, thereby hindering the favorable development of diagnosis and treatment.

Whole Biome’s microbiome-based therapeutics focus on treating human diseases at their root cause. The company’s philosophy is to cultivate natural microbial colonies that stably coexist with the human body, replacing dysbiotic microbiota and helping to maintain microbial homeostasis. This approach not only avoids side effects but also preserves the body’s intrinsic balance, thereby better supporting patients in adhering to long-term treatment regimens.

Colleen Cutcliffe, Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Biome, stated, “The company is at a critical stage of development, and we are deeply grateful for the support from our new round of investors. Committed to helping patients treat various diseases through microbiome-based therapies, we will leverage the proceeds from this financing round to further advance our business operations and expand our market presence.”

Sequoia Capital, founded in 1972 and headquartered in California, USA, is a venture capital firm that focuses on early- and late-stage investments in startups across the energy, finance, enterprise, healthcare, internet, and mobile sectors. To date, it has completed 1,243 investments.

True Ventures, founded in 2005 and headquartered in California, USA, is a venture capital firm. The firm manages over $2 billion in assets, providing seed and Series A financing to high-potential, rapidly growing companies in today’s market. True Ventures was named “Venture Capital Firm of the Year 2018” by the National Venture Capital Association.

Khosla Ventures, founded in 2014 and headquartered in California, USA, is a venture capital firm that focuses on early- and late-stage investments in startups within sectors such as environmental protection and the internet. To date, it has completed 649 investments.

AME Cloud Ventures, founded in 2012 and headquartered in California, USA, is a venture capital firm focused on investing in the early and late-stage development of technology startups. It has completed 198 investments to date.

(Compiled by Liu Yujing)