What Microbiome Insights Inc. does

Microbiome Insights Inc. is a Vancouver-based contract research laboratory founded in 2015 that provides end-to-end microbiome DNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis services to academic, government, pharmaceutical, biotech, cosmetics, food/beverage, and agricultural clients worldwide. The company operates a CAP-accredited laboratory in Richmond, British Columbia, and has processed more than 100,000 samples across roughly 1,100 studies for over 600 clients on six continents.

The service portfolio is anchored by 16S/ITS2 rRNA amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing on Illumina platforms, supplemented by Shallow Shotgun Sequencing for cost-sensitive functional profiling, Nanopore-based Long Read Sequencing for higher taxonomic resolution, Metatranscriptomics for RNA-level analysis, qPCR quantification, and Short Chain Fatty Acid analysis via GC-FID. Sample preparation uses validated MO BIO Powersoil extraction with ThermoFisher KingFisher automation, and every project is paired with a customized bioinformatics report covering taxonomic profiling, alpha/beta diversity, ordination, and differential abundance. The company is co-founded by UBC Professors Bill Mohn and Brett Finlay, with Pedro Dimitriu as Senior Director of Bioinformatics and Malcolm Kendall as CEO.

Commercially, Microbiome Insights runs a sales-led B2B lab-services model: customers request quotes via the website, the team consults on study design, samples are shipped to Richmond for processing, and results are delivered digitally. Pricing is quote-based, usage-based (per sample, with multiplexing of up to 384 samples per amplicon run), with typical turnaround times of 4–6 weeks for sequencing and under 4 weeks for SCFA/qPCR. Marketing is anchored by thought-leadership content (blog, Research Academy, downloadable guides) and active participation in microbiome conferences. In May 2025, the company was acquired by Mapmygenome India Limited to expand the acquirer's North American sequencing footprint.

Name

Microbiome Insights Inc.

Legal name

Microbiome Insights, Inc.

Website

https://microbiomeinsights.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Microbiome Insights Inc. operates a CAP-accredited laboratory in Vancouver, Canada providing end-to-end microbiome sequencing (16S, shotgun, long read, qPCR, SCFA) and bioinformatics services to pharma, biotech, cosmetics, agriculture, and academic clients globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microbiome Sequencing Laboratory Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbiome & Metagenomics Services (HLAGANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transcriptomics & Gene Expression Profiling Services (HLAGANAE), Microbiome Analytics, Sequencing & Bioinformatics Platforms (HLAAAFAI)

Keywords

• Microbiome sequencing services
• Shotgun metagenomics analysis
• 16S rRNA sequencing
• Bioinformatics data analysis
• Clinical laboratory testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Microbiome Sequencing Services: Laboratory services revenue from processing customer samples for microbiome sequencing analysis. Services include 16S rRNA sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, shallow shotgun, qPCR, SCFA analysis, and metatranscriptomics. Pricing is per sample with multiplexed billing to reduce costs. Turnaround times of 4-6 weeks for sequencing and <4 weeks for SCFA and qPCR.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Microbiome Insights is a global laboratory services provider that processes customer-submitted biological samples for microbiome analysis. It offers end-to-end microbiome sequencing — including 16S/ITS2 rRNA amplicon sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, shallow shotgun sequencing, long-read sequencing via Nanopore, qPCR quantification, short-chain fatty acid analysis, and metatranscriptomics — paired with custom bioinformatics and data analysis reports. Customers ship samples to its CAP-accredited lab in Richmond, BC, and receive publication-ready taxonomic, functional, and statistical outputs.

Product overview

Microbiome Insights is a global leader providing end-to-end microbiome sequencing services and comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. The company offers a unified portfolio of eight interconnected services centered on microbiome analysis: 16S & ITS2 rRNA Gene Sequencing and Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing form the core taxonomic and functional profiling capabilities, supplemented by Shallow Shotgun Sequencing for cost-effective functional profiling, Metatranscriptomics for RNA-based analysis, and Long Read Sequencing via Nanopore for enhanced resolution. Quantitative capabilities include Total Bacterial Quantification via qPCR and Short Chain Fatty Acid Analysis for metabolomics. All services are supported by in-house Bioinformatics & Data Analysis, delivering publication-quality reports with statistical rigor and domain expertise. Samples are processed in a CAP-accredited laboratory in Vancouver, Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 16S & ITS2 rRNA Gene Sequencing High-throughput sequencing of PCR amplicons targeting 16S (V4, V1-V3, V3-V4) for prokaryotes, 18S for eukaryotes, and ITS2 for fungi, using Nanopore sequencing for superior taxonomic resolution. For researchers and companies performing microbial community profiling across gut, skin, oral, vaginal, soil, water, and other sample types.
• Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing Advanced high-throughput sequencing and analysis of total microbial DNA for community composition and functional analysis. For pharma, biotech, and academic researchers requiring deeper functional profiling of microbiomes.
• Shallow Shotgun Sequencing Sequencing of samples at shallower depth than full shotgun metagenomic sequencing, providing compositional and functional data at a cost similar to 16S sequencing. For clients needing functional insights without the price of full shotgun.
• Metatranscriptomics RNA-based analysis of all transcripts produced by microorganisms in an environment, enabling gene-expression level functional profiling of microbial communities. For research teams investigating active microbial functions.
• Long Read Sequencing Long-read sequencing service using Nanopore technology to achieve superior taxonomic resolution in microbial community analysis. For researchers needing high-resolution microbial identification beyond short-read methods.
• Total Bacterial Quantification via qPCR Quantitative PCR service for total microbial abundance or specific microbial populations, including total bacterial, total fungal, 18S eukaryotic (host DNA), Staphylococcus aureus, and Cutibacterium acnes quantification. For clinical, cosmetic, and academic research.
• Short Chain Fatty Acid Analysis Quantitation of fecal short-chain fatty acids (acetic, propionic, butyric, valeric, isovaleric, hexanoic, isobutyric, and heptanoic acids) using gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) to monitor gut health and inflammation. For gut-health, nutrition, and clinical research teams.
• Bioinformatics & Data Analysis Comprehensive bioinformatics reports including quality metrics, taxonomic profiling, ordination, beta diversity, linear models for taxa identification, diversity metrics, and customizable publication-ready outputs. Bundled with sequencing services or as a standalone offering for clients with their own raw data.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4-6 week turnaround for sequencing services (Amplicon/Shotgun)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RTL Genomics: Direct competitor providing next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics services for microbiome research, with strong presence in agricultural and environmental microbiome applications.
• Zymo Research: Direct competitor offering microbiome sample collection, DNA extraction, and sequencing services through its ZymoBIOMICS brand. Also supplies extraction kits (e.g., analogs of MO BIO Powersoil) used widely in the industry, providing both product and service revenue streams.
• CosmosID: Direct competitor offering microbiome and metagenomics sequencing services with proprietary ID database and bioinformatics platform. Targets food safety, animal health, and human health applications with similar customer base.
• Clinical Microbiomics: Direct competitor providing end-to-end microbiome sequencing and bioinformatics services with similar service offerings (16S, shotgun, metatranscriptomics) targeted at pharma, biotech, and academic clients. Comparable scale and customer overlap.
• Diversigen (Qiagen): Direct competitor specializing in microbiome sequencing and bioinformatics services for pharma, academic, and consumer products clients. Acquired by Qiagen in 2022, providing vastly greater scale and global reach compared to Microbiome Insights.
• Molecular Research (MR DNA): Direct competitor providing high-throughput 16S, 18S, ITS, and shotgun metagenomic sequencing services for environmental, agricultural, and biomedical research. Similar mid-size laboratory service model.

Emerging players

• Second Genome: Earlier-stage microbiome-focused company with services in drug discovery and target identification. Smaller overlap on the lab services side but shares the broader microbiome therapeutic and biomarker market narrative with Microbiome Insights' pharma clients.
• CD Genomics (Shenzhen): Asia-based sequencing services provider offering 16S, metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics services. Reaches North American clients at lower price points but with somewhat less regulatory/compliance sophistication.

Others

• Mapmygenome India: Parent company of Microbiome Insights since May 2025. India-based genomics and preventive health company that offers DNA-based health, ancestry, and microbiome tests directly to consumers and clinics — overlapping customer base but distinct model (DTC vs. B2B lab services).

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins Genomics: Large global genomics services provider offering microbiome sequencing as part of broader portfolio. Competes on scale and price rather than microbiome specialization, but serves similar academic and industrial customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mb_insights

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors7 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 Microbiome Insights Inc.