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Based in Bristol, UK, Ferryx is a biotechnology company that develops bacterial products and probiotics to prevent and treat gastrointestinal inflammatory conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, in both humans and animals. The organization creates proprietary strains, such as its flagship product Ferrocalm, which function as food supplements or prescription therapeutics specifically designed to remain stable within highly inflamed gut environments. Operating with a core team of three employees, the enterprise has raised £300,000 in seed capital to fund its ongoing clinical research and product commercialization efforts. Functioning as a spin-out from the University of Bristol, the firm licenses its therapeutic strains to marketing and distribution partners, recently securing a retail distribution partnership with Debenhams and appointing John Fox as Chair of the Board. Ferryx was officially incorporated in September 2019 by co-founders Jenny Bailey and Tristan Cogan.
Ferryx has raised $420K across 1 funding round.
Ferryx has raised $420K in total across 1 funding round.
Ferryx has raised $420K in total across 1 funding round.
Ferryx's investors include Deepbridge Capital.
Ferryx has raised $420K across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $420K Seed in September 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2021 | $420K Seed | — | Deepbridge Capital | Announced |
# Ferryx: Next-Generation Probiotics for Hostile Gut Environments
Ferryx is a biotech company, not a technology company in the traditional sense. It develops next-generation probiotics designed to function in inflammatory and stressed gut environments where conventional probiotics fail.[1][3] The company addresses a significant market need: one-third of the UK population has experienced gut problems impacting daily life, yet existing probiotic solutions are ineffective during irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) flare-ups or periods of stress.[1]
Ferryx's lead product, Ferrocalm™, uses an iron-responsive bacterial strain (Streptococcus thermophilus FX856) that thrives in iron-rich, inflamed gut conditions.[2] Clinical data shows 76% of consumers reported improvement in key IBS symptoms within eight weeks, with 88% indicating they would use the product again.[1] The company targets individuals with chronic gut health conditions who currently lack effective treatment options, positioning itself at the intersection of pharmaceutical innovation and consumer wellness.
Ferryx is a spin-out company from the University of Bristol, emerging from rigorous academic research into gut microbiota and inflammation.[3] The company was co-founded by Dr. Jenny Bailey Cooper, who serves as CEO.[3] The founding team's research identified a critical gap in probiotic science: traditional lactobacilli and bifidobacteria cannot compete in iron-rich environments that develop during inflammation, stress, or post-surgery recovery.[2]
Through systematic strain selection, the team discovered FX856—a Streptococcus thermophilus strain that not only survives but thrives under these hostile conditions while exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties.[2][3] This discovery emerged from peer-reviewed research published in *PLoS ONE* (2011) and *Beneficial Microbes* (2017), demonstrating efficacy in animal models of colitis and post-weaning disease.[2] The transition from academic discovery to commercial product reflects a deliberate strategy to solve a real clinical problem where existing solutions demonstrably fail.
Ferryx operates within the precision microbiome therapeutics sector, a rapidly expanding field driven by growing recognition that dysbiosis underlies multiple chronic conditions.[3] The company rides several converging trends:
Market timing: Gut health awareness has surged among consumers, yet the conventional probiotic market has stalled due to efficacy limitations. Ferryx's science-backed approach addresses this credibility gap at a moment when consumers increasingly demand evidence-based solutions over marketing claims.
Unmet clinical need: IBS affects millions globally, with limited pharmaceutical options. By targeting stress-induced and inflammation-driven dysbiosis—conditions where existing probiotics fail—Ferryx occupies a defensible niche between consumer wellness and clinical therapeutics.
Academic-to-commercial pipeline: As a University of Bristol spin-out, Ferryx exemplifies the growing trend of translating fundamental microbiome research into commercial products, strengthening the UK's biotech ecosystem and demonstrating the commercial viability of precision microbiology.
Ferryx is positioned to capture meaningful market share in the $60+ billion global probiotics market by solving a specific, well-defined problem that larger players have overlooked. The company's science-first approach—grounded in peer-reviewed research and regulatory validation—differentiates it from the crowded consumer probiotic space dominated by unproven claims.
What's next: Ferryx will likely pursue expanded clinical trials to support regulatory submissions in major markets, potentially moving Ferrocalm™ toward prescription or medical food status. Success here could unlock reimbursement pathways and partnerships with gastroenterology practices, transforming the product from consumer wellness into clinical standard of care.
The broader implication: as microbiome science matures, companies that can precisely target specific pathophysiological mechanisms—rather than making broad "gut health" claims—will define the next generation of therapeutics. Ferryx's iron-responsive strategy exemplifies this precision-medicine shift and suggests that the future of probiotics lies not in colonization, but in targeted, transient interventions.
