What Fitbiomics does

Fitbiomics is a privately held biotech startup spun out of Harvard Medical School's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering in 2017. The company applies next-generation metagenomic sequencing and culturomics to decode the gut microbiomes of elite athletes, identifying bacterial strains associated with superior performance, recovery, and metabolic function. Its proprietary platform has yielded two flagship discoveries: a patented Lactobacillus blend and the Veillonella atypica strain that metabolizes lactic acid into short-chain fatty acids, the latter published in Nature Medicine in 2019 and validated in iScience. These strains form the basis of two commercial probiotic products, Nella (launched 2021, for gut health, sleep, and energy) and V•Nella (launched 2023, marketed as the world's first lactic acid metabolizer for fatigue and endurance), both manufactured in GMP-compliant facilities and certified for banned-substance testing (Informed Sport and NSF Sport, respectively).

The company operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model through its own Shopify-powered website, selling one-time purchases and monthly subscriptions with 22–25% subscription discounts. Pricing ranges from $25–$200 gift cards to $49/month (Nella), $64/month (V•Nella), and $105/month (Health Bundle). It ships to more than 25 countries and has begun a wholesale channel for qualified resellers. Target customers are elite and recreational athletes, health-conscious consumers, and increasingly women seeking evidence-based wellness products; ancillary integrations include Truemed for HSA/FSA payment and GovX for community discounts to military, first responders, and teachers.

Founded by Dr. Jonathan Scheiman (CEO, former Wyss postdoc), Dr. George Church (Harvard/MIT geneticist), Dr. Alex Kostic (Joslin Diabetes Center), and Carolina Barsa (Chief Innovation & Brand Officer), Fitbiomics operates with a reported 1–10 person team from New York, with corporate registration in New York and prior research roots in Boston. Its capital base includes disclosed early rounds from Builders VC (2019) and Will Ventures (2020), with no institutional lead investor publicly identified. The business remains early-stage by every commercial metric disclosed — low review counts, small headcount, and no disclosed revenue — though its scientific IP, academic affiliations, and media positioning establish a credible foundation for category leadership in next-generation probiotics.

Name

Fitbiomics

Legal name

FitBiomics Inc.

Website

https://www.fitbiomics.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FitBiomics is a Harvard Wyss Institute spinout that decodes elite athletes' gut microbiomes via metagenomic sequencing to develop next-generation probiotics, selling direct-to-consumer products Nella and V•Nella targeting athletes and health-conscious consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microbiome-Based Probiotic Supplements

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Probiotics & Digestive Health Supplements (CRADAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Condition Supplements (Sleep, Stress, Heart, Joint, Gut, Immunity) (CRADAGAE)

Keywords

• Microbiome-based probiotics
• Athlete-derived supplements
• Gut health supplements
• Performance probiotics
• Lactic acid metabolizer

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Revenue generated from direct-to-consumer sales of probiotic supplements through the company's e-commerce website. Products include Nella (gut + sleep health), V•Nella (fatigue + endurance), and Health Bundles. Both one-time purchases and subscription models available with 22-25% subscription discounts.
2. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations of $25, $50, $75, $100, $150, and $200, redeemable on all FitBiomics products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FitBiomics develops and sells next-generation probiotic supplements derived from the gut bacteria of elite athletes. Its core products are Nella (a Lactobacillus blend targeting gut health, sleep, and energy), V•Nella (a proprietary Veillonella atypica strain that metabolizes lactic acid for fatigue reduction and endurance), and a Health Bundle combining both. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via fitbiomics.com as one-time purchases or monthly subscriptions, supported by a wholesale program, international shipping, and clinically validated, third-party certified formulations.

Product overview

Fitbiomics is a generational health company spun out of Harvard Medical School's Wyss Institute that develops next-generation probiotics derived from elite athletes' microbiomes. The company offers a portfolio of three distinct products: Nella (a performance probiotic with three proprietary Lactobacillus strains targeting gut health, sleep quality, and energy); V•Nella (the World's First Lactic Acid Metabolizer containing Veillonella atypica for fatigue reduction and endurance enhancement); and a Health Bundle combining both products for synergistic circadian rhythm optimization. All products are clinically validated, third-party certified, and manufactured in GMP-compliant facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nella A next-generation performance probiotic containing three proprietary Lactobacillus strains (L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, L. acidophilus) decoded from elite athletes' microbiomes. Clinically validated to improve gut health, sleep quality (69%), digestion (37%), and energy levels (31%). Informed Sport Certified, vegan, and gluten-free. Sold as a one-time purchase ($65/30-day supply) or subscription ($49/30-day supply, 25% discount).
• V•Nella The world's first Lactic Acid Metabolizer, containing the proprietary Veillonella atypica strain sourced from ultra-marathoners' microbiomes at Harvard. Metabolizes lactic acid and converts it into short-chain fatty acids (propionate and acetate) to fight fatigue, enhance endurance, and promote physical activity. NSF Sport Certified. Sold as a one-time purchase ($85/30-day supply) or subscription ($64/30-day supply, 25% discount).
• Health Bundle (Nella + V•Nella) A bundled offering combining Nella (gut and sleep health) with V•Nella (fatigue reduction and endurance enhancement) for synergistic comprehensive wellness, including circadian rhythm optimization. Sold as a one-time purchase ($135) or subscription ($105, 22% discount). Includes a 30-day supply of each product.
• FitBiomics Gift Card Digital gift cards available in denominations of $25, $50, $75, $100, $150, and $200, redeemable on all FitBiomics products including Nella, V•Nella, and the Health Bundle. Features instant delivery and flexible gifting options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 69% improvement in sleep quality
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• TruemedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership allowing eligible customers to use Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) funds on FitBiomics products. Customers can save an average of 30% by using pre-tax dollars. Truemed provides Letter of Medical Necessity support and compliance documentation.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering the FitBiomics online store. Provides secure payment processing, PCI-DSS compliant transaction handling, and store infrastructure.
• Recharge PaymentscoreTechnology or IntegrationSubscription management platform powering FitBiomics' subscription program, enabling automatic recurring orders, skip, pause, and cancel functionality for subscribers.
• GovXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVerification partner enabling 25% discount for military members, first responders, government employees, and teachers through real-time ID verification.
• Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering (Harvard Medical School)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership where FitBiomics was spun out. The company developed its microbiome technology at the Wyss Institute, studying elite athlete microbiomes to identify performance-enhancing bacteria. Harvard licensed athlete-based next-generation probiotics technology to FitBiomics.
• Dr. Alex Kostic's Lab (Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing research collaboration studying V•Nella to alleviate exercise resistance and promote exercise motivation. Co-founder Dr. Alex Kostic leads academic research complementing FitBiomics' commercial development.
• Dr. Jonathan Scheiman's Lab (Harvard)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding research partnership led by CEO Dr. Jonathan Scheiman, who completed postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard's Wyss Institute developing next-generation sequencing technologies and translational metagenomic modalities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pendulum Therapeutics: Pendulum sells next-generation, clinically validated probiotics (notably Akkermansia muciniphila) targeting metabolic health. Direct competitor to Fitbiomics on the science-backed, premium, strain-specific probiotic positioning and DTC channel.
• Seed Health: Seed sells a daily synbiotic with patented probiotic strains, microbiome scientists on its Scientific Board, and a strong DTC subscription model. Overlaps with Fitbiomics on premium DTC, science-led positioning, and strain-IP moat.
• Athletic Greens (AG1): AG1 is a daily greens + probiotic powder targeted at athletes and high-performers. Same end buyer (athletic, performance-driven consumer) and same premium-DTC subscription economics, with far greater scale.
• Ritual: Ritual is a science-first, traceability-led DTC supplement brand across vitamins, minerals, and microbiome categories. Direct overlap on DTC channel, premium subscription positioning, and science-backed ingredient transparency.
• Care/of: Care/of delivers personalised daily vitamin packs via subscription. Same DTC subscription model and end customer (wellness-conscious consumer), though broader SKU portfolio rather than probiotic specialisation.

Broad incumbents

• BioGaia: BioGaia is an established Swedish probiotic company selling Lactobacillus reuteri strains across infant, gut, and oral health. Broadly incumbent in the same category as Fitbiomics, but distributed primarily through healthcare channels and retailers rather than DTC.
• Thorne Health: Thorne is a science-based nutritional supplement brand with practitioner and DTC channels, including gut/microbiome products. Overlaps with Fitbiomics on science positioning and clinical credibility, but operates a much broader supplement portfolio.
• Microbiome Labs: Microbiome Labs develops proprietary probiotic and microbiome products sold primarily through healthcare practitioners. Adjacent science-led probiotic positioning, but different go-to-market (B2B practitioner channel vs DTC).
• Culturelle (i-Health): Culturelle is a mainstream OTC probiotic brand (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) sold in mass retail. Operates in the same end category as Fitbiomics but with mass-market positioning and conventional strains rather than athlete-derived IP.

Emerging players

• HUM Nutrition: HUM is a DTC supplement brand focused on beauty-from-within and gut/immune health. Similar premium-DTC subscription model and science-led marketing, but skewed toward women's beauty/wellness rather than athletic performance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fitbiomics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1YFwI5aWrQzbV5jXVMI0_g
• Facebookfacebook.com/fitbiomics
• Instagraminstagram.com/fitbiomics
• TikToktiktok.com/@fitbiomics

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 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 Fitbiomics