East Ventures backs SG microbiome firm bound for Indonesia

The Amili team / Photo credit: Amili

Amili, a Singapore-based gut microbiome company, has raised an undisclosed sum from East Ventures in a new funding round.

The fresh funds will be used for its expansion to Indonesia, focusing on addressing gut health issues specific to the local context.

Funding details

• Funding amount: Undisclosed
• Lead investor: East Ventures
• Stage: Bridge
• Source

Amili’s current offerings include gut microbiome sequencing services for healthcare professionals and probiotic formulations tailored to Asian consumers. Microbiome sequencing is a method for studying bacteria to fuel research on disease protection.

The firm also operates a microbiome transplant bank – facilitating transplants across the region – as well as a microbiome database and an analytical tool known as Amili Prime.

East Ventures expects Indonesia to save an estimated US$96 billion by applying genomics to rare diseases. The VC firm said genomics could unlock about US$110 billion worth of economic impact for Indonesia.

“Recent scientific developments and discoveries have led to the gut microbiome being increasingly recognized as the next frontier of human health,” the company said in a statement. “It plays a key role in almost every aspect of human health, including digestion, immune function, mental health, and disease prevention.”

Genomics, the study of an organism’s genetic makeup, has been a part of East Ventures’ portfolio since 2018. It has invested in startups focusing on genome sequencing such as Nalagenetics and Nusantics.

See also: Series SEA: Who’s investing in the region’s health startups?

More details