M R Yuvatha, Senior Correspondent, Startupcity

• Startups create personalized probiotic drinks using microbiome mapping
• Tailored beverages improve digestion, immunity, and mood
• Indian startups are innovating and scaling in the $100 Billion probiotics market

In a world where gut feeling takes on literal meaning, the human microbiome trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes in our digestive tract holds the key to everything from digestion and immunity to mood and metabolism. As of October 2025, the global probiotics market is surging toward $100 billion, fueled by post-pandemic awareness of preventive health.

But generic pills?

So last decade. Enters personalized nutrition breweries, startups harnessing microbiome mapping and innovative fermentation to craft custom probiotic drinks that target individual gut profiles. These ventures blend biotech with beverage artistry, fermenting tailored elixirs from kombucha bases to probiotic sodas, promising a revolution in functional foods.

The Science of Personalized Gut Health

At the core of this movement lies microbiome mapping, a process where startups analyze stool samples via DNA or RNA sequencing to profile a user's unique bacterial composition. This reveals deficiencies, such as low levels of beneficial strains like Akkermansia for glucose regulation or Bifidobacterium for inflammation control. Armed with these insights, companies employ precision fermentation, engineering microbes in controlled bioreactors to produce targeted compounds, like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that fortify the gut lining.

The result?

Bespoke drinks that go beyond broad-spectrum probiotics. For instance, fermentation techniques infuse live cultures into low-sugar bases, ensuring viability through the digestive tract. Clinical evidence supports the efficacy studies show personalized interventions can improve microbial diversity by up to 20%, correlating with reduced IBS symptoms and better mood via the gut-brain axis.

This data-driven approach transforms gut health from guesswork to precision medicine, accessible via at-home kits and subscription deliveries.

Also Read: The Rise of Personalized Nutrition Plans in Transforming Preventive Healthcare

Top 10 Startups Leading the Charge

These Bengaluru and Mumbai-based pioneers, with over $50 million in collective funding as of October 2025, specialize in fermented, mapped microbiome solutions. Each ferments custom drinks or shots, blending global strains with desi flavors.

MicrobioTx (Bengaluru)

Launched India's first hyper-personalized probiotic blend in June 2024 via patent-pending gut tests, fermenting prebiotic-probiotic drinks for IBS relief.

Funding: Total $254K over 2 rounds Seed on April 7, 2023 (undisclosed amount) and Seed on March 28, 2024 ($132K) from Axilor Ventures.

The Good Bug (Mumbai)

Synbiotic sodas with GLP-1-activating strains, personalized via app quizzes, their Metabolic Daily tonic aids weight management with 15 SKUs.

Funding: Total $20 Million over 4 rounds Seed (undisclosed, 2023), Series A ($4 Million, 2023) led by Sharrp Ventures, Series A extension ($4 Million, 2024) led by Sharrp Ventures, and Series B (Rs 100 Crore/$12 Million, May 6, 2025) led by Susquehanna Asia VC with Fireside Ventures.

Iom Bioworks (Bengaluru)

AI-decoded mapping crafts fermented prebiotic elixirs from banana waste, targeting metabolic health with Indo-Japanese biotech.

Funding: Total $468K over 1 round Seed ($468K, June 12, 2025) led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV).

Wellbeing Nutrition (Delhi)

Slow-release effervescent shots with mapped multi-strains, fermenting for sustained gut colonization, backed by HUL.

Funding: Total $16.7 Million over 6 rounds Seed (undisclosed, September 25, 2020), early-stage rounds (undisclosed amounts in 2021-2024), and Series B ($2.86 Million, March 11, 2025) from undisclosed investors.

OZiva (Mumbai)

Plant-based probiotic tonics personalized for women's hormonal balance, using fermentation for high-viability cultures.

Funding: Total $17–17.3 Million over 4 rounds Seed (undisclosed, 2015), Series A ($5 Million, June 2020) with investors including Eight Roads Ventures, F-Prime Capital, Matrix Partners, Z47, and Stride Ventures, and Series B ($12 Million, March 2021) led by Eight Roads Ventures.

Sova Health (Bengaluru)

Robotic-compounded kefir drinks from microbiome tests, addressing dysbiosis with vegan, low-FODMAP options.

Funding: Total $4.2 Million over 2 rounds Pre-seed (undisclosed, 2022) and Seed ($1 Million, June 2023) led by Antler, Accelerating Asia, Practical VC, VC Grid, and Venture Catalysts, additional $3.2 Million in undisclosed extensions by mid-2025.

Kapiva (Kolkata)

Ayurvedic fermented shots blending ashwagandha with mapped probiotics for stress-gut links, 20+ SKUs in e-commerce.

Funding: Total $110.5 Million over 10 rounds 5 Seed rounds (undisclosed, 2017-2020), 4 Early-Stage (Series A $3.5 Million December 31, 2020 led by Vertex Ventures, others undisclosed 2021-2022), Late-Stage ($10 Million, September 23, 2024), and additional $60 Million (September 30, 2025) led by 360 One Asset and Vertex Growth.

GutAvatar (Mumbai)

Nutritionist-led custom kombuchas via sensitivity tests, fermenting for anti-inflammatory benefits in urban diets.

Funding: Unfunded

Microbiome Research Pvt Ltd (Hyderabad)

Three-phase fermented elixirs (reboot-rebuild-retain) with expert consultations, using NGS for precise strain matching.

Funding: Unfunded

Plix (Mumbai)

Collagen-probiotic fermented juices personalized for skin-gut axis, with plant-based twists on traditional lassi.

Funding: Total $11.1 Million over 2 rounds Seed (undisclosed, 2021) and Series A ($11.1 Million, October 21, 2021) led by Guild Capital, RPSG Capital Ventures, and Marico (acquired May 1, 2025 for undisclosed amount, integrated funding).

Summing It Up!

This trend isn't fleeting, it's reshaping beverage aisles, from soda alternatives to wellness shots. With robust funding and consumer fervor, the wave of personalized probiotic drinks promises not just refreshment, but resilience.

As gut health evolves from trend to necessity, investing in these innovators means nurturing the microbiome that sustains us all.