SanusX is acquiring a stake of around 20% in Austrian MedTech company Biome Diagnostics GmbH (BiomeDx), a young, successful developer and supplier of medical diagnostics and medical applications relating to the intestinal microbiome. Founded in 2018, BiomeDx uses machine learning (artificial intelligence) to interpret the intestinal microbiome (gut flora) for medical purposes. Alongside innovative approaches for precision cancer medicine, the company’s lifestyle product myBioma® has made it the European market leader in the field of in-depth B2C intestinal microbiome analyses. With myBioma®, the company enables any individual to analyse their own intestinal microbiome at home and thus take preventive steps to care for their own gut health. As a long-term partner, SanusX will provide future strategic support to BiomeDx. The two companies plan to work together to achieve sustainable growth and develop new solutions in the healthcare sector. They will focus on expanding the portfolio for a healthy and preventive lifestyle.
Since the intestinal microbiome was discovered in the 1990s, it has become increasingly clear that health begins in the gut. For both prevention and treatment, the intestinal microbiome plays a key role in people’s health and well-being. The gut microbiome comprises around 39 billion bacteria that live in the intestine of each individual. Around 70% of the immune system is also embedded in the intestinal microbiome. In recent years, important links were identified between the intestinal microbiome and various illnesses, such as diabetes and obesity, mental health and depression, carcinogenesis, Parkinson’s, etc. Initial areas of application are also placing particular focus on personalised medicine. The huge importance of the microbiome and the broad area of application offer major growth opportunities for SanusX and BiomeDx. They also complement SanusX’s existing at-home testing portfolio, which currently comprises mainly blood tests.
Barbara Sladek and Nikolaus Gasche, founders and Managing Directors of Biome Diagnostics: “Our vision is to give every individual easy access to in-depth analysis of their intestinal microbiome, enabling them to take control of their own health and so improve their well-being. The intestinal microbiome offers the advantage that it can be altered and influenced. In SanusX, we have found an ideal strategic partner with whom we can work together to improve the healthcare sector. We can see potential for us to jointly expand our customer base and enable even more people to take optimum care of their individual gut health in future.”
Erich Kruschitz, Managing Director of SanusX, on the key reasons behind the investment: “While the power of a healthy gut microbiome plays a key role in the crucial area of prevention in particular, we are also excited about the possible areas of use for Biome Diagnostics’ applications in the field of innovative precision therapy. We are therefore delighted to have found a new and strong partner in BiomeDx and will jointly leverage the huge market potential ahead. Austria has many highly innovative companies such as BiomeDx to whom we can offer our know-how and market access and so support their development to optimum effect. As a holistic healthcare provider and strategic investor, we will continue to strengthen our portfolio through selected future acquisitions.”
Lukas Mayrl, Managing Director of SanusX, added: “With SanusX we aim to support people throughout their lives and help them take care of themselves and maintain and improve their health. We want to support them at every stage of their lives with products for prevention or rehabilitation. That’s why we analyse gaps and problem areas in current health care and back innovative products that take account of people’s health needs. Home tests in particular are an effective tool that enable people to gain a better understanding of and look after themselves and their body’s needs. We are therefore excited to expand our Diagnostics division with the addition of BiomeDx and so offer our customers a further testing product.”
Biome Diagnostics GmbH
Founded in 2018, Biome Diagnostics GmbH (BiomeDx) is an Austrian MedTech company committed to advancing precision medicine through cutting-edge microbiome-based technologies. The company is strategically positioned at the intersection of state-of-the-art DNA sequencing and advanced bioinformatics and machine-learning algorithms to develop best-in-class technologies for routine clinical diagnostics. Biome Diagnostics is the world’s only double-ISO-certified (ISO 9001 and ISO 13485) microbiome diagnostics company. In 2019, it launched its successful lifestyle analysis myBioma®, for the first time offering individuals easy access to understanding their gut microbiome. In 2022, the company launched the first medically validated and CE-IVD certified diagnostic test for individualised prediction of response to cancer immunotherapy. This test is the first step in determining in advance the best therapy for an individual cancer patient. Biome Diagnostics currently has one of the largest datasets of analysed gut microbiome profiles. The successful start-up has already attracted international attention and received numerous renowned awards. For example, in 2022, BiomeDx won the audience vote at the WebSummit and also the EY Scale-Up Award (for HealthTech). It also collected various prizes at this year’s European EIT Health Catapult Incubator, and has received several awards from the Austrian Economic Chambers (WKO), the daily newspaper DiePresse, etc.
SanusX
SanusX has been active since 2020. The goal of the independent corporate start-up of the UNIQA Insurance Group is to become a holistic, modern healthcare provider that supports and assists people throughout their lives in maintaining and improving their health. SanusX focuses on prevention (staying healthy) and rehabilitation (getting healthy). Products are available to both end customers (B2C) and corporate partners (B2B). SanusX’s active portfolio already includes Mavie Work, a provider of company health care with around 150 corporate customers throughout Austria. It also partners with cura domo, the Austrian market leader in 24-hour care and an expert in active and supervised ageing with around 2,600 caregivers. Following the addition of BiomeDx, SanusX’s at-home testing portfolio will in future encompass blood tests and gut microbiome tests, both of which can be carried out easily in the comfort of one’s own home.
As a holistic healthcare provider and strategic investor, SanusX relies on existing business models and innovations alike, identifying, developing and scaling them to make them accessible to as many people as possible. SanusX sees itself as an innovator and business partner, investing in companies that fit its strategic focus in the healthcare sector and with which it can collaborate to build up joint business models.
Contact
Karin Steinbichler
Metrum Communications GmbH
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E k.steinbichler(at)metrum.at