inBiome and the EIC Accelerator: Finding Bacteria in Five Hours

inBiome, based in Amsterdam, has developed Molecular Culture ID, a PCR-based test that identifies bacteria directly from patient samples within five hours instead of the three to four days that conventional culture takes. It was selected in the EIC Accelerator's January 2023 cut-off and received an EU grant of €2.50 million for Molecular Culture, a €4.55 million project that ran from September 2023 to August 2025, according to CORDIS. The objective was to optimise the test and run clinical validations "to prepare it for FDA and IVDR approval".

The project is closed. Its final report states that inBiome built a cloud-based software platform, validated the test "across seven different hospital workflows", started pilots in partner hospitals, prepared its EU regulatory file and received Breakthrough Device Designation from the US Food and Drug Administration, according to the CORDIS reporting page. In April 2025 the test gained certification under the EU's In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation for samples from normally sterile sites such as joint fluid, spinal fluid and tissue, and in April 2026 the NATO Innovation Fund co-led a $16 million Series A, according to the NATO Innovation Fund.

Where inBiome Stands Now

The Series A was co-led by the NATO Innovation Fund and a consortium led by former Unilabs chief executive Michiel Boehmer and Slingshot Ventures. The NATO fund said the test "is now being implemented in European hospital laboratories", with collaborations across more than 20 hospitals in Europe and the United States, and that certification for blood samples "is expected soon, with urine to follow later this year". The money will fund European expansion, new indications such as bloodstream infections, and US market entry. The fund also pitched the test for military medical units in conflict zones.

The Technology: Culture Without Growing Anything

Conventional microbiology grows bacteria from a sample before identifying them, which takes days and often fails once a patient is on antibiotics. inBiome's test reads bacterial DNA directly and identifies hundreds of species, the final report says, and detects "50% more bacterial pathogens directly from clinical samples". That lets doctors choose a targeted antibiotic earlier instead of prescribing broad-spectrum drugs, which drive antimicrobial resistance.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The award promised to optimise and clinically validate the test for EU and US approval. EU certification came before the project ended, and the FDA route was opened with a Breakthrough designation. US clearance has not been announced, and blood and urine, two of the most common sample types, were still awaiting EU certification in April 2026. The "50% more pathogens" claim comes from the company and its investor, not an independent study cited in the releases.

1. Clinical validationDeliveredSeven hospital workflows.
2. EU IVDR approvalDeliveredApril 2025, sterile sites.
3. FDA approvalIn progressBreakthrough designation only.
4. Follow-on fundingDelivered$16M Series A.

The Money

The EU paid 55% of the project's cost. The Series A of $16 million is about six times the EIC grant. inBiome's revenue and losses could not be checked from free sources.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The final report and the NATO fund both cite bacterial infections as contributing to one in five deaths worldwide. A faster test helps hospitals and fights antibiotic resistance. That the NATO Innovation Fund backed it also shows civilian EU-funded health technology finding a defence use.

The Verdict

inBiome and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.