Indonesian biotech startup Nusantics closes seed round led by East Ventures

Nusantics, an Indonesia-based genomics technology company, announced that it has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding in a round led by East Ventures.

The startup will use the fresh funds to establish a direct-to-consumer microbiome analysis service in Indonesia, Sharlini Eriza Putri, CEO of Nusantics, told Tech in Asia.

From left: Nusantics co-founders Vincent Kurniawan (chief operating officer), Sharlini Eriza Putri (CEO), and Revata Utama (chief technology officer) / Photo credit: Nusantics

Founded in 2019, Nusantics claims to be the first local startup that can analyze microbiome profiles to fulfill consumer needs and support a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. It will initially introduce its technology to the Indonesian lifestyle market by applying it for the human skin, a living ecosystem of billions of microbiomes.

A microbiome is a complex ecosystem of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live on and inside every human and living thing on earth. It is instrumental to the immune system, and each person’s profile is unique.

Nusantics said that understanding one’s own microbiome profile will help consumers pick the right beauty and body products that fit their needs. It aims to address the gap between the lack of understanding of microbiome balance and an increasing demand for conscious lifestyle and education.

“Advancement in deep tech has enabled us to realize that all lives on earth are interdependent on the microbiome. They are a crucial factor behind a healthy ecosystem, yet are also a very critical factor behind global pandemics,” the chief exec said.

Citing data from Nielsen and Euromonitor, the startup said that Indonesia’s beauty market reached US$2.3 billion in 2018, with skincare products contributing around 31.7%.

Nusantics was established by Putri, Vincent Kurniawan, and Revata Utama, whose backgrounds include engineering, genomics technology, manufacturing, and biotech, among others.