Founded in 2021, Phagos is ushering in a new era in the fight against bacterial disease with bacteriophages, a powerful alternative to antibiotics. Thanks to an unprecedented regulatory breakthrough and a discovery platform combining microbiology and AI, Phagos offers the first phage-based drugs for veterinary use, a market worth tens of billions of dollars. The company plans to expand further as phage therapy becomes accepted in human health.
Four years after its creation, Phagos announces a 25 million euros Series A funding round. The round was co-led by CapAgro, Hoxton Ventures, CapHorn and Demeter, with participation from Acurio Ventures, Citizen Capital, Entrepreneurs First, Founders Capital, and Station F.
This financing aims to accelerate the deployment of veterinary phage therapy in the field, develop the next generation of its patented AI technology for phage discovery, and drive the company’s growth globally (Europe, Asia, and the Americas).
A sustainable answer to the global challenge of bacterial resistance
Founded in 2021 by Alexandros Pantalis and Dr. Adèle James, Phagos has developed a groundbreaking phage therapy process — a natural alternative to antibiotics — to fight bacterial diseases. Bacterial diseases already rank as the world’s second leading cause of human mortality, one of the main causes of animal deaths, and generate massive losses in food waste. Antimicrobial resistance causes millions of deaths every year and could cost the global economy up to $100 trillion by 2050. In livestock, one in three antibiotics is no longer effective, three times more than in the year 2000.
To meet this challenge, Phagos combines microbiology and artificial intelligence within a unique platform capable of designing ultra-precise, personalized treatments to put an end to bacterial diseases. Its first application focuses on animal health, a sector heavily impacted by bacterial infections (Salmonella, E. coli…) and the growing limitations of antibiotics, with the ultimate ambition of extending phage therapy to human health.
Phagos has become the world’s first company authorized to market personalized phage-based veterinary drugs — a groundbreaking regulatory milestone marking a major turning point in how bacterial infections are fought. The company has also filed a patent for its AI technology, capable of analyzing the full genomes of both phages and bacteria to predict their interactions and make phage therapy a scalable, targeted, and effective solution.
Scaling globally while driving scientific innovation
With this €25m Series A, Phagos aims to take a major step forward: scaling up the deployment of its veterinary phage therapy solutions, strengthening its R&D capabilities to develop the next generation of its patented AI technology.
The company will continue to consolidate its international presence, already underway across three continents. Field deployment has already begun with leading industry players, marking an important milestone toward the adoption of phage therapy.
The company also plans to expand its team — currently made up of 90% scientific and technical profiles — to support its platform’s growth and to boost the launch of its treatments on the market. Ultimately, the ambition is clear: to put an end to bacterial diseases, first in animal health then in human health.
“We are convinced that phage therapy can transform the history of medicine just as antibiotics did in the last century. This funding gives us the means to accelerate our mission and make this alternative accessible, fast, and effective against the rise of bacterial resistance. Thanks to our regulatory breakthroughs and our patented platform combining microbiology and artificial intelligence, we now have the opportunity to establish phage therapy as a global reference solution: for animal health today, and for human health tomorrow,” said
Alexandros Pantalis and Adèle James, co-founders of Phagos.
“Antimicrobial resistance is a defining challenge for global food systems. With the unprecedented regulatory approval of its discovery platform, Phagos is leading the way in deploying phage therapies as a real, already actionable alternative to antibiotics. Our investment in Phagos underscores our strong commitment to deep tech innovations that drive a healthier, more sustainable, and resilient food supply.”
said Anne-Valérie Bach, Managing Director of Capagro.
“Phagos’ pioneering platform provides a high efficiency alternative to antibiotics, offering a promising solution to a major global health crisis. This investment will help the company become a category-defining leader, reshaping how bacterial infections are treated with a transformative impact on both animal and human health in a massive global market.”
said Rob Kniaz, Founder and Emeritus Partner of Hoxton Ventures.