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

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-16

Microbiotica, a British biopharma company, just closed a $45 million Series C round. That's a big deal for a company developing precision microbiome medicines. And it might be a big deal for the 1.6 million Americans living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), too. ### The Financing 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. CEO Tim Sharpington called it "an important next stage" for the company. So what's the plan for all that cash? Microbiotica is pushing its lead drug candidate, MB310, into Phase 2 clinical trials for ulcerative colitis (UC), a type of IBD. In earlier trials, MB310 showed statistically significant clinical remission with no safety issues. That's promising, but Phase 2 is where things get real. ### Why Microbiotica Matters Founded in 2016 as a spin-out from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Microbiotica has built a genomics-driven microbiome platform. It combines a diverse culture collection, a proprietary human Reference Genome Database, advanced bioinformatics, and machine learning. The idea is to identify bacteria linked to positive clinical outcomes in specific patient groups. "We believe Microbiotica is emerging as a world leader in the development of microbiome therapeutics," said 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 in the treatment of ulcerative colitis." ### A Wave of European Biotech Investment Microbiotica's raise comes amid a flurry of European biotech investments in 2026. Here's a quick rundown: - Germany's mbiomics added $13 million to its Series A, bringing it to $32 million, to advance microbiome-based therapeutics. - UK-based OutPost Bio raised $3.1 million to expand its human microbiology modelling platform. - France's Bionyra Pharma secured $154 million to develop treatments for inflammatory diseases, including IBD. - Paris-based Generare raised $22 million for microbial-genome-based drug discovery. - London-based Alchemab Therapeutics received $32 million from British Business Bank to advance its clinical pipeline. Together, these deals represent about $224 million in new financing. Add Microbiotica's $45 million, and that jumps to $269 million. Clearly, investors see potential in this space. ### What This Means for IBD Patients If you or someone you know has UC, you know how limited treatment options can be. Current therapies work for some but not all, and they often come with side effects. A precision microbiome approach could offer something new: a treatment that targets the gut bacteria associated with the disease. Of course, it's early days. Phase 2 trials will tell us whether MB310 delivers on its promise. But the fact that investors are willing to put up this kind of money says something. They're betting that microbiome science is ready for prime time. ### The Road Ahead Microbiotica 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 with this new funding, the company can push its platform further. "There is an important opportunity to advance Microbiotica's precision microbiome approach into a larger clinical study," said Dr. Sam Williams, Venture Partner at IP Group. "We are pleased to continue supporting the Company as it enters this next phase of development." So keep an eye on Microbiotica. If MB310 works, it could change how we treat IBD. And that's something worth watching.