What if preventing chronic illness was as simple as taking a gut test? Eleonora Cavani thinks it might be. A molecular biologist with a background in pharmaceutical engineering and a former BCG consultant, Cavani is now on a mission to transform early childhood health through gut microbiome science. As co-founder of Alba Health, a Swedish-Danish startup backed by Oura co-founder Petteri Lahtela, she’s creating a new frontier in preventative healthcare for children.
Cavani’s passion is deeply personal. In her 20s, she grappled with debilitating eczema, chronic pain, and anxiety — conditions that traditional medicine couldn’t alleviate. She found lasting relief only through years of independent research and lifestyle changes focused on gut health.
Cavani told TFN exclusively, “I spent years dealing with severe eczema and began researching the gut microbiome myself. When I experienced a full recovery through diet and gut-focused changes, I knew we were missing an opportunity to intervene earlier. That, paired with a massive market need – parents seeking answers to common but distressing symptoms in their kids – was the spark for Alba. ”
How Alba Health closes the child health gap
Cavani sees a massive, underserved market: parents grappling with unexplained but common symptoms in their children — colic, constipation, eczema — and no clear answers.
In a conversation with TFN, Cavani explains: “We help parents know what and how to feed their children for optimal development and to reduce health risks later in life—based on the latest science. This is based on the insight that nutrition and gut health in early life can affect short-term symptoms like colic, constipation, and eczema as well as asthma, allergies, and obesity later in life.”
Studies show that over 50% of babies will experience gut symptoms, over 20% will have colic, and one-third of school-aged children have an allergic condition. Symptoms linked to the gut often lead to crying and sleep disruption, which are incredibly stressful for parents. At the same time, chronic diseases affect 40% of school-aged kids in the US.
“Managing chronic diseases with pharmaceuticals that mask symptoms is simply not good enough. People want to stay healthy and live as long as possible, and now everyone has unlimited knowledge. We at Alba help parents cut through the noise and learn everything they can do to give their kids the best start in life in a personalised way,” shares Cavani.
Her leadership hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2024, she was named Female Founder of the Year at the Europas Awards and was one of 22 speakers at Bryan Johnson’s inaugural Don’t Die Summit.
Why gut health is the next big thing
“There’s a critical window between birth and age three where the gut microbiome shapes future health,” says Cavani. “Most people don’t know this yet — but they will.”
Alba Health is redefining gut care with a data-driven, human-centred approach. Cavani shared exclusively with TFN: “Our approach is holistic, science-backed, and actionable. We combine research-grade metagenomics (sequencing microbial DNA) with AI-driven insights and 1:1 coaching with a certified Nutrition and health Coach. Our platform doesn’t just give you insights into your child’s gut health, but helps you act. Our proprietary data engine links the gut microbiome to hundreds of real parent concerns, from colic to eczema, using over 300,000 data points.”
Backed by over 1600 scientific publications, Alba Health has also launched its own longitudinal PREVENT Study, tracking the microbiome development of over 300 Swedish families in partnership with leading universities. The company is the first to develop a proprietary data platform that connects gut health to hundreds of parental concerns, with over 300,000 data points.
Professor de Vos, a pioneer in microbiome science who previously co-founded the HELMi cohort at the University of Helsinki and now leads Alba Health’s clinical research efforts, says: “The studies I was involved in as well as those of others have shown that the gut microbiome in the first years of life can predict health later on, including risk of allergies or infections, weight development or excessive crying. In our PREVENT study, we have found that we can predict which children have constipation from their gut microbiome.”
Thea Messel, General Partner at Unconventional Ventures, said, “Alba Health is bridging cutting-edge microbiome science with a massive unmet market need. Eleonora and Willem’s rare mix of lived experience, clinical insight, and execution made this an immediate yes for us.”
Recent $2.5M funding backed by Oura co-founder
The company was recently named one of three global winners at Probiota Pioneers 2025, an event showcasing microbiome and probiotic science innovation.
And this week, Alba closed a $2.5 million seed round, led by Unconventional Ventures with participation from Exceptional Ventures, Voima Ventures, Noaber, and Petteri Lahtela (co-founder of Oura). This brings the total funding to $5 million, including earlier grants and pre-seed rounds.
Earlier this week, Alba Health raised a $2.5 million seed funding round to advance its innovative approach to digital gut health support for children. The round was led by Unconventional Ventures, with participation from Exceptional Ventures and continued investment from Voima Ventures, Noaber, Bust, and Petteri Lahtela (co-founder of Oura).
Cavani shared with TFN: “We aren’t disclosing our valuation publicly at this stage, but we’ve raised $5M in total funding to date. That includes $2.8 million in previous funding and grants, and our most recent $2.5M”
“The new capital will fuel product development, clinical research, and expansion across Europe and the US,” says Cavani. “We’re growing 30% month-on-month, and much of that is through word-of-mouth. The need is real, and people are sharing what’s working.”
What’s next for Alba Health?
Cavani knows what it’s like to be dismissed by the healthcare system, which gives her a deep connection to her target audience.
“Our core customers are women aged 30–45, often struggling to find answers for their kids. I’ve been there. I can translate complex science into practical steps and build a team that bridges research, tech, and real-world parenting.”
When asked about being a woman in health tech, she doesn’t flinch. “My advice? Don’t dwell on what might hold you back. Focus on your unique strengths. Everyone has a ‘zone of genius’ — unlocking that is more important than trying to conform.”
Cavani envisions Alba becoming the go-to platform for childhood gut health worldwide. The roadmap includes scaling across the UK, Europe, and the US, deepening clinical partnerships, expanding the PREVENT study, and refining the platform’s predictive capabilities.
As Oura founder Petteri Lahtela puts it: “Gut health is poised to become the next sleep.” With Alba Health leading the charge, that prediction may arrive sooner than we think.
