Juno Bio Launches First CLIA-Certified Sequencing Lab Focused on Women's Health

Juno Bio, a company dedicated to bridging the gender health gap through precision vaginal microbiome testing and multi-omics, has unveiled its first sequencing lab designed solely for women's health. Located in Oakland, California, this facility represents a significant advancement in providing high-quality, clinically relevant microbiome testing.

To support this growth phase, Juno Bio has secured $3.8 million in funding from notable investors such as Ada Ventures, Artesian, Entrepreneur First, and Illumina Accelerator, who are known for their support of early-stage startups in women's health, deep tech, and applied sequencing.

By leveraging next-generation sequencing, Juno Bio's platform offers a comprehensive, clinically actionable perspective on vaginal health. This empowers patients and healthcare providers with crucial insights into conditions that are often poorly understood or misdiagnosed.

Since its inception, Juno Bio has established a new standard of care for vaginal microbiome health and has created one of the largest repositories of vaginal microbiome data, assisting thousands of women in accessing more precise testing and treatment. Following the launch of its initial wellness test, the company has successfully sold over 20,000 tests organically and has evolved into a clinical platform by expanding its scientific and clinical infrastructure through partnerships in pharmaceutical R&D, its clinical lab, telehealth and pharmacy integrations, and a growing network of medical advisors, including Dr. Anna Powell of Johns Hopkins, who specializes in reproductive infectious diseases and vulvovaginal disorders.

"Vaginal microbiome testing has the potential to significantly reshape how we understand and manage vaginal health, particularly for patients with recurrent or unexplained symptoms," stated Dr. Powell. "While the field is still evolving, advances in sequencing and data interpretation are moving us closer to a future where more personalized, microbiome-informed care can complement existing diagnostic approaches."

The new clinically actionable vaginal microbiome and STI test by Juno Bio aims to fill a vital gap in women's health, addressing issues like recurrent infections, fertility concerns, and peri- and menopausal symptoms, which are often inadequately understood or treated. Conducted in Juno Bio's own CLIA-certified lab, the test examines around 10,000 bacteria and fungi, along with four common STIs, providing patients and clinicians with a detailed overview of the vaginal ecosystem.

"Over the past five years, Juno Bio has grown from a pioneering vaginal microbiome test into a clinical platform advancing a new standard of care for women's health," remarked Hana Janebdar, Founder and CEO of Juno Bio. "We've built one of the largest repositories of vaginal microbiome data, helped thousands of women access clearer answers, expanded our clinical and scientific infrastructure, and deepened our partnerships across research and care delivery. This next chapter is about scaling that work, expanding access to more actionable care, and continuing to close the gender health gap. We're incredibly grateful to our investors and partners for their trust in our team and our vision as we move into this next stage of growth."

In contrast to traditional tests that concentrate on a narrow set of pathogens, Juno Bio's platform can identify microbes linked to co-infections, subclinical conditions, and broader microbiome patterns that may affect care. When combined with symptoms and clinical evaluation, the test can clarify the likely causes of issues such as bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, aerobic vaginitis, cytolytic vaginosis, and estrogen-related changes, thereby supporting more informed decisions regarding care, lifestyle, sexual health practices, and prescribed medications.

"Juno Bio is setting a new standard for how vaginal health is understood and managed," said Check Warner, Co-founding Partner at Ada Ventures. "What they've built at this stage, with this level of capital efficiency, is exceptional. We're proud to support the team as they scale their clinical infrastructure and continue leading innovation in this critically underserved category."

Despite the prevalence of vaginal health issues, they remain largely misunderstood. According to data from Juno Bio, before using its test, 67.5% of customers had been incorrectly diagnosed—whether through misdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, or overdiagnosis—and only 13% had received successful treatment. Furthermore, nearly half of users experience co-infections, frequently overlooked by conventional testing but which can significantly affect treatment outcomes.

"The vaginal microbiome is still one of the least understood systems in the body at a clinical scale. With our lab, we're starting to build a measurement standard that clinicians can actually use," explained Leighton Turner, PhD, Founder and CSO of Juno Bio. "We believe the level of detail from this kind of testing can meaningfully improve how vaginal healthcare is provided."

Juno Bio's original wellness test has enabled tens of thousands of individuals to gain a better understanding of their vaginal microbiome. The new clinically actionable test enhances that foundation with physician ordering and review, CLIA-certified lab processing, and results tailored to inform clinical decisions. This test is currently accessible in 46 states, with plans for further expansion.