Microbiotica's $45M Boost: A New Era for IBD Treatment?

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-16

Microbiotica, a British biopharma company, just announced the first close of a $45 million (€42 million) Series C financing round. That's a big deal for a company developing precision microbiome medicines. The round was led by British Business Bank, with participation from Tencent, IP Group, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Flerie Invest, and Seventure Partners. All existing Series B investors joined in, which says a lot about their confidence. So what's the plan for all that cash? Microbiotica is pushing its lead candidate, MB310, into Phase 2 clinical trials for ulcerative colitis. And if early results are anything to go by, this could be a game-changer. ### Why Microbiotica's Approach Stands Out Microbiotica isn't your average biotech. Founded in 2016 as a spin-out from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the company has built a genomics-driven microbiome platform that's seriously impressive. It combines a diverse microbiome culture collection, a proprietary human Reference Genome Database, advanced bioinformatics, and machine learning. When they apply this platform to clinical trial data, they can pinpoint bacteria linked to positive outcomes in specific patient groups. That's exactly how they identified MB310. In a Phase 1b study, MB310 produced statistically significant clinical remission in ulcerative colitis patients—with no safety issues. That's the kind of result that gets investors excited. > "We believe Microbiotica is emerging as a world leader in the development of microbiome therapeutics," says Carmine Circelli, Senior Investment Director at British Business Bank. "This funding allows the Company to move MB310 forward into a Phase 2 trial which, if it confirms the promise seen in Phase 1b, has the potential to be a major breakthrough." ### The Bigger Picture: European Biotech Is Heating Up Microbiotica's raise is part of a wave of recent investments in European biotech. Here's a quick rundown: - **mbiomics** (Germany) secured an additional $13 million (€12 million), bringing its Series A to $32 million (€30 million) to advance microbiome-based therapeutics. - **OutPost Bio** (UK) raised $3.1 million (€2.9 million) to expand its human microbiology modelling platform. - **Bionyra Pharma** (France) landed $155 million (€143 million) to develop treatments for inflammatory diseases, including IBD. - **Generare** (Paris) raised $22 million (€20 million) for microbial-genome-based drug discovery. - **Alchemab Therapeutics** (UK) received $32 million (€29.3 million) from British Business Bank to advance its clinical pipeline. Together, these deals represent about $225 million (€207.2 million) in new financing—and that's before you add Microbiotica's round. With it, the total jumps to $270 million (€249.2 million). Clearly, investors see huge potential in microbiome-based therapies. ### What's Next for Microbiotica? The company isn't stopping at ulcerative colitis. It has partnerships with MSD, Cancer Research UK, Genentech, The University of Adelaide, and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. That's a strong network, and it gives them plenty of avenues to explore. But all eyes are on MB310. If the Phase 2 trial confirms the Phase 1b results, Microbiotica could be sitting on a breakthrough treatment for IBD—a condition that affects millions worldwide. And with this fresh injection of capital, they're well-positioned to make it happen. Dr. Sam Williams, Venture Partner at IP Group, put it simply: "There is an important opportunity to advance Microbiotica's precision microbiome approach into a larger clinical study, and we are pleased to continue supporting the Company as it enters this next phase of development." For those of us watching the European startup scene, Microbiotica is a name to remember. It's not just about the money—it's about the science. And the science looks promising.