Bengaluru-based AI-driven drug discovery startup Peptris has raised ₹70 crore (about $7.7 million) in a Series A round led by IAN Alpha Fund and Speciale Invest, with participation from Tenacity Ventures and BYT Ventures. The funding underlines growing investor interest in India’s deep-tech biotech sector and the use of artificial intelligence in pharmaceutical research.
Company background and technology
Founded in 2019 by Narayanan Venkatasubramanian, Shridhar Narayanan, Anand Budni and Amit Mahajan, Peptris develops AI and machine learning platforms aimed at accelerating drug discovery. The company’s technology focuses on early-stage prediction of drug-like properties, generation and optimisation of novel molecular structures, and reducing the time and costs associated with traditional R&D.
How AI is being applied to drug discovery
Drug discovery typically takes many years and involves substantial capital, with high attrition rates in preclinical and clinical phases. Peptris’ proprietary AI engine is designed to flag promising candidates early by predicting pharmacokinetics, toxicity and other key attributes, thereby lowering the likelihood of expensive late-stage failures.
In addition to designing Novel Chemical Entities (NCEs), Peptris runs drug repurposing and rescue programmes that search for new therapeutic uses for existing or shelved compounds. Several of these programmes are reported to be progressing toward clinical readiness, indicating concrete outputs from AI-driven workflows.
Use of Series A proceeds
Peptris plans to deploy the ₹70 crore over the next 24 months to advance lead programmes toward clinical development, expand its NCE pipeline and scale repurposing initiatives. The company will also hire across scientific, chemistry, AI and data science teams to bolster in-house capabilities.
Part of the capital will be used to deepen the technology stack and improve predictive models, while another portion will support building strategic partnerships in North America and Europe—regions where large pharmaceutical firms increasingly collaborate with AI-enabled biotech startups to improve R&D productivity.
Significance for India’s deep-tech ecosystem
The Series A round reflects rising investor confidence in Indian startups that integrate computational methods with biological research. Peptris exemplifies a new class of companies applying AI beyond conventional sectors such as fintech and e-commerce, targeting domains with direct implications for patient outcomes.
With an experienced founding team, expanding scientific infrastructure and global ambitions, Peptris is positioning itself as a credible participant in the international drug discovery landscape. The funding not only accelerates the company’s programmes but also reinforces India’s emergence as a hub for advanced biotech innovation.
