AsiaBiome

AsiaBiome is a biotechnology firm focused on accelerating the discovery of live bio-therapeutics derived from the gut microbiome. Founded initially as Civet Biosciences in Hong Kong in 2016 by Jonathan Krive, Noel Zimmerman Krive, and two other partners, the company established itself as a pioneer in Asia's microbiome therapeutics space. Jonathan Krive, who served as CEO, brought a decade of corporate development experience in China, including time with Peking University's investment arm, and holds a Tsinghua-MIT Global MBA. This background was instrumental in securing exclusive access to a high-quality network of microbiome clinical data and samples from Asia, a region previously underrepresented in global microbiome research.

The company's core business revolves around a horizontally integrated discovery platform. This platform combines a substantial microbiota bank, a clinical intervention network, and a proprietary bioinformatics pipeline powered by big data technology. AsiaBiome created a human microbiome donor network of over 8,000 participants and supported fecal microbiota transplant studies, which helped hundreds of patients and provided crucial data. The primary clients for this platform are large pharmaceutical companies seeking microbiome-based drug breakthroughs. By applying big data analytics to its unique dataset, AsiaBiome identifies microbial candidates that may play a causal role in various diseases, essentially using "bugs as drugs" to find cures for dysbiosis, an imbalance in the gut microbiome. The company had identified lead microbial candidates for conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), type 2 diabetes, and autism.

After its founding, AsiaBiome garnered support from investors including 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups), StartUp Health, Katapult Group, and Plug and Play Tech Center, raising $150K in funding. The company was a US-based entity with access to ex-US data and participated in the Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JLABS) program. On September 1, 2022, AsiaBiome was acquired by Holobiome, a Boston-based microbiome science company, for an undisclosed amount involving cash, milestone payments, and equity. The acquisition provided Holobiome with AsiaBiome's extensive sample bank and a strategic footprint in Asia. As part of the transaction, Jonathan Krive joined Holobiome as its Chief Business Officer.

Keywords: microbiome therapeutics, gut microbiome, biotechnology, drug discovery, live bio-therapeutics, microbiota bank, bioinformatics, dysbiosis, Asian gut microbiome, fecal microbiota transplant, clinical data, big data analytics, pharma partnerships, irritable bowel syndrome, Jonathan Krive, Holobiome, JLABS, 500 Global, StartUp Health, life sciences, microbial candidates, platform technology