UBiome

uBiome, Inc. was a biotechnology company based in San Francisco that developed technology to sequence the human microbiome. Founded in 2012, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2019 following an FBI raid in an investigation over possible insurance fraud involving the US health insurance program Medicare. In 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged two of the cofounders (Richman and Apte) with defrauding investors. The couple were also charged with federal crimes including conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. Since 2021, the FBI has considered the founders to be fugitives. History Founding The company was founded by Jessica Richman, Zachary Apte, and Will Ludington who were scientists in the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences. In November 2012, uBiome generated $350,000 through a crowdfunding campaign. The founders received mentoring and funding from Y Combinator and further funding from Andreessen Horowitz and 8VC.