Biohm gets $7.5 million investment from private equity funds
The company was founded on the science relating to the importance of the fungal components of the gut microbiome. That followed from an influential paper published by one of the cofounders, Mahmoud Ghannoum, PhD, a professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. His research focused on the interaction of the fungal and microbial components that contribute to gut dysbiosis. His son, Afif Ghannoum, the other cofounder who serves as the company’s CEO, says his father coined the term ‘mycobiome’ and his work has been cited more than 16,000 times.
Balance in the gut
The company’s first product was a probiotic blend that purported to balance the fungal and microbial aspects of the human gut. Branded as Biohm Probiotic Blend or Biohm 15B depending on the dosage, the product is a proprietary blend of B. breve, L. rhamnosus, S. boulardi and L. acidophilus probiotic strains and a yeast strain.
More recent product additions included a Super Reds product, which includes the probiotic blend along with beet root powder, pomegranate and açai and other polyphenol rich sources, and Super Greens product that incorporates Spirulina and Chlorella algae.
“The Super Greens has been around for a couple of years now and is our No. 1 seller. The Super Reds has climbed to be our second most popular product,” Afif Ghannoum said.
Broad base of investors
A number of private equity funds subscribed to the new capital raise. They include Middleland Capital’s VTC Ventures, which led the effort, along wit with additional investments from Felton Group, LLC, Jobs Ohio Growth Capital Fund, Aztec Capital Management LLC, Cleveland Life Science Advisors, Valley Growth Ventures, LLC, Jump Start, Inc. and other investors.
“While we are pushing the category in microbiome research and applied science, this raise allows us to level up to a new stratum of technology which equates to a significant ‘needle move’ on microbiome optimization,” noted Afif Ghannoum. “As we well know now, gut health is at the center of wellness. We are thrilled about the broad scale impact this raise could have on personalized health.”
