SURI BioTech: The Venture Leader Biotech developing precision probiotics for the first 1,000 days of life

Whom does your product or solution help, and how?
The microbiome represents a new area of science with the potential to improve human health. At SURI BioTech, we untangle the potential of the gut microbiome using rationally selected bacterial strains with clear targets and high efficacy for promoting microbial seeding and health in early life.

What market are you addressing, and what is the potential of your startup in that market? 
Our bacterial strains are natural, safe and can be commercialized as stand-alone probiotic supplements or as probiotic food ingredients, e.g. included in infant formula. The probiotic supplements retail market could surge to $10.4 billion by 2027 from about $8.3 billion in 2022. That growth is driven by rising demand for science-based probiotic formulas in dietary supplements.

How did you come up with the idea for your startup?
I dedicated over 10 years to studying gut microbes, focusing on infant health. During my PhD research at ETH Zürich, I gained a clear understanding of the mechanism of microbiome seeding and colonization in newborns. I specifically focused on identifying bacterial strains that could prevent bloating in colic babies. As a result of my PhD, I decided to fund my own start-up to commercialize my PhD results and make available to parents science-backed solutions for infant colic.

How will the Venture Leaders roadshow help you achieve your vision?
The US market is the largest consumer of probiotics (40% global market share) and is known to quickly adopt innovative solutions in the self-care and wellness sector. The Venture Leaders roadshow will help me understand the US infant nutrition market & consumer behaviour to start building our go-to-US market strategy and meet international biotech investors.

What excites you most about your work right now?
The increasing awareness of consumers on the benefits of the gut microbiome leads to a higher demand for science-backed products. We are currently in touch with several industry players looking to include products like ours in their portfolios. I am excited to see innovative and scientific microbiome solutions offered to consumers.  

How did you go about building your team?
I am a scientist, and when preparing a business plan, I rapidly identified the need to include someone with financial experience in the team. I was lucky that Mathilde Dupin, my co-founder, was looking for new challenges in her career and decided to join SURI’s team. Veronica Zimmermann is working by my side at the lab. I knew Veronica would be a great fit also because she was highly dedicated while doing her bachelor's thesis at the same lab I was doing my PhD.

Vanesa Rocha Martín Presenting SURI BioTech's solution at Swiss Biotech Day 2023
 

What are your team’s key achievements to date?
It is hard to deal with the uncertainties of the star-up life. We can face many bad and good news in a day and this can affect the motivation. The 3 of us are passionate about helping parents and babies in a difficult period of life, and that is what makes us strong when facing challenges and walk the extra mile to reach our goals.

How did you come up with the name of your startup?
The word "SURI" is what the native South Americans used to call wild South American ostriches (Rhea pennata). For the indigenous peoples in South America, it would have a meaning related to fertility. At the same time, locals use the word “Tsüri” to refer to Zürich city, our main location. Our name is a way to remember our origins:  Zürich and Argentina (where I am from) while keeping in mind our goal of improving health in early life.

Is there a key principle or value that guides you as you build your company?
We are science-driven and rely on creating trust in order to differentiate.

What is the most challenging and rewarding aspect of being a founder?
The most challenging and, at the same time, the most rewarding aspect of being a founder is that bringing an innovative solution to the market requires a lot of trial and error. This is highly challenging, but when we realise that we are going in the right direction or that we took the right decision, it is also highly rewarding.
 

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What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder?
When a problem arises, it is important to keep on working and not delay the activities. Every problem will have its solution sooner or later, and if you just stop working while waiting to get solved, you will only lose time.

What did you want to do with your life at age 12?
I wanted to and studied veterinary medicine. However, the veterinary medicine textbooks that were available in Argentina were out of date. So we simply switched to human medicine reference works and applied the contents to animals.

What is always in your fridge and why? 
Breakfast is always in my fridge because I never know when I'll be returning home after work, but I prioritise having something to eat when I wake up. I also try to take my time in the morning and exercise, and enjoy a pleasant breakfast before heading to the office.