Venomics AI Funding: Raises $2.7 Million in Pre-Seed Round
- Venomics AI raised $2.7 million in a pre-seed round co-led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons, with participation from Operators Studio.
- The startup is developing Venom Atlas, an AI-powered platform combining venom-derived molecular data, computational analysis and laboratory screening.
- The Bengaluru-based biotechnology company was spun out of the Indian Institute of Science and was co-founded by Prof. Kartik Sunagar and Dr. Vinay Prabhu.
Venomics AI, a Bengaluru-based biotechnology startup spun out of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has raised $2.7 million in a pre-seed funding round co-led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons. Operators Studio also participated in the round.
The company will use the fresh capital to expand its operations, build its molecular dataset, strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI) and laboratory screening capabilities, and hire across venom biology, computational science and drug discovery.
Co-founded by Prof. Kartik Sunagar and Dr. Vinay Prabhu, Venomics AI is developing a platform that combines venom biology, molecular sequencing, machine learning and experimental screening to identify molecules that could serve as starting points for new medicines.
The company’s core product, Venom Atlas, is designed to connect molecular data obtained from animal venoms with biological activity and laboratory validation. Its AI models prioritise promising molecular candidates, which are then tested through functional screening. Results from these experiments are fed back into the system to improve subsequent predictions and molecular design.
The approach combines computational discovery with experimental testing, allowing the company to evaluate whether AI-identified molecules demonstrate the expected biological activity.
The company has established the initial architecture of its platform and joined the NVIDIA Inception programme, which supports startups developing AI and accelerated-computing technologies. It was also selected among the top five finalists for the 2026 Indo-Boston Biotech Bridge Award, organised by Nucleate India and the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE), with support from LabCentral.
India’s biodiversity provides a broad research base for studying venom-producing species, including snakes, scorpions and marine animals. Venomics AI aims to use this biological diversity alongside India’s scientific and computational capabilities to develop a drug discovery platform for global therapeutic research.
