Food and beverage recalls stemming from contamination events can lead to disastrous outcomes. Companies not only face hefty fines and liability costs but also risk enduring damage to their brand reputation.
This is precisely why Spore.Bio, a deeptech startup based in Paris, is working on transforming microbiology testing to prevent future public relations crises in the food sector. Just over a year after raising an €8 million pre-seed funding round (approximately $8.3 million at current exchange rates), the company has successfully completed a $23 million Series A funding round.
Singular is at the forefront of this financing round, with participation from Point 72 Ventures, 1st Kind Ventures (the family office of the Peugeot family), Station F, and Lord David Prior. Additionally, existing investors LocalGlobe, No Label Ventures, and Famille C are also increasing their stakes in the venture.
The rapid success in fundraising for Spore.Bio can be attributed to genuine customer demand. The startup has already established several commercial agreements that cover up to 200 manufacturing facilities, necessitating the creation of a waitlist to manage the influx of interest.
What distinguishes Spore.Bio’s technology? In the food and beverage sector, conventional microbiological testing can take several days. Companies must collect samples and send them to a specialized laboratory for analysis.
“Imagine it’s 2022, and everything is optimized to the max. Lean manufacturing principles are applied everywhere, and every minute counts in production,” said co-founder and CEO Amine Raji in an interview with TechCrunch. “Yet, you find yourself with a five-day delay for microbiological tests in agriculture and food, and up to fourteen days in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, just to wait for bacteria to grow.”
Firstly, testing must occur offsite since petri dish testing can propagate any potentially harmful bacteria. Hence, there is a risk of contaminating other areas of the manufacturing site. Secondly, incubating bacteria also takes considerable time.
In contrast, Spore.Bio employs an entirely different testing methodology. The company directs light at specific wavelengths toward a sample, capturing its spectral signature. With the aid of a pre-trained deep learning model, it can determine the presence of bacteria or pathogens in the sample.
This machine-learning model is a significant asset for Spore.Bio. The startup has formed a partnership with the Pasteur Institute, granting it access to a comprehensive biobank of bacterial samples.
In the months ahead, the company aims to produce testing devices that clients can utilize directly within their facilities. This advancement means that microbiological testing can occur on-site, considerably shortening the overall process from days to mere minutes.
Prior to launching Spore.Bio, Raji worked as a manufacturing engineer in the food and beverage sector at Nestlé. His background naturally led him to focus on an industry he was familiar with. However, he discovered that the field of microbiology testing is more expansive than he had initially realized.
Moreover, companies involved in cosmetics have shown a keen interest in Spore.Bio’s innovative technology. “Manufacturers are under pressure to eliminate preservatives in response to customer demands and environmental considerations. However, these preservatives are designed to eliminate bacteria,” Raji noted.
Likewise, the pharmaceutical industry has found its own applications for Spore.Bio’s cutting-edge solutions. “There’s a rising demand, particularly for advanced therapies like gene and cell treatments,” Raji explained. He added that these products often come with a brief shelf life, sometimes as short as seven days, making traditional testing methods impractical within such limited timeframes.
With the recent funding, the startup plans to expand its workforce significantly. Currently, 30 employees are on board, but the company aims to grow that number to 50 by the conclusion of 2025.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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