Micreos
Micreos is a Swiss biotech platform developing engineered endolysin and phage-based antimicrobials that selectively kill harmful bacteria while preserving the microbiome, operating three units: clinical-stage pharmaceuticals (lead MEndoB for Atopic Dermatitis), the Gladskin OTC skincare brand, and the PhageGuard food safety business.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersWageningen, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Micreos does
Micreos is a Swiss-headquartered biotech platform developing engineered endolysin and phage-based antimicrobials that selectively kill specific pathogenic bacteria while preserving the surrounding microbiome. Founded in 2005 in the Netherlands and now organized around Micreos Pharmaceuticals AG (incorporated in Baar, Switzerland) with drug discovery and pre-clinical operations in Zurich and Bilthoven, the company operates three distinct business units: (1) a clinical-stage pharmaceutical pipeline led by MEndoB (a first-in-class dual-acting molecular domain endolysin targeting Staphylococcus aureus in Atopic Dermatitis, with planned Phase I/IIa entry in late 2026) alongside XZ.700, SP.800, and MEndoC; (2) the Gladskin over-the-counter skincare brand selling endolysin-based products to consumers with acne, eczema, and rosacea across Europe and the USA; and (3) the PhageGuard food safety business providing FDA- and USDA-approved phage products against Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli to meat, poultry, fish, cheese, and produce processors.
The underlying technology was developed in collaboration with ETH Zurich and exploits the peptidoglycan-hydrolyzing activity of bacteriophage-derived enzymes (endolysins) as precision antimicrobials. Pre-clinical data highlight high specificity for S. aureus (including MRSA), activity against biofilms and at the low pH of diseased atopic skin, and no observed resistance emergence after repeated sub-lethal exposure. The pharmaceutical unit monetizes through future licensing and commercialization of approved biologics; Gladskin generates transactional revenue through e-commerce and retail pharmacy; PhageGuard sells B2B through direct enterprise sales to food processors. Distribution spans Switzerland, the Netherlands, the USA, Germany, France, and the UK, with CDMO scale-up for MEndoB handled by Northway Biotech under a March 2025 strategic partnership. The pharmaceutical business was spun out as an independent company in March 2023 to access capital markets directly, and the firm has raised approximately €57 million in disclosed venture funding across 2021 and 2022 alone, with cumulative disclosed capital exceeding €80 million including earlier rounds and EU grants.
Micreos firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Micreos
- Legal name
- Micreos Pharmaceuticals AG
- Website
- https://micreos.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Micreos is a Swiss biotech platform developing engineered endolysin and phage-based antimicrobials that selectively kill harmful bacteria while preserving the microbiome, operating three units: clinical-stage pharmaceuticals (lead MEndoB for Atopic Dermatitis), the Gladskin OTC skincare brand, and the PhageGuard food safety business.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Micreos industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biopharmaceuticals
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microbiome Manufacturing, Formulation & Delivery Technologies (encapsulation, spores, oral delivery) (HLAAAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Micreos is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wageningen
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Micreos business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Pharmaceutical Programs: Clinical development of endolysin-based therapeutics targeting bacteria including MRSA for bloodstream infections, atopic dermatitis, diabetic foot ulcers, and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Revenue anticipated from future drug approvals and commercialization.
- Gladskin OTC Skincare: Over-the-counter skincare products for inflammatory skin conditions (acne, eczema, rosacea) caused by S. aureus. Products sold in Europe and USA with hundreds of thousands of customers. Revenue from product sales through e-commerce and retail channels.
- PhageGuard Food Safety: FDA and USDA-approved phage products against food pathogens (Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli) for food processing companies in meat, poultry, fish, cheese, and fresh produce industries.
- Technology Licensing: Partnership opportunities for designing, testing, and manufacturing precision antimicrobials through Antimicrobial Protein and Antimicrobial Vector platforms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | OTC Skincare Products - Gladskin |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Micreos product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Micreos is a platform biotechnology company developing engineered endolysin-based therapeutics and products for the targeted elimination of harmful bacteria while preserving the beneficial microbiome. The company operates three integrated business units: clinical-stage pharmaceutical programs (lead molecule MEndoB targeting Staphylococcus aureus in Atopic Dermatitis), over-the-counter skincare products under the Gladskin brand for inflammatory skin conditions, and PhageGuard FDA/USDA-approved phage-based food safety products for food processing industries.
Product overview
Micreos is a platform biotech company built around its proprietary engineered endolysin technology that enables targeted killing of only unwanted bacteria while preserving the rest of the microbiome. The company operates across three business segments: (1) Pharmaceuticals - developing clinical-stage therapeutics including lead candidate MEndoB and XZ.700 for dermatology (Atopic Dermatitis), oncology (Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma), and bloodstream infections; (2) Consumer Health - Gladskin OTC brand for inflammatory skin conditions; (3) Food Safety - PhageGuard products for food pathogen control. The platform technology has been developed in collaboration with ETH Zurich and represents a sustainable alternative to traditional antibiotics with no expected drug resistance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gladskin: Specialized skincare brand for people suffering from inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and rosacea caused or aggravated by Staphylococcus aureus. OTC products helping hundreds of thousands of people in Europe and USA.
- Phageguard
Products and services
- Gladskin
- PhageGuard
Quantifiable outcome
- S. aureus present in up to 90% of Atopic Dermatitis patients
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Micreos
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Micreos technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Micreos partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Northway BiotechcoreStrategic partnership with Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) Northway Biotech to develop scalable cGMP production processes for Micreos' biologic therapeutic MEndoB. Partnership includes developing and validating robust analytical methods, cell bank manufacturing, technology scale-up for cGMP Drug Substance generation, and IND/IMPD supporting documentation preparation. Northway Biotech headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania with locations in London, UK and Waltham, MA, USA.
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)minorCollaboration with Prof. Steffi Lehmann from ZHAW on MEndoB research demonstrating successful eradication of staphylococcal infections in zebrafish and mouse models.
- University Hospital ZurichminorCollaboration with Prof. Dr. med. Annelies Zinkernagel from University Hospital Zurich on MEndoB research published in mBio journal.
- University of CopenhagencoreResearch collaboration with University of Copenhagen's Skin Immunology Research Centre led by Prof. Niels Ødum. Study published in Journal of Investigative Dermatology demonstrating endolysin XZ.700 effectiveness in CTCL treatment. Ground-breaking data on S. aureus and drug resistance in malignant T-cells published in Blood journal in January 2024.
- Erasmus Medical Centre RotterdamminorMedical and technology centre collaboration for endolysin research and development.
- Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA)minorAcademic partnership for dental/oral health applications of endolysin technology.
- Public Health Lab KennemerlandminorPartnership with public health laboratory for microbiological research and validation.
- ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)coreLong-standing collaboration with pre-eminent University ETH Zurich for endolysin technology development. Professor Martin Loessner from ETH Zurich is co-author on XZ.700 research. Dr. Matthew Dunne, Dr. Samuel Kilcher, and Dr. Anja Keller joined from ETH Zurich to build Antimicrobial Vector Engineering team.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Micreos competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ContraFect Corporation: Clinical-stage US biotech developing lysin-based therapeutics (exebacase) for serious bacterial infections including Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Most direct endolysin therapeutic peer; similar modality, MRSA focus, and clinical-stage positioning.
- Locus Biosciences: Engineered phage and endolysin platform company developing precision antimicrobials targeting specific bacterial pathogens, including S. aureus and other AMR pathogens. Closely comparable modality (engineered phage-derived proteins) and clinical-stage focus.
- Eligo Bioscience: French biotech developing engineered phage-based antimicrobials ("eligobiotics") that selectively kill specific bacteria while preserving the microbiome. Mirrors Micreos' precision-killing, microbiome-preserving thesis with parallel technology approach.
- Adaptive Phage Therapeutics: Clinical-stage phage therapy company developing personalized phage treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections including S. aureus. Comparable precision antibacterial approach for AMR indications though focused on phage rather than endolysins.
- BioVersys AG: Swiss clinical-stage antibacterial company developing small-molecule therapeutics to overcome antimicrobial resistance, with hospital-acquired infection programs. Comparable European biotech addressing AMR crisis with clinical-stage pipeline.
- Intralytix: US-based phage technology company with FDA-approved phage products (ListShield, SalmoFresh, EcoShield) for food safety applications against Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli. Direct competitor to Micreos' PhageGuard food safety division.
- Phagelux: China/US phage biotech developing phage-based products for food safety (Listeria, Salmonella) and human therapeutic applications. Comparable dual food-safety and therapeutic phage strategy overlapping with both Micreos' PhageGuard and pharma units.
Emerging players
- Citius Pharmaceuticals: Late-stage specialty pharma developing anti-infective and adjunctive therapies including Mino-Lok (catheter lock solution) and treatments targeting antibiotic-resistant infections. Adjacent AMR focus with later-stage clinical assets.
Broad incumbents
- Sanofi (Dupixent): Large pharmaceutical company with Regeneron-partnered Dupixent (dupilumab), the market-leading biologic for Atopic Dermatitis. Sets the efficacy/reimbursement benchmark MEndoB must compete against in AD and represents a potential large-pharma partner or acquirer.
- Galderma: Global dermatology-focused pharmaceutical company with broad portfolio across acne, rosacea, eczema, and skin microbiome products. Comparable consumer-dermatology presence to Gladskin and potential commercialization partner for Micreos' endolysin assets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Micreos social profiles
Digital presenceMicreos financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Micreos leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Micreos subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Micreos funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Micreos M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Micreos
What does Micreos do?
Micreos is a platform biotechnology company developing engineered endolysin-based therapeutics and products for the targeted elimination of harmful bacteria while preserving the beneficial microbiome. The company operates three integrated business units: clinical-stage pharmaceutical programs (lead molecule MEndoB targeting Staphylococcus aureus in Atopic Dermatitis), over-the-counter skincare products under the Gladskin brand for inflammatory skin conditions, and PhageGuard FDA/USDA-approved phage-based food safety products for food processing industries.
Is Micreos a public or private company?
Micreos is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Micreos founded?
Micreos was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Micreos based?
Micreos is headquartered in Wageningen, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Micreos make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Pharmaceutical Programs are the primary driver. The others are gladskin OTC Skincare, phageGuard Food Safety and technology Licensing.
Who are Micreos's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ContraFect Corporation, Locus Biosciences, Eligo Bioscience, Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, BioVersys AG, Intralytix and Phagelux. Citius Pharmaceuticals is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Sanofi (Dupixent) and Galderma.
Does Micreos have an API?
No public API is recorded for Micreos.
What industry is Micreos in?
Micreos's product category is Biopharmaceuticals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAFAJ, Microbiome Manufacturing, Formulation & Delivery Technologies (encapsulation, spores, oral delivery). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.