uBiome Secures $22 Million Series B Funding to Advance Clinical-Grade Gut Microbiome Testing via DNA Sequencing

San Francisco-based uBiome, a primary producer of direct-to-consumer microbial genomic test kits, has completed a $22 million Series B financing round led by 8VC, with participation from Slow Ventures, the StartX Fund, and other undisclosed angel investors. This brings the company’s total funding to over $26 million. The capital will be used to deploy uBiome’s new test kit, SmartGut, a clinical-grade microbiome screening test based on gene sequencing, which is currently available exclusively to users in the United States.

uBiome was founded in 2012 and graduated from the Y Combinator incubator that same year. Its market entry goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the human microbiome and discover mechanisms that contribute to health. Over the past four years, the company has collected tens of thousands of samples and offered a basic $89 test kit for analyzing an individual’s gut microbiota, thereby creating a DNA database of each person’s microbiome. SmartGut encourages individuals to change unhealthy lifestyles that lead to poor health outcomes by identifying specific microbes associated with diseases. Four years ago, the company’s database contained only 2,500 gut samples; it now holds approximately 100,000.

Many startups can analyze your DNA, but uBiome stands out by sequencing the DNA of microbes in your stool. Using an at-home collection kit, SmartGut aims to provide comprehensive screening tests for individuals and their physicians to identify key microbes that may cause health issues. Currently, DNA sequencing is considered a highly effective method, and uBiome employs high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The company has established technical collaborations with Stanford University, Harvard University, and the University of California, San Francisco.

The testing process is straightforward. First, patients schedule an appointment online. Once a physician accepts the request, uBiome ships the SmartGut collection kit directly to the consumer’s home. Upon receiving the kit, users collect a small stool sample using a swab and send it directly to the uBiome laboratory (CLIA- and CAP-certified) for sequencing. After the testing is completed, a link to our website is promptly sent to the customer, where they can download a PDF version of the test report. A copy of the report is also provided to the physician.

uBiome Gut Microbiome Test Kit

Importantly, SmartGut provides users with clinically graded, physician-ready reports on their gut microbiome. It primarily detects microbes associated with several common gastrointestinal symptoms and conditions, including abdominal pain/tenderness, constipation, Crohn’s disease/ulcerative colitis, bloating, diarrhea, general screening, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Additionally, it measures bacterial diversity in the consumer’s gut, along with other microbiome-related metrics.

“SmartGut’s testing methodology represents a shift in how we think about microbiology in clinical practice,” said Dr. Zachary Apte, CTO and co-founder of uBiome, in a statement. “It leverages DNA sequencing to test for various microbes and shares intuitive analytical data on microbial genetics directly with clinicians.”

uBiome’s laboratory has recently been accredited by the College of American Pathologists. Its innovation lies in identifying gut-related specific infections and health risks through gene sequencing and customized bioinformatics pipelines.

“In a statement, 8VC founder Joe Lonsdale said, ‘We are placing increasing emphasis on the health sector each year, particularly given that many common health issues still lack timely preventive measures. By making gut health testing faster and more accessible, uBiome will undoubtedly have a significant impact.’”