Microbiotica's $46M Raise Signals a New Era for Microbiome Biotech

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-16

Microbiotica, a British biopharma company, just closed a $46 million Series C round. The money will push their lead drug, MB310, into Phase 2 trials for ulcerative colitis. But this isn't just another funding story—it's a sign that microbiome therapeutics are finally getting the attention they deserve. ### The Deal That Got Everyone Talking The financing 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 also joined in. That kind of backing says a lot about confidence in Microbiotica's approach. Tim Sharpington, the company's CEO, put it simply: "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 added that the focus now is on taking MB310 into Phase 2, where it could become a breakthrough treatment for people living with ulcerative colitis. ### Why Microbiome Therapeutics Are Heating Up Microbiotica's raise is part of a broader surge in European biotech investment. In 2026 alone, several related deals have been announced: - Germany's mbiomics secured an additional $13 million, bringing its Series A to $33 million. - UK-based OutPost Bio raised $3.2 million to expand its human microbiology modelling platform. - France's Bionyra Pharma landed $155 million for inflammatory disease treatments, including IBD. - Paris-based Generare raised $22 million for microbial-genome-based drug discovery. - London's Alchemab Therapeutics received $32 million from British Business Bank to advance its clinical pipeline. Together, these deals represent roughly $225 million in new financing—and that's before you add Microbiotica's $46 million. The total climbs to about $271 million. Clearly, investors see something big here. ### The Science Behind the Hype So what makes Microbiotica stand out? Founded in 2016 as a spin-out from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the company has built a genomics-driven microbiome platform. It combines a diverse culture collection, a proprietary human Reference Genome Database, advanced bioinformatics, and machine learning. When applied to clinical trial data, the platform can identify bacteria linked to positive outcomes in specific patient groups. That's a game-changer for precision medicine. > "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. "Its Phase 1b study in ulcerative colitis produced statistically significant clinical remission, best in disease potential with no safety issues." That's a strong endorsement. And it's not just talk—the company has partnerships with MSD, Cancer Research UK, Genentech, the University of Adelaide, and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. ### What's Next for MB310? The immediate focus is on MB310's Phase 2 trial. If it confirms the promise seen in Phase 1b, it could be a major breakthrough for ulcerative colitis patients. Dr. Sam Williams, Venture Partner at IP Group, echoed that optimism: "We have been very impressed by Microbiotica's progress since we first invested... There is an important opportunity to advance Microbiotica's precision microbiome approach into a larger clinical study." For those following the microbiome space, this is one to watch. The science is maturing, the money is flowing, and the potential to transform treatment for inflammatory bowel disease is real. If Microbiotica delivers, it won't just be a win for the company—it'll be a win for patients everywhere.