Juno Bio Opens First CLIA-Certified Sequencing Lab Dedicated To Women’s Health

Juno Bio, a women’s health company dedicated to closing the gender health gap through precision vaginal microbiome testing and multi-omics, has opened its first sequencing lab built entirely for women’s health.

The new facility, in Oakland, CA, marks a major step forward in expanding access to high-quality, clinically relevant microbiome testing, officials said.

To fuel this stage of growth, Juno Bio has raised $3.8 million in funding. Investors include Ada Ventures, Artesian, Entrepreneur First and Illumina Accelerator. These investors are known for backing early-stage startups including women’s health.

Clinically Actionable View of Vaginal Health

Using “next-generation” sequencing, officials say Juno Bio’s platform delivers a clinically actionable view of vaginal health, equipping patients and healthcare providers with deeper insights into conditions that are often misunderstood or misdiagnosed.

Since its founding, Juno Bio has helmed a new standard of care for vaginal microbiome health, building one of the largest repositories of vaginal microbiome data and helping thousands of women access more precise testing and treatment. After launching its first wellness test, the company has sold more than 20,000 tests organically and evolved into a clinical platform, expanding its scientific and clinical infrastructure through pharmaceutical R&D partnerships, its own clinical lab, telehealth and pharmacy integrations, and a growing network of medical advisors, including Anna Powell, MD, of The Johns Hopkins, specializing in reproductive infectious disease 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,” said 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.”

Addressing a ‘Critical Gap’ in Women’s Health

Juno Bio’s new clinically actionable vaginal microbiome and STI test is designed to address a critical gap in women’s health, where recurrent infections, fertility concerns and peri- and menopausal symptoms are frequently misunderstood or inadequately treated. Processed in Juno Bio’s own CLIA-certified lab, the test analyzes approximately 10,000 bacteria and fungi, along with four common STIs, to give patients and clinicians a detailed picture of the vaginal ecosystem.

Unlike traditional tests that focus on a limited set of pathogens, Juno Bio’s platform can help identify microbes associated with co-infections, subclinical conditions and broader microbiome patterns that may influence care. When paired with symptoms and clinical review, the test can help clarify likely drivers of concerns such as bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, aerobic vaginitis, cytolytic vaginosis and estrogen-related changes, supporting more informed next steps across care, lifestyle, sexual health practices and prescribed medication.

Despite how common vaginal health concerns are, they remain widely misunderstood. According to Juno Bio data, prior to using its test, 67.5% of customers had been incorrectly diagnosed, whether misdiagnosed, underdiagnosed or overdiagnosed, and only 13% had been successfully treated, according to company research. Additionally, approximately half of users experience co-infections, which are often missed by conventional testing but can significantly impact 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 use,” said 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.”