Spore.Bio Raises $23M to Revolutionize Microbiology Testing with Machine Learning

n a significant development for the food and beverage industry, Spore.Bio, a Paris-based deeptech startup, has successfully raised $23 million in a Series A funding round. This funding comes just over a year after the company secured an €8 million pre-seed round (approximately $8.3 million at current exchange rates), bringing its total investment to around $31.3 million. The latest round was led by Singular, with participation from Point 72 Ventures, 1st Kind Ventures (the family office of the Peugeot family), Station F, Lord David Prior, and existing investors LocalGlobe, No Label Ventures, and Famille C.

 

The Urgency of Rapid Microbiology Testing

Contamination incidents in the food and beverage sector can have catastrophic consequences. In 2024 alone, product recalls due to contamination increased by 20%, costing companies billions in damages and regulatory fines. Beyond the financial implications, such incidents can severely tarnish a brand's reputation, leading to a loss of consumer trust that may take years to rebuild. Spore.Bio aims to address these pressing issues by reinventing microbiology testing processes to prevent future public relations crises.

 

Innovative Technology Behind Spore.Bio

The traditional microbiological testing process is notoriously slow. Companies typically need to take samples and send them to specialized laboratories for analysis, which can take several days—often five days for food products and up to 14 days for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. This delay poses significant risks in fast-paced manufacturing environments where timely decision-making is crucial.

Amine Raji, co-founder and CEO of Spore.Bio, highlighted the inefficiencies of current testing methods: “Picture this: we’re in 2022, everything is hyper-optimized. You’ve got lean manufacturing everywhere, every step is optimized and counted in minutes to get a result. And bam! You’ve got a 5-day imponderable test in the agri-food sector.”

Spore.Bio's innovative approach utilizes light at specific wavelengths directed at a sample to capture its spectral signature. By employing a pre-trained deep learning algorithm, the company can quickly determine whether a sample contains any bacteria or pathogens without the need for traditional culture methods that require lengthy incubation periods.

 

Strategic Partnerships and Market Demand

To bolster its technological capabilities, Spore.Bio has formed a strategic partnership with the Pasteur Institute, granting access to its extensive biobank of bacterial samples. This collaboration not only enhances the accuracy of Spore.Bio’s testing but also positions the company as a pioneer in microbiological analysis.

The demand for Spore.Bio's services has been overwhelming; the startup has already signed contracts that cover up to 200 factories and has had to establish a waitlist to manage incoming requests. This level of interest indicates a significant market need for rapid microbiological testing solutions.

 

Expanding Applications Across Industries

While Spore.Bio initially focused on the food and beverage sector, its technology has attracted attention from other industries as well. For instance, cosmetic manufacturers are increasingly seeking alternatives to preservatives due to consumer demand for cleaner products and environmental considerations. However, these preservatives are essential for preventing bacterial growth, creating a challenge that Spore.Bio’s technology can help resolve.

Additionally, the pharmaceutical industry is exploring applications for innovative therapies like gene and cell therapy, which often have short shelf lives—sometimes as brief as seven days—making traditional testing processes impractical.

 

Future Growth Plans

With this latest funding round, Spore.Bio plans to significantly expand its team from 30 employees to 50 by the end of 2025. This growth will facilitate ongoing research and development efforts as well as support the manufacturing of on-site testing machines that customers can utilize directly in their factories. By enabling microbiological testing on-site, Spore.Bio aims to reduce testing timelines from days to mere minutes.

 

Spore.Bio is poised to make a transformative impact on microbiology testing across various sectors. By leveraging machine learning and innovative optical detection methods, the company addresses critical industry needs while enhancing operational efficiency within manufacturing environments. As contamination risks continue to rise globally, Spore.Bio’s cutting-edge solutions could play an essential role in safeguarding public health and ensuring consumer safety while helping brands maintain their reputations in an increasingly competitive marketplace.