Peptris Raises ₹70 Crore in Series A to Accelerate AI-Driven Drug Discovery
Introduction
India’s deep-tech and healthcare innovation ecosystem is witnessing a surge in investor confidence, especially in startups using artificial intelligence to solve complex scientific problems. One such emerging player is Peptris, a Bengaluru-based drug discovery company leveraging AI to transform how new medicines are discovered and developed. As pharmaceutical companies worldwide face rising costs, long timelines, and high failure rates, AI-driven platforms are increasingly viewed as the future of drug development. Peptris has now secured fresh capital to accelerate its research pipeline and move promising therapies closer to clinical trials, positioning itself as a key player in next-generation healthcare innovation.
About the Funding
Peptris has raised ₹70 crore (approximately $7.7 million) in a Series A funding round co-led by IAN Alpha Fund and Speciale Invest. The round also saw participation from Tenacity Ventures, BYT Ventures, and other investors. This funding underscores growing global interest in AI-led drug discovery platforms capable of significantly reducing research timelines and improving success rates. Investors are increasingly backing companies that combine scientific rigor with scalable technology, and Peptris fits squarely within this category.
Use of Funds
The newly raised capital will be deployed over the next 24 months to advance the company’s existing drug programs toward clinical readiness while expanding its discovery pipeline. Peptris plans to strengthen its multidisciplinary teams across biology, chemistry, artificial intelligence, data science, and computational modeling. The startup also intends to build business development capabilities in the United States and Europe to deepen partnerships with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. These investments aim to accelerate the transition from early research to clinical development — a critical milestone for any drug discovery company.
About the Startup
Founded in 2019, Peptris focuses on addressing one of healthcare’s most persistent challenges — the slow, expensive, and failure-prone nature of drug discovery. Traditionally, bringing a new drug to market can take more than a decade and cost billions of dollars, with the majority of candidates failing during early research stages. Peptris seeks to dramatically improve this process using AI-driven molecular discovery, predictive analytics, and computational modeling to identify viable drug candidates faster and with greater accuracy.
How It Started and the Founders
Peptris was co-founded by Narayanan Venkatasubramanian, Shridhar Narayanan, Anand Budni, and Amit Mahajan — professionals with deep expertise in computational science, artificial intelligence, and pharmaceutical research. Their vision was to harness machine learning and data-driven approaches to reduce uncertainty in early-stage drug development and address critical unmet medical needs worldwide. By combining expertise across technology and life sciences, the founding team built a platform designed to bridge the gap between computational innovation and real-world healthcare impact.
Technology and Market Opportunity
Peptris has developed proprietary AI models capable of generating novel molecules and predicting key drug development parameters such as efficacy, toxicity, stability, and manufacturability at a very early stage. This capability is particularly valuable in pre-clinical research, where many drug candidates fail due to unforeseen issues.
The platform has already produced Novel Chemical Entities (NCEs) and identified drug repurposing opportunities, including “rescue” programs involving shelved clinical-stage drugs from other pharmaceutical companies. By targeting bottlenecks in early discovery, Peptris aims to significantly shorten development timelines and improve success rates. With global demand rising for faster and more cost-efficient drug development, the market opportunity for AI-driven platforms is substantial.
Business Model and Revenue Streams
Peptris operates primarily on a B2B engagement model. It collaborates with pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, and select FMCG partners to license discovered assets or co-develop new therapies. Revenue is generated through milestone payments, licensing fees, research partnerships, and potential royalties from successful drug commercialization.
The startup is currently focused on therapeutic areas with significant unmet needs, including rare diseases, oncology, inflammation, and women’s health — segments where traditional drug development has struggled to deliver sufficient solutions. By targeting these high-impact areas, Peptris aims to create both commercial value and meaningful patient outcomes.
Future Plans
Looking ahead, Peptris plans to initiate several new NCE programs alongside multiple drug repurposing initiatives. The company aims to advance multiple candidates into clinical trials, expand global partnerships, and position itself as a leading AI-driven drug discovery platform emerging from India. Strengthening its presence in international markets will be a key priority as it seeks collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies and research institutions. Over time, Peptris aspires to build a robust pipeline of therapies that can address some of the world’s most challenging diseases.
Conclusion
Peptris’ ₹70 crore Series A funding marks a significant milestone in its journey to transform drug discovery through artificial intelligence. With strong investor backing, a powerful technology platform, and a focus on high-impact therapeutic areas, the company is well positioned to contribute meaningfully to global healthcare innovation while building a scalable deep-tech business from India. As AI continues to reshape the life sciences sector, startups like Peptris could play a pivotal role in bringing faster, safer, and more effective treatments to patients worldwide.
At Angeltors, we track breakthrough deep-tech and healthcare startups shaping the future of innovation. Follow Angeltors for curated funding news, founder journeys, and early insights from India’s private markets.
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