A Series B fundraising round headed by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital, the VC division of Susquehanna International Group, and included participation from its current investor, Fireside Ventures, has seen the gut health business The Good Bug collect Rs. 100 crore, or roughly $12 million.

A Series A extension in 2024, led by Sharrp Ventures, the family office of Harsh Mariwala of the Marico Group, had previously raised $4 million for the Mumbai-based business. It now has almost $20 million in total funding according to the most recent fundraising effort.

According to a news statement from The Good Bug, the money will be utilized to increase microbiome scientific research and development, scale clinical studies, increase distribution, and raise brand awareness among consumers and medical professionals.

The Good Bug, which was co-founded in 2022 by Keshav Biyani and Prabhu Karthikeyan, creates probiotics and gut-focused health products that focus on immunity, metabolism, and digestion. Metabolically Lean, a GLP-1-based formulation that the startup just unveiled, is promoted as a natural, non-invasive substitute for weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro. According to the brand, the medication improves metabolism and reduces appetite by naturally raising GLP-1 levels.

“The main deployment of these funds will be towards accelerating innovation in microbiome science and bacterial research.” We’ll continue investing in clinical trials, brand building, and hiring top-tier talent across research, science, and business,” said Keshav Biyani, Co-Founder of The Good Bug.