Microbial Discovery Group

What Microbial Discovery Group does

Microbial Discovery Group (MDG) is a privately held Bacillus-focused bioscience company, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, that operates as a subsidiary of United Biosciences Group. The company isolates, characterizes, and commercially ferments Bacillus bacterial strains at large scale, supplying ingredient products, branded platforms, and custom contract manufacturing services to industrial, agricultural, environmental, and human health markets. MDG maintains a strain library of tens of thousands of microbial isolates and employs 30+ microbiologists across three Wisconsin production facilities that together provide 55,000 liters of fermentation capacity plus spray drying, freeze drying, blending, and packaging.

MDG's technology platform centers on Bacillus — spore-forming bacteria valued for stability and substrate versatility — with proprietary capabilities in novel strain isolation, high-throughput screening (CORE Innovation), genomic and bioinformatics characterization, and full-cycle fermentation manufacturing. The portfolio includes eight branded product lines spanning wastewater treatment (Biotifx), industrial and institutional cleaning (SporActiv), plant health (GrowVantage, ZymoBac), human probiotics (BoostBac, FDA GRAS), animal health direct-fed microbials (ProVent, DFM Pak, Novela, Stateris), bioremediation (ZymoBac Petro), and the PathKinex DNA-based microbial surveillance platform. Patents have been granted across the US, China, EU, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and Taiwan, covering virus inhibition, direct-fed microbials, waste treatment, plant pathogen inhibition, and antibiotic compositions.

MDG generates revenue through four streams: (1) custom fermentation/CMO services, billed via negotiated capacity and scale-up fees on multi-year contracts with enterprise partners; (2) branded Bacillus product sales (Biotifx) to wastewater distributors via channel partner networks; (3) ingredient sales (SporActiv, GrowVantage) to manufacturers and formulators across industrial, agricultural, and consumer end markets; and (4) probiotic ingredient licensing/sales (BoostBac) to dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers. Go-to-market is hybrid — direct enterprise sales and technical support for CMO and ingredient customers, alongside distributor-led channel sales for branded platforms — supported by content marketing, webinars, the MDG: The Podcast, SEO, industry conference presence, and email lead capture. Customers include wastewater treatment distributors, I&I cleaning product manufacturers, custom fermentation clients with multi-year supply relationships, human health probiotic manufacturers, plant health product suppliers, bioremediation companies, aquaculture operators, and animal health/livestock producers.

Name

Microbial Discovery Group

Legal name

Microbial Discovery Group, LLC

Website

https://mdgbio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Microbial Discovery Group is a Wisconsin-based Bacillus fermentation company that isolates and manufactures microbial strains for custom contract manufacturing and for ingredient and branded product lines across wastewater treatment, I&I cleaning, plant health, animal health, human probiotics, and bioremediation, serving B2B distributors and enterprise manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microbial fermentation and Bacillus-based biosolutions

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbiome Manufacturing, Formulation & Delivery Technologies (encapsulation, spores, oral delivery) (HLAAAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biological Formulation, Fermentation & Scale-Up Manufacturing (AFABAEAM), Cultures, Probiotics & Fermentation Ingredients (Starter Cultures, Yeast, Adjuncts) (CRADAOAI)

Keywords

• Bacillus fermentation services
• Microbial bioaugmentation products
• Wastewater treatment solutions
• Contract microbial manufacturing
• Probiotic ingredient production

Headquarters

HQ city

Franklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Fermentation / Contract Manufacturing: MDG acts as a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) for custom microbial fermentation, growing client-identified Bacillus strains at scale. Revenue is generated through manufacturing fees based on fermentation volume, scale-up services, and downstream processing (drying, blending, packaging).
2. Bacillus-based Product Sales (Biotifx®): Sale of branded microbial products (Biotifx®) to wastewater treatment distributors for FOG, H2S, sludge, and odor treatment. Revenue is generated through product sales to channel partners.
3. Ingredient Sales (SporActiv®, GrowVantage™): Sale of Bacillus-based ingredient products to industrial & institutional cleaning product manufacturers and plant health product suppliers. Manufacturers use MDG's ingredients in their own branded formulations.
4. Probiotic Ingredient Sales (BoostBac™): Sale of probiotic ingredients to human health supplement and functional food manufacturers. BoostBac™ is sold as a GRAS-status Bacillus ingredient for incorporation into finished probiotic products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Microbial Discovery Group is an R&D-driven Bacillus fermentation company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes microbial products and ingredients across wastewater treatment, industrial & institutional cleaning, custom fermentation (CMO) services, human health probiotics, plant health, animal health, bioremediation, landfill, and aquaculture applications. The company operates three production facilities in Wisconsin with 55,000 liters of fermentation capacity, offering both branded product lines (Biotifx®, SporActiv®, BoostBac™, GrowVantage™, PathKinex™) and contract manufacturing services to grow client-identified Bacillus strains at commercial scale.

Product overview

Microbial Discovery Group is a Bacillus-focused biosolutions company offering multiple branded product lines across diverse markets. The core offerings include: the Biotifx® Platform for wastewater treatment (covering products like Biotifx® BLOCK, Biotifx® AN, and Biotifx® 40B); the SporActiv® line for industrial and institutional cleaning applications; the GrowVantage™ line for plant health (including GrowVantage™ LIFT and ZymoBac® products); BoostBac™ for human health probiotics; PathKinex™ as a microbial surveillance tool; and animal health products including ProVent® ECL, Novela® ECL, DFM Pak®, and Stateris. MDG also provides custom fermentation services and bioremediation solutions using specialized Bacillus strains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Biotifx®: Wastewater treatment platform providing bioaugmentation products and programs for distributors addressing FOG, H2S, odors, and sludge challenges.
• SporActiv®
• BoostBac™
• GrowVantage™
• ZymoBac®
• PathKinex™
• DFM Pak®
• ProVent®

Quantifiable outcome

• Pre-wean piglet mortality reduced by an estimated 30–50% through MDG direct-fed microbials in animal feed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• United Animal Health (UAH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Animal Health is a sister company under the United Biosciences Group umbrella. UAH develops science-driven products that improve livestock health, performance, and production efficiency. MDG's microbial discovery capabilities and UAH's animal health product development are aligned within the same parent organization.
• Pivotal IngredientscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPivotal Ingredients is a sister company under the United Biosciences Group umbrella. Pivotal creates high-value dairy bioactive ingredients used in human nutrition, functional foods, and health products. The three companies together provide integrated capabilities in microbial discovery, large-scale manufacturing, applied nutrition science, and bioactive ingredient development.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Novonesis (Novozymes): Novonesis (the merged Chr. Hansen–Novozymes entity) is the largest global microbial solutions provider spanning enzymes, cultures, probiotics, and agricultural biosolutions. A broad incumbent competing across most of MDG's end markets at significantly larger scale.
• DSM-Firmenich: DSM-Firmenich combines nutrition, health, and biosciences with major probiotic, animal nutrition, and agricultural biosolutions businesses. A broad incumbent competing with MDG across probiotics, animal health DFMs, and plant health biologics.
• Kerry Group: Kerry is a global taste and nutrition company with significant probiotic and fermentation ingredient offerings (including through its Ganeden acquisition). A broad incumbent competitor to MDG's SporActiv®, BoostBac™, and GrowVantage™ ingredient lines.
• ADM (ADM Animal Nutrition): ADM is a global agricultural processor and ingredient company with significant probiotics, fermentation, and animal nutrition offerings. A broad incumbent competitor across MDG's animal health and plant health segments.
• Chr. Hansen: Chr. Hansen (now part of Novonesis) is a global leader in cultures, enzymes, and probiotics with a much broader portfolio. Competes with MDG in probiotic ingredients and fermentation services, but spans dairy, food, and pharma categories where MDG does not play.

Direct peers

• Kemin Industries: Kemin is a diversified ingredient manufacturer with significant animal nutrition and human health probiotic offerings using microbial technologies. Comparable to MDG's Bacillus ingredient sales across animal and human health.
• BIO-CAT: BIO-CAT is a Bacillus-focused probiotic manufacturer offering custom fermentation, blending, and ingredient products for human and animal nutrition. Closest like-for-like smaller peer to MDG's Bacillus CMO and ingredient business.
• Lallemand: Lallemand is a global leader in yeast and bacteria-based fermentation with a dedicated Bacillus focus, serving animal nutrition, probiotics, brewing, and bioremediation. Most directly comparable to MDG across Bacillus fermentation, animal-health DFMs, and human probiotic ingredients.
• Alltech: Alltech is a global animal nutrition company with a major direct-fed microbial (DFM) and Bacillus-based product portfolio. Comparable to MDG's ProVent®, DFM Pak®, and Stateris livestock health product lines.
• BioGaia: BioGaia is a probiotic ingredient brand focused on human gut health with Lactobacillus and Bacillus strains. Directly comparable to MDG's BoostBac™ human probiotic ingredient business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/microbial-discovery-group
• Xx.com/MDG_bio

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Microbial Discovery Group