Funding
Venomics AI Raises $2.7 Million Pre-Seed Round Co-Led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons
By News Desk ·
Key takeaways
- Venomics AI raised $2.7 million in its first institutional funding round, a pre-seed co-led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons.
- The Bengaluru startup will use the capital to expand its Venom Atlas dataset and strengthen AI and laboratory screening capabilities.
- Venomics AI was spun out of the Indian Institute of Science and is co-founded by Kartik Sunagar and Vinay Prabhu.
Venomics AI, a Bengaluru-based biotechnology startup spun out of the Indian Institute of Science, has raised $2.7 million in a pre-seed round co-led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons, with participation from Operators Studio. Bwdisrupt reported that this is the company's first institutional funding round.
Speciale Invest and South Park Commons Back Venomics AI
Speciale Invest and South Park Commons co-led the round, with Operators Studio also participating. Venomics AI combines venom biology, artificial intelligence and laboratory-based experimental screening to identify and develop venom-derived molecules for potential therapeutic applications.
The company will use the fresh capital to expand its Venom Atlas, a molecular dataset of venom-derived compounds, strengthen its AI and laboratory screening capabilities, and recruit specialists across venom biology, computational science and drug discovery. The funding will also support the validation and optimisation of promising molecules.
South Park Commons, a San Francisco-based early-stage investor, is targeting India's deeptech and frontier-tech sectors, anticipating the next generation of tech firms will emerge from areas like aerospace and biotech, The Economic Times reported on August 12, 2026.
Venomics AI was co-founded by Kartik Sunagar, professor at IISc, and Vinay Prabhu. Sunagar's research focuses on venom evolution and antivenom development, while Prabhu, who holds a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University, brings expertise in machine learning and large-scale AI systems. Prabhu serves as the company's chief technology officer.
According to the company, the platform aims to connect India's biodiversity resources with computational research and experimental drug discovery to develop potential treatments for global markets. Venomics AI has established the initial architecture of its platform, joined the NVIDIA Inception programme and been selected among the top five finalists for the 2026 Indo-Boston Biotech Bridge Award.
Speciale Invest's Deep-Tech Funding Record
Speciale Invest has been investing in Indian deep-tech for more than nine years since launching early-stage funds in 2017, according to akta.pro company records. The firm launched Growth Fund II in December 2025, targeting INR 1,400–1,600 crore (about $155–177 million) with a first close expected in 2026, deploying $5–8 million cheques into 12–15 growth-stage deep-tech companies. Speciale Invest's Fund III closed at Rs 600 crore (about $68.5 million).
| Fund | Size |
|---|---|
| Fund III | Rs 600 crore (about $68.5 million) |
| Growth Fund II (target) | INR 1,400–1,600 crore (about $155–177 million) |
AI Drug Discovery Rounds Elsewhere
ALLOX raised $10.5 million in seed financing led by Asabys on November 3, 2026, to expand its allosteric drug discovery platform, Pulse 2.0 reported. BioGeometry closed a Series A+ extension pushing total Series A funding past $100 million, led by China Life Capital, Ventureburn reported on October 28, 2026. Hyderabad-based PopVax is seeking at least $50 million to advance its mRNA vaccine and cancer research, Whalesbook reported on October 27, 2026.
Venomics AI's Platform Plans
Venomics AI plans to build its drug discovery capabilities in India while exploring the therapeutic potential of venom-derived molecules for diseases requiring new treatment approaches.