Milltrust Portfolio Company Viome Life Sciences plans to launch a suite of new wellness and diagnostic tests in the coming months aimed at the oral microbiome
Viome Life Sciences, a genomic testing company, has raised $67 million in a series C funding round.
The round was led by Bold Capital Group alongside existing investors Khosla Ventures, WestRiver Group, Glico, Ocgrow Ventures and Physician Partners. The latest capital brings the company’s total raised to more than $150 million.
The startup plan to use the fresh capital to expand its research and products.
“As long-standing supporters of Viome, we have always believed deeply in Viome’s mission to identify the root causes of chronic disease by honoring each person’s biochemical individuality,” Teymour Boutros-Ghali, managing partner at Bold Capital Partners, said in a press release.
Initially founded as a gut-testing startup in 2016, Viome has expanded to screening for cancer with at-home diagnostic tests. The tests are coupled with an AI-driven platform that sequences the RNA in a person’s microbiome and matches the findings to biomarkers linked to cancer. The platform received the breakthrough-device designation from the Food and Drug Administration last year.
In August, Viome launched its first at-home test for oral and throat cancers that relies on the mRNA sequencing technology. The diagnostic tool identifies biomarkers at a rate of 95% specificity and 90% sensitivity, the company claims.
“Viome is unparalleled in its commitment to identifying and solving for the blind spots in the healthcare industry’s current approach to early detection and treatment of diseases and cancer,” Harish Consul, founder & CEO of Ocgrow Ventures, said in the announcement. “We have been consistently impressed by the breakneck speed at which Viome has developed and brought to market vital healthcare solutions.”
The company plans to launch a suite of new wellness and diagnostic tests in the coming months aimed at the oral microbiome. It will use the same mRNA sequencing technology to target additional hard-to-detect cancers and gastrointestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease.
