The company says its focus on compounds found in food reduces safety concerns.

Massachuettes-baed Kaleido Biosciences focuses on leveraging the therapeutic potential of the microbiome. Unlike other companies that target the addition or subtraction of bacteria to influence the microbes comprising the gut microbiome, Kaleido is developing novel chemistries - Microbiome Metabolic Therapies (MMTs) to systematically drive functions of the microbiome organ that are directed to treat disease and improve overall health.

The company recently closed $101 million in an oversubscribed Series C financing, with funding provided by both the company’s initial founder Flagship Pioneering and new investors, including a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Fidelity Management and Research Company, Invus and Rock Springs Capital. 

The company says that its early-stage clinical trials are rapidly advancing due to its ability to study the human microbiome in a lab setting and its focus on chemicals predominantly found in foods, which have significantly reduced safety concerns. Two phase 2 trials in hyperammonemia, a metabolic issue characterized by excessive ammonia in the blood, are currently underway.