Microbiotica's $45M Raise Signals a New Era for Microbiome Drugs

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 field that's still finding its footing. The financing was led by British Business Bank, with Tencent, IP Group, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Flerie Invest, and Seventure Partners all chipping in. Existing Series B investors didn't sit this one out either. So why does this matter? Because Microbiotica isn't just another biotech. They're developing orally-dosed, precision microbiome medicines. Think of it as hacking the bacteria in your gut to treat disease. Their lead candidate, MB310, is heading into Phase 2 trials for ulcerative colitis. And if early results are anything to go by, this could be a game-changer. ### The Science Behind the Buzz Microbiotica was spun out of the Wellcome Sanger Institute in 2016. Their platform combines a massive microbiome culture collection, a proprietary human Reference Genome Database, and machine learning. In plain English: they analyze clinical trial data to find which bacteria are linked to better outcomes. Then they turn those bacteria into drugs. It's like precision medicine, but for your gut. Tim Sharpington, the CEO, puts it this way: "This financing marks an important next stage for Microbiotica and reflects the significant progress we have made in translating our powerful genomics-driven microbiome platform into clinical-stage products." He's not wrong. The company has already inked partnerships with MSD, Genentech, and Cancer Research UK, among others. ### A Rising Tide in European Biotech Microbiotica's raise isn't happening in a vacuum. European biotech is heating up. In 2026 alone, we've seen: - Germany's mbiomics add $13 million to its Series A, bringing it to $32 million. - UK-based OutPost Bio raise $3.1 million for its microbiology modelling platform. - France's Bionyra Pharma secure a whopping $154 million for inflammatory disease treatments. - Paris-based Generare raise $21.5 million for microbial-genome drug discovery. - London's Alchemab Therapeutics get $31.6 million from British Business Bank. Add it all up, and you're looking at over $223 million in new financing, or $268 million if you include Microbiotica's round. That's not pocket change. It's a signal that investors see real potential in microbiome therapeutics. ### The Road Ahead So what's next? Microbiotica is focused on taking MB310 into Phase 2. If the trial confirms the promise seen in Phase 1b—where the drug produced statistically significant clinical remission with no safety issues—it could be a major breakthrough for ulcerative colitis patients. As Carmine Circelli from British Business Bank notes, "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." For those of us watching the space, it's a reminder that the microbiome isn't just hype. It's a frontier. And with backing from heavy hitters like Tencent and the British Business Bank, Microbiotica is well-positioned to lead the charge. The next few years will tell whether that promise translates into a marketable drug. But for now, things are looking up—or should we say, down in the gut.