Peptris Secures Rs 70 Cr Series A To Push AI-generated Drug Pipeline Toward Clinical Stage In 24 Months – BW Disrupt

Peptris, a Bengaluru-based drug discovery company, has raised Rs 70 crore (approximately USD 7.7 million) in a Series A round co-led by IAN Alpha Fund and Speciale Invest, with additional participation from Tenacity Ventures, BYT Ventures, and other backers. The funding will fuel the company’s push to advance its AI-generated drug candidates toward clinical readiness within the next two years while expanding its discovery pipeline and scaling core scientific and computational capabilities.

Funding Focus: Clinical Readiness in 24 Months

Over the next 24 months, Peptris plans to deploy the capital to accelerate lead programmes toward clinical milestones, broaden its portfolio of discovery-stage assets, and deepen its bench strength across biology, medicinal chemistry, data science, and artificial intelligence. The company aims to systematically lower early-stage attrition by improving decision quality and speed in preclinical research.

AI-Driven Platform for Novel Molecules

Founded in 2019 by Narayanan Venkatasubramanian, Shridhar Narayanan, Anand Budni, and Amit Mahajan, Peptris has built AI models that design novel molecules and predict critical parameters relevant to efficacy, safety, and developability. By combining generative chemistry with predictive modeling, the platform is intended to reduce failure risk in the discovery-to-preclinical transition and compress timelines through data-informed selection and optimization.

The approach has already contributed to the identification of Novel Chemical Entities (NCEs) and uncovered opportunities in drug repurposing and rescue. Several programmes are advancing toward clinical development, underscoring the platform’s potential to deliver high-quality candidates faster.

Tackling Structural Bottlenecks in Drug Discovery

Drug discovery is often hampered by high costs, lengthy cycles, and scientific uncertainty, leading to attrition before human studies begin. Peptris targets these challenges in the preclinical stage by:

• Prioritizing candidates with stronger predictive profiles for efficacy and safety
• Optimizing molecular properties earlier to reduce downstream risk
• Integrating biology, chemistry, and AI to streamline decision-making

Pipeline Expansion and Asset Strategy

Alongside developing its own NCEs, Peptris plans to launch additional discovery programmes and pursue repurposing and rescue strategies, including working with clinical-stage assets previously shelved by other pharmaceutical companies. This dual-track approach is designed to accelerate time-to-value while maintaining a robust flow of novel candidates.

B2B Partnerships and Commercial Model

Peptris operates on a B2B model, collaborating with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies—and selectively with FMCG firms—to license assets and co-develop programmes. These partnerships enable risk-sharing, access to broader clinical development infrastructure, and opportunities for global deployment of successful candidates.

Therapeutic Focus Areas

The company’s current research centres on areas with significant unmet need, including:

• Rare diseases
• Oncology
• Inflammation
• Women’s health

By concentrating on these segments, Peptris seeks to deliver meaningful clinical impact while leveraging its AI platform to uncover novel mechanisms and optimize lead molecules.

Outlook

With fresh capital and an expanding AI-first R&D engine, Peptris is positioning its lead assets for clinical readiness within 24 months. The strategy blends de novo drug design with targeted repurposing, underpinned by partnerships that can accelerate development and market access. If successful, the company could help reshape early-stage drug discovery by reducing uncertainty, cost, and time to the clinic across multiple therapeutic areas.