Leucine-Rich Bio: Decoding the Gut Microbiome to Personalise Preventive Healthcare
What if the bacteria living inside your gut could help you stay ahead of chronic disease?
That question drives Leucine Rich Bio, a Bengaluru-based deeptech startup founded in 2014 by Kumar Sankaran, Debojyoti Dhar, and Prabhath Manjappa Kamath. The company analyses the human microbiome the vast community of microorganisms in the body—to create personalised nutrition plans and supplements, shifting the focus of healthcare from treatment to prevention.
In India, diagnostic testing has traditionally centred on identifying disease after symptoms appear. Preventive, personalised approaches based on microbiome data remained largely unexplored. Dhar, who previously worked in drug discovery and oncology research and holds a PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, saw an opportunity to change that. He partnered with Kamath, who leads product development with expertise in microbiome science, and Sankaran, a biotechnologist with more than two decades of experience in systems biology and biological data platforms.
From Home Test to Actionable Insights
Leucine Rich Bio’s flagship product is BugSpeaks, a gut microbiome test that evaluates bacterial diversity to assess digestive and metabolic health. The company has since added a skin microbiome test, with oral and vaginal tests scheduled for launch by April 2026. It also operates RychBiome, a supplement brand offering microbiome-informed products, and is developing Faecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) services to restore microbial balance in patients with severe gut disorders.
The testing process is designed for convenience. Customers order online and receive an at-home stool collection kit. Samples from India and overseas are sent to the company’s Bengaluru laboratory, where a team of more than 40 scientists extracts and analyses microbial DNA. “As a rule of thumb, lower microbial diversity is often linked to poorer gut health,” Sankaran notes.
Analysis relies on next-generation sequencing, the same technology used in human genome studies. “We extract DNA from the sample, and sequencing machines read combinations of four nucleotides: A, T, G, and C. These patterns tell us which bacteria, viruses, or fungi are present,” Dhar explains. The raw data is interpreted using a combination of the company’s own database, global research, and results from thousands of previous tests.
The BugSpeaks report delivers a Rich Index Score, a composite measure of the presence and balance of key gut microbes. Higher scores indicate better gut health. The report also maps vitamin synthesis capacity, short-chain fatty acid production, and antibiotic resistance patterns. At its core is a three-month personalised diet plan.
“Unlike genomic tests, where you cannot change your genes, the microbiome is modifiable, and the best way to do this is through food,” Dhar says. Recommendations highlight beneficial bacteria that are underrepresented and suggest foods to encourage their growth, while identifying microbes that may need to be reduced through dietary changes. The founders believe these interventions can help manage symptoms linked to conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and hypertension.
Priced at Rs 10,000, the test targets people over 40 managing lifestyle-related issues as well as younger consumers focused on preventive wellness and longevity. Under the RychBiome brand, the company also offers a microbiome-based skin cream and personalised probiotic formulations derived from individual test results.
Clinical Evidence and Global Reach
Leucine Rich Bio supports its approach with clinical data. In a registered trial involving patients with Type 2 diabetes, one group followed BugSpeaks nutritional recommendations for three months while continuing medication. That group recorded a 20% reduction in HbA1c levels, along with decreases in inflammation markers and blood pressure. The findings were published in 2024.
The startup is also collaborating with AIIMS Raipur on a trial examining whether microbiome-based nutrition can improve quality of life for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with results expected by mid-2026.
“Currently, these tests are positioned as part of the wellness portfolio, not as diagnostic tools, though we are working toward broader clinical acceptance,” Dhar says. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 17025:2017 certifications, along with NABH and NABL accreditations for gut microbiome testing. It has filed patents for its profiling method and the Rich Index marker, and has analysed more than 20,000 samples, building a proprietary database that includes 2,000 Indian and 10,000 global microbiome profiles.
Revenue comes from direct-to-consumer sales, B2B partnerships with diagnostic chains, hospitals and wellness centres, and collaborations with FMCG, nutraceutical and food companies that use microbiome insights to refine products. Internationally, Leucine Rich Bio has partnerships in the Philippines, Brazil and the UAE, and has established a Dubai entity to serve the GCC and MENA regions.
The global microbiome analysis market, valued at $1.27 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $2.26 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. In this space, the company competes with players such as Viome Life Sciences, Microba, and Synlogic Therapeutics.
Looking Ahead
Leucine Rich Bio has remained largely bootstrapped, with angel and high-net-worth investments raised in 2017. “As a deeptech, deep-science company, we wanted to first validate the technology and achieve scale before evaluating the need for institutional funding,” Sankaran says.
Near-term priorities include expanding across Asian markets. The longer-term ambition is broader: “We aim to be the world’s leading microbiome-focused company, across testing, consumer products, and drug discovery,” Sankaran states. The founders see particular potential in drug discovery, as microbial imbalance or dysbiosis is increasingly linked to a wide range of chronic conditions.
By turning complex microbiome data into practical dietary and lifestyle guidance, Leucine Rich Bio is working to make preventive healthcare more precise, accessible, and personal one gut at a time.