Bengaluru-based biotechnology startup Venomics AI, a spinout from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has raised $2.7 million funding in its first institutional round. This pre-seed round was co-led by South Park Commons and Speciale Invest with Operators Studio as a participant.

Key Highlights

• Venomics AI raises $2.7 million funding in a pre-seed round co-led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons.
• The IISc spinout will expand its molecular dataset, AI capabilities and laboratory screening for venom-based drug discovery.

The fresh $2.7 million funding will be used to scale the company, develop its molecular database and bolster its artificial intelligence (AI) and laboratory screening tools, according to Venomics AI's press release.

Venomics AI Raises $2.7 Million to Expand AI-Led Drug Discovery

Co-founded in May 2026 by Sunagar and Vinay Prabhu, Venomics AI combines venom biology, molecular sequencing, AI and experimental screening to identify and develop venom-derived therapeutic candidates.

The company wants to create a drug discovery platform that will harness India's venom biodiversity along with scientific and computational intelligence to aid in development of potential drugs for global markets.

The investment will enable the company to enhance its research capabilities and broaden the platform from its proof of concept to molecular discovery and validation.

Bengaluru Startup Venomics AI Develops Venom Atlas Platform

Venomics AI's Venom Atlas will bring together molecular data from venoms, laboratory validation, and drug discovery.

The platform leverages AI to identify potential molecular candidates and subsequently assess them in the lab using functional screening. The outcomes of these experiments guide future predictions and molecular design, which then inform the next experimental step, and so on, in an iterative process to identify and improve candidates for therapeutic molecules.

The company seeks to enhance the process for the discovery and development of venom-based drug candidates by using computational predictions along with experimental validation.

Venomics AI Strengthens Research and Laboratory Capabilities

The company has laid the groundwork for its platform and entered into NVIDIA's Inception initiative. It's also one of the five finalists for the 2026 Indo-Boston Biotech Bridge Award.

Venomics AI will expand their multidisciplinary team to include venom biology, computational science and drug discovery. Additionally, the company will prioritise the validation and optimisation of molecules identified as a target in its platform.

The investment will help these efforts and allow the startup to build its laboratory screening capabilities and molecular dataset.

Venom-Based Drug Discovery Attracts Biotechnology Startups

Venom-derived bioactive peptides and proteins are being explored for their potential applications across several therapeutic areas, including pain management, neurological disorders and cardiovascular diseases.

Startups in this segment are investigating molecules found in snake, scorpion and marine animal venoms to identify candidates that could contribute to future drug development.

One of the companies working in this area is Snaayu Lifesciences, incubated at C-CAMP. The startup is focused on isolating and characterising novel analgesic compounds from cone snail venom.

AI-Driven Drug Discovery Continues to Attract Investor Interest

The broader AI-powered drug discovery sector has also seen funding activity. Bengaluru-based Peptris Technologies raised Rs 70 crore in a Series A round in February 2026, co-led by IAN Alpha Fund and Speciale Invest.

Peptris Technologies uses AI-driven molecular discovery and experimental validation to advance potential drug candidates.

Venomics AI's latest pre-seed round adds to the activity in this emerging segment, where biotechnology companies are combining computational tools with laboratory research to explore new approaches to therapeutic discovery.

With the fresh $2.7 million funding, Venomics AI plans to expand its platform, strengthen its research capabilities and advance the validation of venom-derived molecules for potential therapeutic applications.