AMILI, a precision gut microbiome firm, raises new funding led by East Ventures

AMILI, Southeast Asia’s first and only precision gut microbiome company, announced that it has secured new funding from East Ventures, a pioneering sector-agnostic venture capital firm that has supported over 300 tech companies across Southeast Asia. This fund strengthens AMILI’s balance sheet, following the company’s series A funding in June 2022. The fresh funds will be allocated towards expanding operations into Indonesia with the primary focus on addressing prevalent gut health issues using scientific approaches adapted to the Indonesian context. 

“AMILI is honored and privileged to partner with East Ventures in enabling doctors and other health professionals to benefit their patients through microbiome science. Beyond medicine, the microbiome is important in food and agritech, and AMILI also looks forward to contributing to innovations in this space, particularly in health-enhancing foods and addressing stunting and malnutrition,” said Dr Jeremy Lim, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AMILI.

Recent scientific developments and discoveries have led to the gut microbiome being increasingly recognized as the next frontier of human health. The gut microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in the digestive tract. It plays a key role in almost every aspect of human health, including digestion, immune function, mental health, and disease prevention. There are many emerging applications of the gut microbiome, opening new possibilities for personalized medicine and transformative approaches to healthcare.

Founded in 2019 by Dr Jeremy Lim, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, and colleagues Drs David Ong and Jonathan Lee, who led the region’s first gut microbiome transplants in the National University Hospital, Singapore in 2014, AMILI conducts advanced gut microbiome research and develops it into products and services. Current offerings include gut microbiome sequencing services to assist health professionals in enhancing patient care and probiotic formulations specifically designed for Asia consumers. AMILI also houses Southeast Asia’s only microbiome transplant bank and has supported transplants across the region.

The company has three core assets that allow it to create and capture value: (i) a multi-ethnic Asia microbiome database, (ii) a microbiome bank with samples stored for metagenomic and metabolomic analysis, and (iii) AMILI PRIME, a set of proprietary analytical tools, informatics pipelines, and discovery engines. These assets collectively empower the company to drive advancements in gut health research and deliver innovative solutions to the field.

The unique characteristics of the gut microbiome in Asia, greatly influenced by local and regional factors such as diet, lifestyle, and the environment, emphasize the importance of conducting research, discovery, and application locally in the region. 

“We are glad to welcome Jeremy and the AMILI team to the East Ventures family and excited to support them in advancing precision medicine and personalized health and nutrition by harnessing the potential of the gut microbiome. By conducting localized studies and understanding the specific intricacies of the Asian gut microbiome, we can discover insights and develop health interventions tailored to the needs and challenges of the Asian population, ultimately improving the health and well-being of individuals in the region,” said Willson Cuaca, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at East Ventures.

AMILI has pioneered microbiome-led applications since its founding. Through its extensive collaborations with regional research partners, AMILI has amassed the world’s largest multi-ethnic microbiome database that enables the development of offerings such as Singapore’s first at-home gut microbiome testing service and the region’s first probiotic blend that includes prebiotics and postbiotics. Last year, the company also co-developed a sustainable prebiotic powder by upcycling unused kale stalks.