Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Johannes B. Woehrstein, CEO and Co-Founder: We at Mbiomics are a Biotech startup from Munich and have developed the first TechBio platform capable of designing, manufacturing, and clinically applying large consortia of live biotherapeutic products (LBPs). In simple terms, this means we want to manufacture medicines that contain an entire ecosystem of more than 100 different gut bacteria. Our mission is to fundamentally change the treatment of immune-associated and neurodegenerative diseases.
Our technological advantage is based on three core competencies:
- Proprietary analytics to precisely map and control multistrain ecosystems
- Co-culturing technology that enables scalable manufacturing of complex microbial consortia
- AI-powered design tools to develop LBPs with functional precision
Munich Startup: But hasn’t that existed for a long time already!
Johannes B. Woehrstein: That’s right – the idea of using the microbiome for therapeutic purposes is not new. But the platform we’ve developed at mbiomics is radically different. Most other companies offer products that consist of only individual or a few different bacterial cultures and therefore have only limited efficacy in comparison. Other companies offer fecal transplants, but these are very expensive and labor-intensive, and their effectiveness depends on the donor.
We are the first TechBio startup to offer an end-to-end platform that enables the design and scalable manufacturing of complex microbiome consortia. These are extremely effective and at the same time scalable.
From research lab to therapy platform
Munich Startup: What’s your founding story?
Johannes B. Woehrstein: My co-founder Heinrich Grabmayr and I are physicists and experienced biotech entrepreneurs. We have already developed several technologies from cutting-edge research into commercializable solutions. At mbiomics, a technology for precise detection of nucleic acids first became a quantitative method for analyzing bacteria in stool samples, and then a platform for developing microbiome-based therapies.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Johannes B. Woehrstein: One major challenge was integrating a highly diverse team from science, technology, and clinical development. We work with brilliant minds from basic research – physicists, microbiologists, biochemists, data scientists – on many closely networked projects and under time pressure. This requires excellent communication and project management skills.
Munich Startup: Where do you want to be in one year, and where in five years?
Johannes B. Woehrstein: In one year, we will enter clinical trials with a pilot product in cancer therapy and thereby demonstrate our platform. In five years, we see mbiomics as a champion and pioneer for microbiome-based therapies with clinical projects in multiple and diverse disease areas: in addition to immuno-oncology, also in neurodegenerative, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases.
Hotspot of the biotech scene
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Johannes B. Woehrstein: Munich is an ideal location for us. The proximity to excellent research, such as at LMU, TUM, and the Helmholtz Center, the dense life sciences community, and access to talent and funding programs provide an outstanding ecosystem for biotech startups. However, what we would like to see more of are specialized investors for deep tech and life sciences who bring the long-term perspective that this industry requires.
Munich Startup: Quick exit or long-term commitment?
Johannes B. Woehrstein: Developing and commercializing a completely novel therapeutic modality doesn’t happen overnight. A company that succeeds in developing safe and effective therapies for a multitude of diseases through a proprietary platform represents a paradigm shift in pharmaceutical development. To capitalize on this commercial opportunity, it is essential to simultaneously build a solid foundation and work at maximum speed.
