What Native Microbials does

Native Microbials is a privately held animal health biotechnology company founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Diego, California. It develops and commercializes native (animal-host-derived) microbial feed supplements and probiotics for livestock and companion animals, built on a proprietary microbial genomics platform spanning omics-based discovery, fermentation, formulation, and shelf-stable anaerobic biomass production. The company's commercial portfolio is anchored by the Galaxis family of rumen-native dairy supplements (Galaxis Frontier with four proprietary strains, Galaxis Fresh for transition cows, and Galaxis Foundation for whole-herd baseline feeding), supplemented by Avius Protect for poultry, Arkus Daily for canine digestive health (developed with Zesty Paws), and pipeline products Magnius (beef) and Ascenia (equine). Supporting technology includes AI-driven microbiome analysis services (saliva-based methane prediction in partnership with Gutz Analytics, and Microbial Insights for poultry dysbiosis prediction).

Native Microbials operates a hybrid go-to-market model. In dairy, it sells directly through regional sales teams covering California Central Valley, the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, and the Midwest, while leveraging Premier Select Sires as a distribution partner for the Eastern United States. Companion animal revenue flows through a co-development and licensing/royalty model with Zesty Paws, which commercializes canine probiotic products through U.S. retail and veterinary channels. The company also offers custom microbial solutions and partner manufacturing, leveraging its strain library of thousands of isolates across 500+ genus species. It is self-described as the largest supplier of anaerobic biomass in the world, with claimed scale advantages in producing strict anaerobes in shelf-stable form without cold chain.

The company holds a 14-patent portfolio covering platform methods, dairy and ruminant compositions, poultry feed conversion, beef grain-intensive diets, canine dysbiosis, equine colic, acidosis detection, and microbial preservation. It has received a $1.4 million USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant for methane-reduction work. Leadership transitioned in April 2026 with the appointment of Jason Benater (formerly of Eversana and Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health) as CEO, succeeding co-founder Mike Seely; co-founder Mallory Embree continues as Chief Science Officer. Headcount is reported in the 51-100 range, with operations in San Diego, Fresno (California dairy), and Buenos Aires (international dairy).

Name

Native Microbials

Legal name

Native Microbials, Inc.

Website

https://nativemicrobials.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Native Microbials is a San Diego-based animal health biotechnology company founded in 2015 that develops animal-native microbial feed supplements and probiotics for dairy, poultry, canine, beef, and equine markets, selling via direct sales, agricultural distributors, and consumer pet brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Microbial Feed Supplements

NAICS

Animal Food Manufacturing (3111), Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Probiotics, Prebiotics & Postbiotics (Direct-Fed Microbials) (AFADALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medicated & Functional Ruminant Feed (Ionophores, Buffers, Yeast/Probiotics, Mycotoxin Binders) (AFADAAAL), Non-Antibiotic Health & Performance Supplements (Immune, Gut Health, Stress/Heat Support) (AFADALAO)

Keywords

• Microbial feed supplements
• Animal probiotics
• Rumen microbiome health
• Dairy cattle nutrition
• Companion animal supplements

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Microbial feed supplements for livestock: Sale of proprietary rumen-native microbial feed supplements (Galaxis Frontier, Galaxis Fresh, Galaxis Foundation) to dairy and beef producers. Products are sold as feed additives for daily supplementation, generating recurring revenue from ongoing herd-level consumption.
2. Companion animal microbial products: Co-development and supply of canine probiotic products with Zesty Paws, leveraging Native Microbials' canine microbiome database and proprietary dog-native bacterial strains, distributed through Zesty Paws' retail network.
3. Custom microbial solutions and partner manufacturing: Tailored microbial solutions built to partner specifications, leveraging proprietary strain library and fermentation capabilities for unique customer needs. Includes full regulatory support for custom formulations.
4. Distribution and channel partnership revenue: Revenue through distributor and channel partnerships (e.g., Premier Select Sires) for dairy and poultry operations, bringing proven microbial solutions to producers through established agricultural distribution networks.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Native Microbials develops and commercializes animal-native microbial feed supplements (probiotics) targeting the rumen, gut, and intestinal microbiomes of dairy cattle, poultry, beef cattle, dogs, and horses. Its flagship Galaxis line contains proprietary strains of Ruminococcus bovis, Clostridium beijerinckii, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, and Pichia kudriavzevii that improve milk production, feed efficiency, colostrum quality, and reduce methane emissions in dairy herds. The company also offers Avius Protect for poultry microbiome stability, Arkus Daily for canine digestive health, and Microbial Insights, a microbiome analysis service for poultry operations.

Product overview

Native Microbials is a biotechnology company that develops and commercializes Advanced Microbiology Solutions for animal health. The core product platform centers on Galaxis (Galaxis Frontier, Galaxis Fresh, and Galaxis Foundation), a line of rumen-native microbial feed supplements for dairy cows containing proprietary strains of Ruminococcus bovis, Clostridium beijerinckii, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, and Pichia kudriavzevii. The company also offers Arkus Daily for canine digestive health, Avius Protect for poultry, and has pipeline products for beef (Magnius) and equine (Ascenia). Supporting technology includes a saliva-based methane measurement platform using AI/ML and Microbial Insights for poultry microbiome analysis. The company operates a microbial genomics platform spanning discovery, fermentation, formulation, and delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Galaxis Frontier: Flagship rumen-native microbial feed supplement for dairy cows, containing four proprietary microbial strains. Available in three formulations: Galaxis Frontier (full lactation), Galaxis Fresh (close-up and fresh cows), and Galaxis Foundation (whole-herd baseline).
• Galaxis
• Arkus Daily
• Avius Protect
• Magnius
• Ascenia
• Microbial Insights

Products and services

• Galaxis Frontier Four-strain rumen-native microbial feed supplement for full-lactation dairy cows that streamlines rumen function to produce more accessible energy, improving cow health, productivity, and feed efficiency while reducing methane intensity.
• Galaxis Fresh Transition-program microbial feed supplement for close-up and fresh dairy cows, supporting the transition period, improving colostrum yield and quality, and reducing early-lactation culling risk.
• Galaxis Foundation Whole-herd baseline microbial feed supplement providing rumen fermentation support across the entire dairy herd with modest ECM improvements and reduced culling risk.
• Galaxis 1.0 First-generation dairy feed supplement containing two rumen microbes (Clostridium beijerinckii and Pichia kudriavzevii) that maintains rumen digestibility to break down feedstuffs across the entire lactation period.
• Avius Protect Poultry microbial feed supplement containing Bacillus amyloliquifaciens that enables flocks to maintain a positive microbial state, reduces likelihood of major microbial successions including necrotic enteritis, and improves feed conversion ratios.
• Arkus Daily Canine probiotic supplement that supports better digestion and immune system health using dog-native bacterial strains, leveraging Native Microbials' proprietary canine microbiome database.
• Microbial Insights Poultry microbiome analysis service that uses the company's large poultry microbiome datasets and machine learning techniques to predict flock performance and flag dysbiosis before it manifests, by testing field-collected samples against the company's reference datasets.

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Zesty PawscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Zesty Paws, a leading pet supplement brand (H&H Group brand), partnered with Native Microbials to develop the first probiotic supplement for dogs made with microbes sourced from healthy dog guts. This groundbreaking collaboration leverages Native Microbials' proprietary canine microbiome database and dog-native bacterial strains, combined with Zesty Paws' consumer reach and brand trust. The partnership is exclusive for a select range of canine formulations, debuting in the first half of 2026 through Zesty Paws' U.S. distribution network (both retail and veterinary clinic channels).
• Premier Select Sires Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 21 August 2025Premier Select Sires, one of the nation's leading dairy genetics cooperatives with nearly 90 years of expertise, partnered with Native Microbials to sell and distribute Galaxis Frontier across the Eastern United States. The partnership combines Premier's extensive distribution network and trusted relationships with dairy farmers with Native Microbials' breakthrough rumen-native microbial technology, delivering proven improvements in cow health and milk production. Beginning September 2025, dairy producers can order Galaxis Frontier through Premier Select Sires sales reps.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lallemand Animal Nutrition: Lallemand is one of the largest producers of microbial products (yeast, bacteria, probiotics) for livestock and companion animal nutrition. Directly comparable to Native Microbials as both sell microbial feed supplements targeting rumen function and gut health across ruminants and monogastrics, though Lallemand typically uses off-the-shelf strains rather than animal-native isolates.
• Chr. Hansen (now Novonesis): Novonesis (post-merger of Chr. Hansen and Novozymes) is a global leader in microbial cultures and enzymes for animal nutrition and health. Comparable to Native Microbials as a microbial product manufacturer serving livestock producers, though Novonesis operates at far greater scale and with broader commodity strain portfolios rather than species-native discovery.
• Diamond V (Cargill Health Technologies): Diamond V (acquired by Cargill) is a leading manufacturer of microbial-based feed additives and postbiotics for dairy, beef, poultry, and swine. Directly comparable to Native Microbials as a competitor in rumen-supporting feed supplements, particularly in the dairy segment where Galaxis Frontier is commercialized.
• Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition (Church & Dwight): Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition produces microbial feed ingredients, probiotics, and immune support products for dairy, beef, poultry, and swine producers. Comparable to Native Microbials as a microbial-based feed additive supplier targeting rumen function and gut health outcomes on commercial farms.

Broad incumbents

• Elanco Animal Health: Elanco is a major global animal health company with a broad portfolio spanning pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and nutritional health products across livestock and pets. Overlaps with Native Microbials in dairy and companion animal health, though Elanco operates at much larger scale and via a different distribution model (pharmaceutical-leaning).
• Phibro Animal Health: Phibro is a diversified animal health and nutrition company offering nutritional specialties, vaccines, and pharmaceuticals for livestock and poultry. Comparable to Native Microbials as a competing supplier of performance feed additives (including pre/probiotics) to dairy and poultry producers globally.
• ADM Animal Nutrition: ADM Animal Nutrition is a global feed manufacturer and supplier of premixes, additives, and complete feeds across species. Comparable to Native Microbials as a channel competitor and potential distribution partner for performance feed additives targeting dairy, poultry, and beef producers.
• Zinpro (animal nutrition): Zinpro is a leading manufacturer of performance trace minerals and nutritional solutions for ruminants, poultry, swine, and companion animals. Comparable to Native Microbials as a premium, science-driven nutritional additive supplier competing for the same dairy producer wallet share.
• Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health: Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health is one of the world's largest animal health companies, offering vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and increasingly nutritional health solutions for livestock and pets. Comparable to Native Microbials as a broad incumbent in animal health, and notably the prior employer of Native's incoming CEO Jason Benater.

Emerging players

• Bactevo Animal Health: Bactevo is an emerging biotech applying natural product discovery and microbiome science to develop novel animal health solutions for livestock producers. Comparable to Native Microbials as a science-driven emerging player using microbiome-based discovery to address gut health and productivity in production animals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Native Microbials