Venomics AI, a Bengaluru biotechnology start-up spun out of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has raised $2.7 million in a pre-seed round announced on 5 November 2026. The round was co-led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons, with Operators Studio participating, and is the company’s first institutional funding.

The start-up uses artificial intelligence, venom biology and laboratory screening to find molecules in animal venoms that can be developed into medicines. It joins a growing list of Indian deep-tech teams building on home-grown research, alongside the IndiaAI Mission’s new Soket and ZenteiQ foundation models.

How Venomics AI uses AI for venom-based drug discovery

Venomics AI sequences venoms to build what it calls the Venom Atlas, a molecular dataset of venom-derived compounds tied to their measured activity. AI models then rank the most likely drug candidates, and the company tests those predictions in its own wet lab.

Results from each round of testing feed back into the next set of predictions and into molecular design. According to lead investor Speciale Invest, the models are built on open foundations such as ESM and AlphaFold and learn to rank hits, flag toxicity and, over time, redesign venom scaffolds to be safer and more selective.

The approach mirrors a wider push to apply frontier AI to life sciences, from OpenAI’s GPT-6 Rosalind model for drug discovery to Anthropic’s $400 million acquisition of Coefficient Bio.

What the $2.7 million will fund

The company said the money will be used to:

• Expand the Venom Atlas molecular dataset
• Strengthen its AI and laboratory screening capabilities
• Hire across venom biology, computational science and drug discovery
• Validate and optimise its most promising molecules

Who founded Venomics AI?

Venomics AI was co-founded by Kartik Sunagar and Vinay Prabhu. Sunagar is an Associate Professor at IISc’s Centre for Ecological Sciences, where he leads the Evolutionary Venomics Lab, and his research covers venom evolution and antivenom development. Prabhu, the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, holds a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University and works on machine learning and large-scale AI systems.

“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.

Prateek Mehta, General Partner at South Park Commons, said venom “gave us Captopril and GLP-1s”, adding that researchers could until now search only one molecule at a time. “AI changes that,” he said.

Why it matters for India’s AI ecosystem

Speciale Invest said it backs companies whose models learn from proprietary data that is hard to gather. As AI models become widely available, a dataset built from years of fieldwork, permits and experiments could be the main advantage for an Indian start-up competing in global drug discovery. Investor appetite for early-stage Indian AI teams remains strong, as seen in Manicule’s $1.3 million raise from Y Combinator.

Key takeaways

• IISc spin-out Venomics AI raised $2.7 million in pre-seed funding co-led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons.
• Its platform combines a Venom Atlas dataset, AI ranking of candidates and in-house lab testing.
• Funds will expand the dataset, the team and validation of its lead molecules.

FAQ

What does Venomics AI do?

It uses AI, venom biology and lab screening to discover venom-derived molecules that could become new medicines.

Who invested in Venomics AI?

Speciale Invest and South Park Commons co-led the $2.7 million pre-seed round, with participation from Operators Studio.

Featured image: An Indian cobra (Naja naja) raising its hood. Photo: Dr. Raju Kasambe via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Be a part of Elets Collaborative Initiatives. Join Us for Upcoming Events and explore business opportunities. Like us on Facebook , connect with us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter.

"Exciting news! Elets technomedia is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest insights!" Click here!