Venomics AI Raises $2.7 Mn To Turn Venom Into Medicine
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Bengaluru-based biotechnology startup Venomics AI has raised $2.7 Mn (around ₹25.5 Cr) in a pre-seed funding round co-led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons, with participation from Operators Studio.
The startup, spun out of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), combines venom biology, AI and experimental screening to identify and develop venom-derived molecules into potential therapeutic leads.
The fresh capital will be used to expand ‘Venom Atlas’, a molecular dataset of venom-derived compounds, and strengthen its AI and laboratory screening capabilities. The startup also plans to expand its team across venom biology, computational science and drug discovery, while supporting the validation and optimisation of promising molecules.
Founded in 2026 by Kartik Sunagar and Vinay Prabhu, Venomics AI is working to tap the largely unexplored molecular diversity found in animal venoms to identify potential drug candidates.
Animal venoms contain complex molecules that have evolved over millions of years to interact with specific biological targets. Some of these compounds have already inspired medicines.
However, a large part of the molecular diversity across venomous species remains unexplored, presenting an opportunity for drug discovery.
Venomics AI is building a platform that combines molecular sequencing and venom biology to map this diversity through its Venom Atlas. It then uses AI to prioritise promising molecular candidates and validates its predictions through functional laboratory screening.
“Animal venoms represent one of nature’s richest yet least explored sources of potential medicines, and at Venomics AI, we are combining cutting-edge experimental science with artificial intelligence to unlock this extraordinary potential,” Sunagar said.
India’s bioeconomy is on track to reach $300 Bn by 2030, with the country’s rapid emergence as a global biotechnology hub, based on IBEF data. Notably, the biotech sector in the country has been booming in recent years. The country is home to more than 11,000 biotech startups.
Also, as part of the Budget 2027, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new ‘Biopharma SHAKTI’ scheme with an outlay of ₹10,000 Cr.
Meanwhile, investor interest in this space has been gradually seeing an uptick, where earlier this year, Cellogen Therapeutics secured ₹20 Cr in funding from Kotak Alternate Asset Managers (Kotak Alts), while StrainX Bioworks has raised $13 Mn in a funding round led by Prime Venture Partners and Leo Capital.
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