A solution to costly contamination scandals

What do Ferrero, Nestlé, and McDonald’s have in common? All three have faced major health scandals due to bacterial contamination in their production chains. Such incidents cost companies millions of euros in lost production, regulatory fines, and consumer trust. To reduce these risks, Spore.Bio was founded in 2023.

The company has now announced a $23M Series A funding round led by Singular. Other investors include Station F, First Kind (the Peugeot family office), Point 72 Ventures, LocalGlobe, No Label Ventures, and Famille C (the Clarins family office). This round follows an $8.3M pre-seed investment in December 2023.

Rapid Microbiological testing to detect contamination

Founded by Amine Raji, Mohamed Tazi, and Maxime Mistretta, Spore.Bio aims to enhance quality control in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics manufacturing. Traditional microbiological tests take too long, creating risks for companies.

"I worked at Nestlé for six years and saw the tools we used to detect bacteria. The main one is the Petri dish, but the problem is that results take between 5 and 14 days. That’s far too long! By the time you realise a product is contaminated, it has already hit the market, and the damage can be enormous," explains Amine Raji, co-founder and CEO.

"A single production failure causes an average loss of €10M, and in some cases, the scandal can wipe out an entire brand."

A breakthrough technology moving from labs to factories

To address this challenge, Spore.Bio has developed a real-time bacteria detection system using machine learning. Their AI models analyse bacterial spectral signatures, enabling rapid alerts for quality control teams.

"Our system detects bacteria at a microscopic level, and our AI can recognise their spectral signatures. We now have a database of hundreds of thousands of bacteria," says Raji.

In 2024, Spore.Bio successfully validated its first prototypes in its Paris-based labs. The goal was to create a “Nespresso-sized” device that could be deployed directly on production lines. This has led to contracts with several major industrial players, with over 200 factories across Europe, Africa, and North America set to receive the technology.

"The US is a big focus for us. 2024 saw a record number of product recalls, making this market critical," notes Raji. The company is now considering opening a US office.

Spore.Bio has also partnered with the Pasteur Institute, gaining access to the largest bacterial database in the world, and has acquired its competitor Greentropism to strengthen its expertise.

Scaling up for Global impact

To accelerate its industrial rollout, Spore.Bio plans to double its workforce from 25 to 50 scientists and engineers. The company is now transitioning “from the lab to the factory” and aims to mass-produce hundreds of devices.

"Our goal is to have a global impact—reducing the number of people dying from foodbourne infections," says Raji.

Despite interest from major industry players, Spore.Bio is determined to remain independent. "We want to chart our own path," Raji concludes.