Seed Health

Seed Health is a microbiome science company founded in 2015 by Ara Katz and Raja Dhir. The company focuses on developing probiotics and living medicines to impact both human and planetary health. Seed Health's flagship product is DS-01, a daily synbiotic (probiotic + prebiotic) supplement formulated with 24 clinically studied bacterial strains targeting digestive, cardiovascular, dermatological, and immune health. In May 2024, the company launched vs.-01, a vaginal synbiotic clinically validated to establish an optimal vaginal microbiome dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus.

Seed Health utilizes a full-stack platform that encompasses discovery, product development, and clinical research. The company employs bioinformatics and computational analyses to interrogate the role of the microbiome in overall health and design targeted probiotics. In April 2024, Seed Health introduced CODA, a computational biology platform powered by the Human Phenotype Project, which integrates over three million phenotypic data points from more than 13,000 individuals. This platform aims to develop next-generation precision probiotics and microbiome-directed interventions for areas including metabolic health, brain health, menopause, and longevity.

The company's research extends beyond human health to environmental applications through its SeedLabs division. This includes developing probiotics for honeybees to enhance their resilience against climate change-related stressors, as well as exploring microbial solutions for plastic degradation and soil health. Seed Health collaborates with leading scientists and research institutions to advance its work across various health domains, including vaginal health, skin health, oral hygiene, pediatrics, mental health, and nutrition.

Key customers and partnerships

The company has established partnerships with several academic and research institutions to further its scientific endeavors. In 2023, Seed Health announced a collaboration with the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) to develop non-toxic, microbiome-safe home and personal care products. The company also partnered with Axial Therapeutics in 2022 to launch a Gut-Brain Development Program, focusing on translating research from Caltech into probiotic innovations for neuropsychiatric health.