Paris-based Phagos raises €25 million to create a sustainable alternative to antibiotics

Paris-based biotech company Phagos has raised €25 million in a Series A funding round co-led by CapAgro, Hoxton Ventures, CapHorn and Demeter, with additional participation from Acurio Ventures, Citizen Capital, Entrepreneur First, Founders Capital and Station F. The company, founded in 2021 by Alexandros Pantalis and Dr Adèle James, develops bacteriophage-based therapies, a natural alternative to antibiotics, and holds the first authorisation to market personalised phage-based veterinary treatments in the EU.

The new funding will support the deployment of veterinary treatments, further development of Phagos’ patented AI technology for phage discovery, and the company’s international expansion across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Phagos’ approach tackles one of the most pressing challenges in global health: bacterial resistance. Bacterial infections are currently the world’s second leading cause of human mortality and a major cause of animal deaths. They also contribute to significant food waste and economic losses. Antimicrobial resistance already causes millions of deaths annually and could cost the global economy up to $100 trillion by 2050. In livestock, one in three antibiotics is no longer effective, a threefold increase from 2000.

By combining microbiology and artificial intelligence, Phagos’ platform can design ultra-precise and personalised phage-based treatments to combat bacterial diseases. Its initial focus is on animal health, targeting infections such as Salmonella and E. coli, with the long-term aim of extending its solutions to human health.

Phagos’ regulatory approval marks a significant milestone, making it the first company worldwide authorised to market personalised phage-based veterinary drugs. The company has also filed a patent for its AI technology, which can analyse the complete genomes of both phages and bacteria to predict their interactions. This capability allows Phagos to make phage therapy scalable, targeted and effective.

With this new investment, Phagos plans to expand its veterinary phage therapy solutions, strengthen its R&D efforts and scale the next generation of its AI discovery technology. The company is already collaborating with major industry players in field deployments and intends to continue its global expansion. Its team, currently composed of 90% scientific and technical professionals, will also grow to support market launches and product development.

“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,” added Rob Kniaz, Founder and Emeritus Partner of Hoxton Ventures.

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