Spore Biotechnologies

Spore Biotechnologies is a deep-tech company providing a novel solution for real-time pathogen detection in industrial settings. Founded in Paris in 2023 by CEO Amine Raji, CTO Maxime Mistretta, and COO Mohamed Tazi, the company aims to solve significant health and safety challenges in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) market. The founding team combines extensive industry and scientific expertise; Raji is a food and beverage manufacturing expert with experience at Nestlé, Mistretta holds a PhD in Microbiology from the Pasteur Institute, and Tazi is a second-time founder who sold his previous company to EGYM. Raji's experience in over 50 factories highlighted the inefficiencies of traditional, century-old safety testing techniques, inspiring the creation of Spore.

The company has developed a device that uses a combination of photonics, optical technology, and artificial intelligence to detect and quantify bacterial concentrations on-site and in minutes. This system analyzes the light reflected off samples to identify microbial signatures, a stark contrast to conventional methods that require sending samples to external labs, with turnaround times of five to twenty days. The technology is applicable to a wide range of products including food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, and can detect pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. By providing immediate results, Spore Biotechnologies enables manufacturers to prevent contaminated product distribution, reduce costly recalls, and enhance consumer safety. Its business model is B2B, serving clients in the FMCG, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics manufacturing sectors.

Spore Biotechnologies has achieved significant milestones, including securing €8 million in a pre-seed funding round in December 2023, followed by a $23 million Series A round in February 2025, bringing its total funding to over $31 million. Key investors include LocalGlobe, Singular, Point 72 Ventures, and Famille C (the Clarins Family Office). The company has also established a crucial academic partnership with the Pasteur Institute to leverage its extensive biobank and enhance the AI model's detection capabilities. After developing and validating its first prototypes, Spore began deploying them in partner factories in May 2024 and plans a full commercial rollout by the end of 2025, with a waitlist for its systems already oversubscribed.

Keywords: real-time pathogen detection, AI microbiology, food safety technology, on-site bacterial testing, FMCG quality control, biophotonics, machine learning diagnostics, industrial microbiology, pharmaceutical safety, cosmetics testing, contamination detection, microbial detection, Amine Raji, Maxime Mistretta, Mohamed Tazi, deep-tech, food and beverage manufacturing, pathogen quantification, optical technology, deep learning, life sciences