Solarea Bio Announces Series A Financing Led by S2G Ventures and Bold Capital Partners

Financing will advance its musculoskeletal product through a clinical proof of activity trial as well as continue the discovery and development of its ongoing pipeline of microbial-based products for human health and well-being.

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Solarea Bio

Oct 19, 2020, 08:00 ET

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Solarea Bio, a biotech company based in Cambridge, MA developing microbial-based solutions to aid human health, announced today it has raised $11.2M in a Series A financing led by S2G Ventures and Bold Capital Partners, along with continued investment from Viking Global and additional investment from the Gisev Family Office as a syndicate investor.

Solarea has built a platform to rapidly identify novel products that address widespread chronic health disorders. The company has generated a large and unique database of the complete genomic sequences of microbes derived from healthy foods. Using computational approaches, Solarea generates synergistic combinations of bacteria, fungi, and prebiotic fibers with powerful anti-inflammatory capabilities to address specific chronic conditions that afflict large numbers of people. These have been validated in-vitro and in-vivo in preclinical mouse models. Solarea's first application aims to aid in the dietary management of the metabolic processes that cause osteopenia and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. This provides a nature-based solution to improving women's health and well-being.

Musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoporosis, osteopenia and osteoarthritis, are a leading cause of disability worldwide. In the U.S., approximately 10 million Americans are currently living with osteoporosis or osteopenia, and one in three women over age 50 will experience an osteoporosis related fracture. Tragically, hip fractures have a one-year mortality rate of 30% and a two-year of close to 56%. Solarea believes a natural, microbial-based solution will have a positive impact on the quality of life of millions of women worldwide who are at risk for these musculoskeletal disorders and aid in improving health outcomes.

Solarea will use the proceeds from its Series A fundraise to advance its musculoskeletal product, SBD111, through a clinical proof of activity trial as well as continue the discovery and development of its ongoing pipeline of microbial-based products.

"We are very excited for Solarea to enter this stage with such a great team of investors. Our team is completely aligned in our view of the future of food as medicine and the process to develop and commercialize novel microbial-based solutions. We see a clear link between analyzing healthy foods and creating new products to improve the lives of patients in need," says Gerardo V Toledo, Solarea's CEO and Co-founder.

Matthew Walker, Managing Director at S2G Ventures notes: "Solarea is developing products that combat diseases of inflammation through the gut microbiome in a way that works synergistically with the body and is backed by rigorous preclinical sudies. As we continue to see a convergence between food and medicine, we're delighted to partner with Bold Capital, Viking Global, and the Gisev Family Office to help support this exceptional team in their mission to use food-based tools to improve human health."

Neal Bhadkamkar, General Partner at Bold comments: "Solarea is a quintessential Bold portfolio company – a passionate and deeply knowledgeable team seeking to create meaningful societal impact by harnessing the power of exponential technologies, in this case sequencing and computational biology. We are eager to see Solarea's first products get to market and improve the bone health of millions of women and men worldwide. Bold Capital, Viking and other early investors stepped in to support Solarea as it left the Illumina Accelerator two years ago. We are thrilled to see the company take this next step in its journey with S2G Ventures and Gisev Family Office joining the investor group."

About Solarea:
Solarea Bio is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, MA developing new microbiome-based solutions to some of the world's largest health problems. Solarea was founded in 2017 by a group of scientists and entrepreneurs eager to radically alter our understanding of the human microbiome and utilize its power to improve human health. Solarea's breakthrough came from the combined efforts of the company's co-founders who established a link between the discovery of an untapped source of microorganisms with probiotic potential in healthy foods, and their applications in inflammatory processes including the gut-musculoskeletal axis.

Contact:
Jessica Murphy
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Solarea Bio
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SOURCE Solarea Bio