US-based microbiome company Evolve BioSystems has raised $55m in Series D funding round that was led by food company Cargill and investment firm Manna Tree.

Other investors that participated in the funding round include Horizons Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Spruce Capital Partners, Acre Venture Partners and Bow Capital.

Evolve BioSystems CEO Timothy Brown said: “We are thrilled to announce our newest investors as we continue our quest to address this health crisis in newborns.

“Our research found that more than 90% of infants in the US are missing the critical bacteria, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (B. infantis), which is widely documented as a key component of the infant gut microbiome.

“The financial support announced, which includes strong continued support from our earlier investors, will help continue our mission to make a healthier future for our children during infancy and beyond.”

Evolve BioSystems produces Evivo, a probiotic that is claimed to resolve infant gut dysbiosis by restoring the missing bacterium to the infant gut microbiome.

With the fresh capital infusion, the company aims to continue its efforts of commercialising its next generation of probiotic, which is claimed to help address the deficiency in the infant gut microbiome.

Through this investment, Cargill and Manna Tree will join Evolve BioSystems’ board of directors.

Cargill health technologies president Chuck Warta said: “Evolve BioSystem’s Evivo has the potential to be a highly distinctive probiotic for infants and we are delighted to work with them to scale its impact.

“Our goal is to help humans live more healthy days right from the start. Together, we can harness our respective expertise and knowledge in nutrition, digestive and immune health to bring next-generation ingredient solutions to our customers.”