Venomics AI raises $2.7M to turn animal venom into medicine
What's the deal? Venomics AIDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a biotechnology startup spun out of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has raised $2.7 million in its first institutional funding round. The pre-seed round was co-led by Speciale InvestDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and South Park Commons, with participation from Operators StudioDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
What's the endgame? The Bengaluru-based company is building the Venom Atlas, a molecular dataset of venom-derived compounds. It pairs venom biology and molecular sequencing with AI, which prioritises candidate molecules, then tests those predictions through lab screening and feeds the results back into the model.
Where the money goes: Venomics AI will expand the Venom Atlas, strengthen its AI and laboratory screening, and validate promising molecules. It also plans to hire across venom biology, computational science, and drug discovery.
Co-founded in May 2026 by IISc professor Kartik Sunagar and Vinay Prabhu, the company aims to tap India's venom biodiversity for global drug development. Sunagar's research spans venom evolution and antivenom development; Prabhu, chief technology officer, holds a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University and works on machine learning.
"Animal venoms represent one of nature's richest yet least explored sources of potential medicines," Sunagar said. The company has joined the NVIDIA Inception programme and is among five finalists for the 2026 Indo-Boston Biotech Bridge Award.
What could go wrong? The approach is not purely speculative — captopril and ziconotide are established venom-derived drugs. But turning new venom molecules into safe, effective medicines still requires extensive validation, and the company has yet to show a viable drug candidate.
The signal: The round reflects rising Indian investor interest in AI-driven drug discovery. Bengaluru-based Peptris raised US$9.51M in a Series A co-led by Speciale Invest in February 2026, underscoring momentum in AI-enabled life sciences across the country.
Read more: techinasia.com, inc42.com, entrackr.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
