Meet the 2026 Probiota Pioneers: Microvitality, Totality Biosciences, Luvbiotics

These innovative, early-stage start-ups will showcase their novel approaches to microbiome science, product development and health at the upcoming IPA World Congress + Probiota, taking place Feb. 11 to 13, 2026 at The Convention Centre, Dublin.

Now in its 12th year, the annual conference brings together stakeholders from across the microbiome ecosystem—including industry leaders, researchers, investors and regulatory experts—for three days of insights, networking and collaboration.

The Probiota Pioneers platform offers a glimpse into where the sector is headed, spotlighting emerging technologies, science and business models poised to shape the next generation of microbiome innovation.

Microvitality

Microvitality is a Boston-based MedTech start-up transforming gastrointestinal health through precision microbiome diagnostics. The company’s core innovation is a non-invasive ingestible capsule that samples the small intestine to provide accurate microbiome and immune biomarker data, unlocking insights previously inaccessible with traditional stool tests or invasive procedures such as endoscopies.

Leveraging microbiome insights and clinical-grade data, the company enables research partners and biopharma clients to drive precision medicine, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic development. The technology is first being applied to diagnose Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), a condition affecting approximately 1.8 billion people globally, often undiagnosed or mismanaged. Beyond diagnostics, the platform enables patient stratification for drug development, personalized nutrition and immunomodulatory therapies, bridging the gap between preclinical research and clinical outcomes.

Totality Biosciences

Totality Biosciences is the developer of a synthetic biology platform that leverages genetically engineered plants to produce the full spectrum of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) from breast milk at unlimited scale.

Leveraging breakthrough technology developed at UC Berkeley by its co-founder and CSO Patrick Shih, the company is unleashing the catalogue of HMOs for a thriving microbiome from birth and beyond, seeking to combat today’s microbial manufacturing limits. Totality Biosciences is led by scientist-turned-entrepreneur and CEO Leila Strickland.

The company’s approach reportedly has the potential to produce 5X more HMO structures for product development compared with current R&D libraries. The technology supports the 1000X capacity increase that is required to address the demand for HMOs that is currently unsatisfied by incumbents, and its CSO’s peer-reviewed TEA published in Nature Foods supports a 10X reduction in minimum selling price compared with microbial production.

Totality Biosciences aims to democratize access to full-spectrum HMOs and revolutionize human health, from life-saving applications for pre-term infants to health optimization across the lifespan.

Luvbiotics - Hampton Brands Ltd

Luvbiotics, a UK-based probiotic oral care brand, was developed by microbiologists to promote a balanced oral microbiome for long-term health. The company’s formulations combine scientifically validated probiotics and natural ingredients with a harsh-free, free from SLS, parabens, and alcohol, to protect microbial diversity and oral ecology.

Luvbiotics was developed to support the natural balance of beneficial bacteria essential to oral and systemic well-being., seeking to be the antidote to antibacterial products that “kill everything”.

The growing product range, including probiotic toothpastes, mouthwashes, and lozenges, meets global consumer demand for natural, microbiome-positive care. Luvbiotics is expanding globally through education, professional partnerships, and consumer trust gained though efficacy and functional benefits consumers are reporting.