Miguel Cordon · · 2 min readSG startup raises $1m to help take microbiome care mainstream
(From left) ArrowBiome’s Boon Chong Goh, Beh Mei Zhen, and Maurice van Steensel / Photo credit: ArrowBiome
During his stint at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre, research scientist Boon Chong Goh wanted to find novel antimicrobials, substances that can treat infections. One of Goh’s goals: solving his wife’s recurring acne problems.
This led him to his research on lysins, proteins that target and kill harmful bacteria.
This research became the foundation for ArrowBiome, Goh’s Singapore-based startup that recently secured US$1 million in seed funding from Cocoon Capital.
ArrowBiome produces and engineers lysins and offers its solutions to personal care companies and specialty chemical manufacturers, among other players.
Common skin treatments often disrupt both good and bad bacteria, leading to an imbalance in the microbiome and increases resistance to antibiotics, the company said in a statement. With lysins, ArrowBiome’s solution only targets harmful bacteria.
The company claims its platform enables its clients to offer products that bear fewer side effects than traditionally made alternatives, as these can be made with lower dosages of active ingredients.
ArrowBiome plans to use the new capital to bolster its research and development arm and seek more commercial partnerships. It also plans to extend into other fields beyond skin science.
See also: Series SEA: Who’s investing in the region’s biotech startups?
Editing by Jaclyn Tiu
(And yes, we’re serious about ethics and transparency. More information here.)
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
