Expora Therapeutics Receives Grant from University System of Maryland Launch Fund

Expora Therapeutics has been selected as a recipient of a University System of Maryland Launch Fund grant, as announced by USM on February 23, 2026.

Frederick County Biotech Startup Advancing Novel Probiotic Delivery Technology

FREDERICK COUNTY, MD — February 23, 2026 — Expora Therapeutics, a biotech startup pioneering a new approach to probiotic therapeutics and consumer health products, today announced it has received a grant from the University System of Maryland (USM) Launch Fund. The funding will support Expora's continued development of its bacterial extracellular vesicle (BEV) platform — a breakthrough technology that harnesses the natural "bubbles" secreted by beneficial bacteria to deliver health benefits more reliably and at scale.

Traditional probiotics rely on live bacteria, which are inherently unstable and often produce inconsistent health benefits from person to person. Expora's proprietary platform addresses this fundamental limitation by mass-producing bacterial extracellular vesicles — tiny biological particles naturally released by healthy gut bacteria — which carry the bioactive compounds responsible for the beneficial effects of probiotics. By decoupling these benefits from the live bacteria themselves, Expora enables more consistent, targeted, and scalable therapeutics and consumer health products.

"This grant from the USM Launch Fund is meaningful validation of the science and the mission behind Expora," said Nick Pirolli, founder of Expora Therapeutics. "Bacterial extracellular vesicles represent a paradigm shift in how we think about probiotics and gut health. This funding will help us accelerate our research and move closer to bringing effective, reliable products to market."

Expora Therapeutics emerged from research conducted at the University of Maryland, College Park, where Pirolli earned both his bachelor's degree and doctorate. The company is based in Frederick County, Maryland.

The USM Launch Fund, established as a pilot program in 2023 and administered by the USM Office of Research and Economic Development, provides early-stage capital to student, faculty, alumni, and university-affiliated startups across Maryland. The fund has distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants since its inception, supporting entrepreneurs who might otherwise lack access to critical seed funding.

"These grants provide essential early capital for our startups, but they do more than that," said USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman. "They create a community of innovation."

Expora joins a cohort of innovative, Maryland-based companies receiving support in this latest round of USM Launch Fund awards.