Tiny Health, the creator of the first at-home gut microbiome test specifically for babies, has raised $8.5 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Spero Ventures, contributing to a total of $13 million raised by the company aimed at enhancing gut health innovation. This funding round also saw participation from TheVentureCity, Overwater Ventures, Next Coast Ventures, and Peterson Ventures, including contributions from dedicated Tiny Health customers and angels at Parenthood Ventures.
Currently, over 40 percent of children in the U.S. are diagnosed with at least one chronic health condition, such as eczema, asthma, diabetes, and food allergies, with these numbers seeing an upward trend. Tiny Health focuses on the critical first 1,000 days of a child’s life, where early detection of gut microbiome imbalances can prevent and even reverse chronic illnesses, considering that 80 percent of the immune system is located in the gut.
Tiny Health was founded in 2020 by Cheryl Sew Hoy after her own challenges with her child’s health: “I was told my child would grow out of their eczema and allergies, but that wasn’t the case. From microbiome research I learned that I could improve my child’s conditions by healing the gut, which was a game-changer.”
“However, there were no infant gut tests available to help detect imbalances and make corrections during the first 1,000 days of life, which is a crucial time for gut development. I founded Tiny Health to bridge the gap in the market, help address the pediatric chronic conditions crisis, and empower families to take a proactive approach to their lifelong health. Our investors are helping us chart new territory for evidence-based gut testing and improve health outcomes for future generations, and the participation from Tiny Health families is further validation of our impact and a testament to our mission.”
“While Tiny Health’s starting point is infant gut health, the company has grown to offer whole family testing, as well as vaginal microbiome testing to help expectant mothers understand what beneficial microbes they will pass along to their babies,” says Sara Eshelman, General Partner at Spero Ventures and Board Member at Tiny Health. “With this latest funding round, the company will expand its platform to better support growing families across pediatrics, women’s health, metabolic health, adult chronic conditions, and beyond in a way that minimizes risk and maximizes health.”
With the recent funding, Tiny Health plans to continue its innovative work in the gut health testing category, aiming to mitigate the crisis of pediatric chronic conditions. “It’s important that, as parents, we have access to evidence-based gut microbiome technology that can meaningfully change health outcomes for our children,” says Jason Jenks and Yeelin Tan, Tiny Health customers who participated in the round. “That’s why we’re excited to invest in Tiny Health, a company that has opened our eyes to the power of restoring gut health and has helped change our child’s life for the better.”
