Pandorum Technologies Raises $18M in Series B to Advance Global Access to Programmable Tissue Regenerative Therapies

Pandorum Technologies, a biotechnology company pioneering programmable regenerative medicine, with operations in India and the United States, has announced the closing of a US$18 million in Series B financing round, to advance the clinical development of its disease-modifying, tunable, exosome-based therapies, including Kuragenx, while scaling global manufacturing and expanding operations across the U.S., Japan, and the Middle East.

The round was led by Protons Corporate, with participation from Galentic Pharma, marquee investor Ashish Kacholia, Noblevast Advisory and Avinya Fund, Burman Family and others. Bandana Kankani, advisor and investor at Pandorum, had guided the transaction, optimizing the alignment between the investment architecture and company’s value creation.

Founded by Tuhin Bhowmick and Arun Chandru, Pandorum’s proprietary platform combines biology, engineering, and computation to develop tunable, regenerative exosome therapies that reprogram pathological tissue states, like inflammation and fibrosis, toward functional recovery.

"Just like the Ship of Theseus, the human body is constantly being rebuilt. Pandorum focuses on restoring biological memory, redefining regenerative medicine at its core, “said Dr. Tuhin Bhowmick, Co-Founder and CEO of Pandorum. “Our approach treats tissue health, disease, and degeneration as a navigational challenge within an information-constrained biological landscape,” added Dr. Tuhin. “This funding would enable us to translate breakthrough science into programmable, disease-modifying therapies, beginning with single-tissue applications and scaling to multi-tissue repair, aligned with Pandorum’s vision- to heal fast and age slow.”

Congratulations to our team for this achievement. Regenerative medicine, particularly for corneal blindness, is a global necessity that knows no borders, said co-founder Arun Chandru.

The clinical translation efforts are led by globally recognized clinicians, including Dr. Virender Singh Sangwan (Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi), Dr. Shigeru Kinoshita (Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto), and Dr. Ramez Haddadin and Dr. Satish Nadig (Northwestern Medicine, Chicago).

Pandorum has implemented a globally distributed manufacturing strategy, including a CDMO partnership with AGC Biologics (Italy) for the U.S. and European markets, and a strategic collaboration with Nucelion Therapeutics (India), a subsidiary of Bharat Biotech, to support supply across the Asia-Pacific region. The company is also exploring potential partnerships in the Middle East.

Pandorum’s primary focus is on ocular surface diseases, such as Stevens–Johnson Syndrome and Neurotrophic Keratitis, for which Kuragenx has received U.S. FDA Orphan Drug Designation. In addition to ophthalmology, it is expanding its tunable platform to address systemic conditions, including inflammatory and degenerative diseases affecting the lung, liver, and nervous systems.

About Pandorum Technologies

Pandorum Technologies is a biotechnology company focused on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The company operates research facilities in India, and the U.S. For more information, visit www.pandorum.com

QRL Bioscience Secures ₹3 Crore from GVFL to Advance Regenerative Therapies for Chronic Diseases

QRL Bioscience, a cutting-edge biotechnology company dedicated to developing personalised, cell-based therapies for chronic degenerative diseases, has raised Rs. 3 crore in its latest funding round from GVFL, one of India’s pioneering venture capital firms.

QRL Bioscience was founded by Dr. Senthilkumar Natesan, a virologist specializing in HIV, immunology, and cell therapy; Mr. Sanjoy Bhagat, a seasoned business leader with over 20 years’ experience and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad; and Dr. Kranti Vora, master’s in public health (MPH) from Johns Hopkins University, USA and PhD from University of Maryland, College Park, USA. Together, they combine deep scientific expertise with strong business acumen to advance innovative healthcare solutions.

Founded initially with a vision to transform the treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFU) and Osteoarthritis, QRL Bioscience is spearheading a new era of regenerative medicine in India. The fresh capital infusion from GVFL will be utilised to accelerate the clinical trial phase of its DFU therapy and support the preclinical development of its osteoarthritis treatment.

Speaking on the investment, Mr. Mihir Joshi, Managing Director of GVFL, said, “QRL Bioscience is a perfect example of the innovation and scientific rigour that GVFL is committed to supporting. Its living-cell based therapeutic platform has immense potential to address significant unmet medical needs, both in India and globally. We are excited to partner with QRL as it leads the way in pioneering personalised regenerative medicine.”

QRL previously raised a seed fund from Tie India Angel investors.

QRL Bioscience plans to deploy the capital strategically over the next 22 months. The majority of the funds will support the ongoing DFU clinical trial, while the remainder will be allocated to advancing the osteoarthritis treatment product, including formulation development and regulatory preparations.

Dr. Senthil Natesan, co-founder of QRL Bioscience, said, “We are building an Indian company with a global vision by creating truly novel solutions to improve human health worldwide. Our pioneering personalized medicine using living cell-based therapies will address long-standing health challenges. This funding will bring our DFU product closer to market readiness and advance our osteoarthritis therapy to its next major milestone. We are grateful for the confidence GVFL has placed in us and look forward to welcoming additional strategic partners in this round.”

QRL Bioscience has made significant progress since its last funding round. These include initiating clinical groundwork for DFU therapy and achieving key research milestones in osteoarthritis treatment. The company has also laid a strong foundation for market readiness by engaging doctors, identifying distribution channels, and strengthening its supply chain capabilities.

The company is also exploring co-development and co-marketing partnerships in the orthopaedic space to accelerate its go-to-market strategy.

BioTech Startup CrisprBits Develops Platform for CRISPR-based Diagnostics for Early Detection of Antibiotic Resistance

This new CRISPR-based platform combats antibiotic resistance in hospital-acquired infections by delivering results within two hours, enabling faster and targeted treatment for patients

Bengaluru-based biotechnology startup CrisprBits Private Limited, has developed PathCrisp, a platform for CRISPR-based molecular diagnostics for early detection of antibiotic resistance in hospital-acquired infections.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health challenge, requiring early and accurate detection of resistance markers in hospital-acquired infections, particularly in ICU settings. A recent analysis in The Lancet found that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) contributed to nearly 4.7 million deaths globally in 2021, with over a million directly caused by resistant infections. India alone has reported over a million AMR associated deaths in 2019.

Carbapenems, a class of antibiotics, often serve as the last line of defense against multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections. However, New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase(NDM) driven carbapenem resistance is a major concern in hospitals across India, contributing significantly to the antimicrobial resistance burden. This enzyme enables bacteria to break down carbapenems and other beta-lactam antibiotics, severely limiting treatment options and posing a significant challenge in clinical settings.

CrisprBits' latest study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, showcases PathCrisp’s ability to detect carbapenem resistance in bacterial samples from patients. In the study, the PathCrisp platform was used to test the presence or absence of NDM in DNA isolated from 49 clinical bacterial samples. The data showed 100% concordance with other techniques used as the gold standard (PCR-Sanger sequencing) for the same. The study was a collaborative research between CrisprBits, with Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher learning, Puttaparthi, and Asoka University, NCR region.

Commenting on the platform, Dr. Reety Arora, Principal Scientist at CrisprBits and corresponding author of the study, said,

With the growing need for rapid AMR detection, PathCrisp emerges as a reliable molecular diagnostic tool for clinical applications PathCrisp offers a fast and accurate alternative to traditional methods, leveraging CRISPR-Cas technology for unparalleled precision and instrument-light adaptability making it well suited for point of care diagnostics. The test provides an end-to-end solution, delivering results within two hours. It operates at a constant temperature, eliminating the need for a thermocycler, and works directly on various samples, including bacterial cultures.

“The rising burden of carbapenem-resistant infections is driving up healthcare costs, prolonging hospital stays, and increasing ICU admissions and mortality. Traditional diagnostic methods, such as bacterial culture and PCR-based testing, can take 24–72 hours, delaying critical treatment decisions. In this scenario, a rapid and highly accurate test like PathCrisp, developed by CrisprBits, can enable direct detection from clinical samples without expensive equipment or prolonged culture processes, ensuring early recognition and targeted therapy. It is an exciting development with the potential to change clinical practice.” says Dr. Ramakrishna Prasad, Global Medical Director, Swasti & Co-Chair, WONCA SouthAsia Region - Research, a leading medical expert in infectious disease in Bangalore.

“The simple workflow of PathCrisp makes it highly versatile, with potential applications across healthcare, one-health, and surveillance settings. As the platform continues to evolve, it is poised to become a robust point-of-care diagnostic tool” notes Vandana Hegde, Head of Business Development at CrisprBits.

Future R&D efforts will focus on adapting PathCrisp for low-resource settings by developing lyophilized reagents for room-temperature stability. Additionally, smart engineering approaches will be explored to create a multiplexed version, expanding its diagnostic capabilities.

CrisprBits Pvt Ltd is one of the first Indian CRISPR based companies developing high-quality and affordable One Health solutions in diagnostics and gene editing. Founded and mentored by five distinguished alumni of BITS Pilani, Prof. Vijay Chandru, Sunil Arora, Prof. Rajeev Kohli, Bharat Jobanputra, and Aditya Sarda, the NCR headquartered CRISPRBITS operates a 7800 sqft state-of-the-art facility in Bangalore, for CRISPR R&D and prototype development.

CrisprBits operates under three key principles: using deep science to deliver high quality products; adhering to the highest ethical standards, including in the choice of products they offer; and developing an organization that draws exceptional individuals with diverse backgrounds and affinities.

Website: CrisprBits

Bhubaneswar-based Biotech Startup Exsure Raises ₹ 3 Cr in Seed Round Led by Unicorn India Ventures

• Exsure has built India’s first patented Exosome-based drug that works to reduce side-effects and toxicity of anti-cancer drugs
• With its cutting-edge technology, Exsure aims to improve the overall survival and therapy outcomes of cancer patients
• Company’s mission is to revolutionize and democratize cancer therapy by making quality and affordable cancer treatment available for all
• Exsure also reported a 5 fold growth last fiscal year
• The funds raised will be used to complete the milestones of non-clinical study with its Exosome-based drug delivery vehicle and will also support Exsure’s global expansion with its in-house manufactured R&D products and promote Exosure, Leucosure, PlantExosure & Dr Berries.
• Exsure has recently launched India’s first plant exosome isolation reagent.

Bhubaneswar based biotech startup Exsure has raised Rs 3 Cr in a seed round led by Unicorn India Ventures. The funds raised will be used to complete the milestones of non-clinical study with its exosome-based drug delivery vehicle and will also support Exsure’s global expansion plan with its in-house manufactured R&D products and promote Exosure, Leucosure, PlantExosure & Dr Berries.

Founded in 2021 by Swastika Paul and Abhishek Dutta, Exsure is a biotech startup working to reduce side-effects and toxicity of anti-cancer drugs by its patented exosomal drug-delivery platform that targets both cancer and cancer-stem cells. With its cutting-edge technology the company aims at reducing the toxic effects of chemotherapy and chances of cancer relapse improving the quality of lives of patients suffering from cancer.

In the last 12 months, Exsure has initiated the non-clinical study in India in collaboration with a CRO and completed one of its milestones in the preclinical study using its patented technology. The company also reported a 5 fold growth last fiscal year and is on track to service more than 50 clients this year with its R&D products, Exosure (3-in-1 exosome isolation reagent), Leucosure (PBMC isolation reagent) and PlantExosure (India’s 1st Plant exosome isolation reagent). It has also been selected for the OIST Innovation Accelerator program in Japan for business expansion and conducting clinical trials.

Commenting on the investment, Bhaskar Majumdar, Managing Partner, Unicorn India Ventures, says, "The fear of Big C is real not just for the patients but even their families. Exsure with its advancement in scientific tools, technology and cutting edge medical research has built a powerful Exosome based drug that commits to staying at the forefront of advancement in therapeutics science. The funding accelerates Exsure’s mission to deploy solutions at a global level. We believe Exsure will not only continue to sustain its momentum but also grow due to its potential for transformative breakthroughs through its nano delivery platform. The company has witnessed remarkable progress in the last 12 months and has launched more innovative products. Hence, we believe the market opportunity is huge and the company has built the right momentum to capitalise on this segment.”

In the coming 12 months, Exsure will finish the non-clinical study and work on team building. The company also plans to present its data for CDSCO approval, strengthen the team size along with expanding its product marketing and sales at a global level.

Swastika Paul, CSO & Co-founder, Exsure, says:

During our PhD journey, we witnessed the toxicity of the present-day chemotherapy drugs and how 13% of the in-treatment cancer patients die due to toxicity of the chemotherapy drugs. Exsure is on a mission to reduce the toxicity of the chemotherapy drugs and make them more targeted to the cancerous cells. Our vision is to empower millions of cancer patients around the world and improve their quality of life.

The company has launched its first in-house manufactured products and gained collaborators/partners Pan India for its products and services. Exsure has also signed contracts with distributors to expand the market for products at global level.

According to IBEF (INDIA BRAND EQUITY FOUNDATION), the Indian biotechnology industry is expected to reach $150 billion by 2025 and has the potential to reach$ 270-300 billion by the year 2030. By 2025, the contribution of the Indian biotechnology industry to the global biotechnology market is expected to grow to 19%, giving hyper growth opportunity to Exsure.

About Unicorn India Ventures

Started in 2016 by Bhaskar Majumdar and Anil Joshi, Unicorn India Ventures is a technology focused early-stage venture fund that invests in emerging and visionary startups. Unicorn India Ventures launched its first fund with a corpus of Rs 100 crore and invested in 17 companies like SmartCoin, Open Bank, Sequretek, Pharmarack, Genrobotics, Clootrack, FutureCure to mention some. The Fund has emerged as the best performing early stage fund in India with the stellar exits provided by the fund to its LPs.

Fund II is a Rs 300 Cr fund launched in 2020 that has invested in 20 companies so far like Gamerji, Probus, Daalchini, Windo, HiWi. Most of the portfolio is scaling up fast and has had several uprounds.

Unicorn India Ventures is closing its Rs 1000 Cr Fund III. The first close was reached at Rs 225 crore. The Fund is expected to reach its final close this year. With this Fund, UIV aims to build a portfolio of 20 startups that are focused mostly in the deep tech sector that includes semiconductor, space tech, and medical diagnostics apart from SaaS and India digital platforms. Unicorn has already made 11 investments from this fund and includes companies like Netrasami, Qubehealth, Orbitaid, Aurassure amongst others.

About Exsure

Founded by Swastika Paul and Abhishek Dutta in 2021, Exsure is a biotech startup working to reduce side-effects and toxicity of anti-cancer drugs by its patented exosomal drug-delivery platform. With their technology, Exsure aims to improve the overall survival and therapy outcomes of cancer patients.

Accenture Invests in Dr. Sam Gambhir Co-Founded Earli to Expand Collabs with Global Health, Pharma Co.s

On August 19, 2024, Accenture announced a strategic investment in Earli Inc. through Accenture Ventures. Earli Inc. is a biotechnology company that has developed a novel approach, "Synthetic Biopsies", for early cancer detection using a synthetic targeting platform. This platform selectively reprograms cancer cells to reveal and destroy themselves, enhancing the sensitivity and specificity of cancer detection.

This investment aims to support Earli's collaborations with global health and pharmaceutical companies, enabling more rapid and accurate cancer detection and treatment. The synthetic biopsy method developed by Earli is expected to significantly improve the precision and efficacy of new treatments and diagnostics.

Earli Inc. was founded in 2018, by Cyriac Roeding, David Suhy, and Dr. Sanjiv 'Sam' Gambhir. The company focuses on developing innovative technologies for early cancer detection.

Earli Inc. has attracted investments from several notable companies and venture capital firms. Some of the key investors include Khosla Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Perceptive Advisors, Casdin Capital, Sands Capital and Breyer Capital, among others.

The idea for Earli Inc.‘s early cancer detection technology stemmed from the founders’ combined expertise and personal motivations.

Earli's co-founder include Dr. Sanjiv 'Sam' Gambhir, who was a renowned physician-scientist and a pioneer in molecular imaging and early cancer detection. Born on November 23, 1962, in Ambala, Haryana, India, he moved to the United States with his family in 1969.

Dr. Sanjiv 'Sam' Gambhir

Dr. Gambhir held several prestigious positions at Stanford University, including the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor in Cancer Research, Chairman of the Department of Radiology, and Director of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS). He was instrumental in advancing techniques for molecular imaging, particularly positron emission tomography (PET), which helps detect early signs of disease, especially cancer.

Throughout his career, Dr. Gambhir authored over 680 publications and held more than 40 patents. He was also a mentor to over 150 post-doctoral fellows and graduate students. Sadly, he passed away on July 18, 2020, due to cancer

Cyriac Roeding is a CEO/co-founder of Earli Inc and has a background in entrepreneurship and technology. Roeding was driven by the potential to make a significant impact on healthcare through innovative solutions. “Accenture’s impressive network of biopharma clients will be very impactful for Earli. It is fantastic to have Accenture support our mission to make cancer a benign experience," said Roeding, on Accenture's investment in his company.

While the other co-founder, David Suhy, is a scientist with extensive experience in gene therapy, Suhy brought a deep understanding of the biological mechanisms that could be leveraged for early cancer detection.

Earli’s mission is to transform cancer into a benign experience by solving one of the most difficult challenges in oncology: reliably distinguishing between healthy and cancerous cells.

Earli’s approach uses programmable genetic constructs that react and signal the presence of active cancer cells at an early stage. The synthetic biopsy approach enhances the sensitivity and specificity of cancer detection for an earlier diagnosis, allowing pharmaceutical and biotech companies to create personalized treatments more quickly and often at a lower cost.

Petra Jantzer, Ph.D., a senior managing director and global lead of the Accenture Life Sciences business, said, “Earli’s synthetic biopsy method is a step change in early cancer detection technologies and will offer significant advantages to biopharma companies by improving the precision and efficacy of new treatments and diagnostics, as well as in understanding the mechanisms of cancer progressions.”

Earli is the latest company to join Accenture Ventures’ Project Spotlight, an engagement and investment program working with companies that create or apply disruptive enterprise technologies. Project Spotlight offers extensive access to Accenture’s domain expertise and its enterprise clients, helping startups harness creativity and deliver on the promise of their technology. Additional biotechnology companies that have joined Project Spotlight include Turbine, QuantHealth, Virtonomy and Ocean Genomics.

Biotech Startup Mestastop Raises $500K to in Funding led by 92 Angels and Malpani Ventures

Mestastop Solutions, a biotechnology startup, has raised Rs 4.5cr or $500k in a Pre Series A round led by 92 angels & Malpani Ventures. In 2021 the company had secured a seed funding of Rs 2cr led by IIM Ahmedabad’s CIIE with participation from IKP and angel investors.

Founded by Arnab Roy Chowdhury and Debabani Roy Chowdhury, Mestastop is creating a cancer metastasis focussed platform, which uses wet lab biology and predictive analytics to identify and distinguish unique properties of metastasis and leverage them for drug discovery and patient treatment.

Dr Arnab’s shared “Over the last three years, we have been involved in extensive R&D, which has created novel platforms. We are ready to leap forward and use these platforms for our discovery and diagnostics efforts. I thank all existing investors for supporting us and the incoming investors for sharing our vision and passion. ”

The funds will be used to generate proof of concept data with small molecules around the identified first-in-class targets and also help progress drug repurposing efforts to delay metastasis by identifying probable clinical candidates. New animal models and clinical studies will also be supported, along with strategic business development activities.

Alok from 92 Angels said ”Mestastop is on a noble mission to defeat cancer, a dreaded disease that takes millions of lives every year. 92Angels, a group of investors whose specific goal is to support companies that make a better world, is privileged to be part of Mestastop's journey”

“We are pleased to back Arnab, Debabani and the team at Mestastop. The company's vision of developing novel platforms and predictive diagnostics to solve for cancer metastasis resonates well with our thesis at Malpani Ventures to back purpose-driven tech-first founders in healthcare” - said Dr Anirudh Malpani from Malpani Ventures

The global cost of cancer as a disease burden is poised to be around $25Tn by 2050. The spending on treating and research for curing cancer across would hit $400bn by 2030. Of this global drug discovery market size is poised to hit $150-180bn around that time (Source:Globe Newswire). Metastasis in cancer tackles a complex problem and addresses a potential problem that has plagued cancer cure pharmacos for years leading to diminished return on R&D as well.

CSIR-NCL's Biotech Spinoff Serigen Working on Tissue Regeneration Raises INR 5.8 Cr from BioAngels, Colossa Ventures and other

Serigen Mediproducts is an innovative medical products company developing nextgen tissue repair solutions. The startup will utilize the funding for development of its product portfolio, team expansion and for strengthening its intellectual property portfolio.

Investors like, BioAngelsa unique partnership between IAN and BIRAC, And Colossa Ventures LLP bring domain expertise and to help the power of India’s women economy

Serigen Mediproducts, an innovative medical products company with a pioneering portfolio of silk protein-based products, has successfully raised INR 5.8 crore funding in a seed funding round from BioAngels (powered by IAN and BIRAC) and Colossa Ventures. The lead investors from BioAngels powered by IAN include Uday Chatterjee, Sri Prakash, Rishabh Mehta, Umakant Panwar and Anirudh Agarwal. The round also witnessed participation from other prominent angel investors and experienced entrepreneurs including Aadesh Harale, Anand Deshpande, Sanjay Dalmia, Shantanu Deshpande and Priti Rao.

The company will utilize the investment for business growth and rapid scaling of its manufacturing and sales verticals. Serigen Mediproducts further intends to use the investment for team expansion and strengthening its intellectual property portfolio.

Serigen Mediproducts uses a natural biomaterial, silk, to develop path-breaking tissue regeneration products. This platform technology is protected via patents and the startup leverages it to develop products for orthopedics, breast cancer and advanced wound care.

Founded by a team of seasoned biomedical technology developers and experienced scientists, Serigen Mediproducts is the world’s first company to do a clinical trial using silk for bone repair. It is ISO 13485 certified and has also secured all regulatory (CDSCO) approvals for manufacturing and sales of its advanced wound care product – Seriderm, which has demonstrated excellent clinical outcomes in diabetic foot ulcers.

Speaking on the same, Dr. Manish Diwan, BIRAC, said, “The sole mission of BioAngels is to connect angels, early-stage VCs and HNIs with biotech and healthcare companies for funding and value-added business mentoring. With its patented innovation, great team and exceptional products, the company is on the path of rapid growth and development. We extend our best wishes to the team and are looking forward to supporting them in all ways possible.”

The lead investors, BioAngels powered by IAN further added, “We are delighted to work with Serigen, an innovative biotech startup doing path breaking work, in the area of tissue regeneration using natural silk proteins. Serigen being a woman led company is a matter of both joy and pride to us. We believe Serigen represents a new trend in biotech innovation in India, and we are happy to be a part of their journey.”

Ms. Ashu Suyash, Founder and CEO, Colossa Ventures and ex-MD of CRISIL said, “The astute team of Serigen Mediproducts has created an outstanding nextgen tissue regeneration platform technology powered by silk. This platform is versatile and has the potential to be deployed across several medical fields. We are confident the company will deliver excellent clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction in the coming times. We look forward to supporting their development and being a part of their growth journey.”

Dr. Anuya Nisal, Founder and CEO, Serigen Mediproducts, said, “At Serigen Mediproducts, we envision growing into a global medical products company in the times to come. We are grateful to BioAngels, Colossa Ventures and other key angel investors, who trusted us and partnered with us. With the investment received in this round, we look forward to scaling our business, expanding our team, strengthening our intellectual property portfolio and focusing on product development.”

The Indian medtech industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 37% from 2020 to 2025 to touch $50 billion within the forecast period. The sector is still in its nascent stages but is expected to grow significantly in the future because of the rising aging population, government’s support, increasing health insurance penetration and growing medical tourism. Serigen Mediproducts intends to bridge the gaps existing in the market and reduce the market’s dependence on foreign companies. The company envisions becoming a global player in the coming times.

About Serigen

Serigen was established in 2015 with a mission to develop innovative, high-quality tissue repair products. It is a spin-off company of CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, India’s premier materials and chemicals research institute.

Serigen is led by a stellar team of founders (Anuya Nisal, Premnath Venugopalan and Swati Shukla) with academic backgrounds from premier materials research institutes like Indian Institute of Technology - Powai, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA and University of Delaware, USA. The team has a proven track record of development of biomaterials for medical devices, that have been commercial successes and have been implanted in more than ten million patients globally.

Serigen was incubated at Venture Center, Pune, India’s largest science and technology business incubator. Serigen technology has been veted by national experts and Serigen is the recipient of prestigious and competitive government grants from BIRAC. Serigen and the founders have been recognized by several national/international awards including National award in “Polymers in Public Healthcare Category” from Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, GoI, National Winner Empower TiE Women Global competition 2021, Indian National Academy of Engineering – Young Entrepreneur Award 2020 and Leaders in Innovation Fellowship from Royal Academy of Engineering, UK.

BioAngels is India’s first sector focused Angel Investor group and perhaps the world’s first angel group in partnership with a government body. It is a unique partnership between BIRAC, an enterprise of the Department of Biotechnology, and IAN, India’s single largest horizontal platform for seed / early-stage investing, focused on Biotech, Medtech, Healthtech, Pharma, Agritech, Cleantech startups. BioAngels brings the first external cheque from Industry leaders and domain experts with cheque sizes of up to INR 10 Cr. BioAngels brings Money, Mentoring, and Global Market Access. It provides Angel Investors, Family Offices, Micro VCs, Corporates and Early-Stage VC Funds, an opportunity to invest in high quality fast growth companies for Alpha returns. 

Colossa Ventures LLP is an investments ecosystem aimed at unleashing the power of India’s women economy one venture at a time. Using the power of 3 Cs – capital, capability and confidence, Colossa will look to invest in ‘women-first’ businesses that are disrupting the status quo and shaping the future. Colossa’s vision is to create a 10x difference by investing in the growth stage of purpose led, high quality, fast growing, innovative, women-centric businesses, while creating long term value for investors and building an equally powered sustainable world.

Biotech Company OmniBRx Raises INR 30 Cr in Series A Funding from SIDBI Venture Capital

OmniBRx (www.omnibrx.com ): A bioprocess engineering company announced a Series A equity raise of INR 30 crore from SIDBI Venture Capital Limited (www.sidbiventure.co.in).

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Ravindra Patel, founder and CEO of OmniBRx Biotechnologies said “We are thankful to the team at SVCL for believing in our vision and backing us on our expansion plans”. He further added that "Scalable and Efficient bioprocessing technologies, specifically the Single-use bioreactor platforms are in high demand worldwide for the production of vaccines and other biologicals. Innovation based technology solutions from OmniBRx has potential to meet these exponentially growing market demands of biologics and vaccines.

The CellBRx Single- use Bioreactors from OmniBRx is the world’s largest and most efficient vaccine manufacturing platform for large scale vaccines and viral vector Production. OmniBRx is also the creator of world's first integrated seed train development platforms in close-loop sequentially programmed bioreactor systems” Ravindra added.

With infusion of series-A funds, OmniBRx is all set to expand their business in the overseas market. The company would also invest in adding to its capacity and build best in class manufacturing facilities to augment its production capabilities and meet growing market demands.

Sajit Kumar. Sr. VP at SIDBI Venture Capital Limited quoted “We are happy to partner with OmniBRx. We believe that their focus and deep domain knowledge will help them to penetrate the global markets. This is our third investment out of “Ubharte Sitaare Fund”, fund for MSME’s focused on scaling up in the export markets. Wishing them all the best".

Delhi based Indus Capital a boutique investment bank, founded by Mr. Santosh Patra was the exclusive financial advisor to OmniBRx for this transaction.

About OmniBRx (www.omnibrx.com):

OmniBRx is an Ahmedabad based Bioprocess engineering company focused on design and development of novel single-use bioreactors (SUB's) for cell culture based bioprocessing applications i.e. Vaccines, Gene therapies and biologics production. The Company was incorporated in 2016 and successfully launched their innovative products like CellBRx and MiniBRx single-use Bioreactor platforms.

About SIDBI Ventures:(www.sidbiventure.co.in) 

SIDBI Venture Capital Limited (SVCL), incorporated in 1999, is a wholly owned subsidiary of SIDBI (www.sidbi.in), the Apex Financial Institution in India for the MSME sector. Over the years SVCL has set-up and managed several Venture Capital Funds / AIFs, “Ubharte Sitaare Fund” is the eighth Fund set-up and managed by SVCL.

Govt will Promote Industry-driven Start-Ups to Create Wealth and Jobs - Minister

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said, Government will promote Industry-driven Start-Ups to create wealth and jobs.

Addressing the 37th Foundation day of Department of Biotechnology (DBT) as Chief Guest at National Institute of Immunology, NII, Delhi, Dr Jitendra Singh called for equal stake with equal partnership and responsibility by Industry to sustain the Start-Ups boom.

The Minister said, Start-Ups will become sustainable, if Industry from the very beginning will identify the theme/subject/product and invest matching equity with the Government.

The Minister assured that funds will not be a constraint under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government to promote the “Innovation Eco-System” in the country.

Giving the example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of an Atma Nirbhar Bharat, where India’s vaccine strategy brought together pharma, industry and academia in a partnership with an eye on meeting the current as well as possible future challenges, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the idea behind initiatives like this is to have a sustainable partnership in the long run and provide a sustainable source of livelihood to India’s youth. He added that the Government of India, led by Prime Minister Modi, is encouraging industrial outreach by extending all possible support.

The Minister also pointed out that last yearb(in May) he had launched Single National Portal "BioRRAP" for Biotech researchers and Start-Ups and also to cater to all those seeking regulatory approval for biological research & development activity in the country and thus offer a huge relief for "Ease of Science as well as Ease of Business”.

He asserted that India is poised to become a Global Bio-manufacturing Hub and will figure among the top 5 countries of the world by 2025.

Dr Jitendra Singh pitched for development of India’s own Molecule and said for Indian Problems, Indian Remedies must be devised. He said, Biotechnology is the technology of tomorrow as IT has already reaching its saturation point. The Minister emphasized that Biotech will be the key to Amrit Kaal Economy and also for making India a frontline nation in the world.

Dr Jitendra Singh reiterated that India's bio-economy has grown 8 times in the last 8 years under Prime Minister Modi from $10 billion in 2014 to over $80 billion in 2022. Similarly, Biotech Startups have grown 100 times in the last 8 years from 52 odd startups in 2014 to 5300 plus in 2022.

He said, 3 Biotech Startups were incorporated every day in 2021 and a total of 1,128 biotech startups were set up in 2021 alone, signaling the rapid growth of the sector in India.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that the Biotechnology Sector in India has evolved over the last three decades and has made significant contribution in various sectors including health, medicine, agriculture, industry and bio-informatics, due to enormous support received both from government & private sector.

He underlined that the Biotechnology Sector has seen a rapid growth in the last 9 years and India is now being rated among top 12 biotechnology destinations in the world. He said, more than three times funds allocated to this sector compared to pre-2014 era to make India globally competitive in biotechnology research, innovation, and entrepreneurship and also paving the way for the promising future.

In his address, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Dr Rajesh Gokhale said, "India must catch up fast with the Foundational Technologies of 21st Century to remain relevant in the game.He said, Government of India, through the Science, Technology and Innovation, among other things, aspires to position India among the world’s top five scientific powers and it is very much committed in supporting scientific research and innovations."

He added that DBT is the nodal agency for promotion of Biotechnology in the country and nurturing Biotechnology by creating a strong ecosystem for facilitating basic, early and late translational research and entrepreneurship and also formulation of policies and guidelines in all sectors of biotechnology. Department is relentlessly working towards promotion of research, innovation and technology leading to product development; building capacities, both human resource and infrastructure; fostering national and international partnerships.

Delivering the Foundation Day Lecture, Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru said that Department of Biotechnology is the only department in the Government of India which has got end-to-end approach from Idea to development of final product. He also informed that gathering that it was Biotech or rather the IR8 variety of Rice, which was responsible for the Green Revolution thus making significant contributions to Agri Sector, as the yield was 3 to 4 times per hectare than the normal seed.

Prof K VijayRaghvan in his address said that there was a time when there was a danger that DBT could have been mistaken for Fermentation Technology but thanks to efforts by Dr Ramachandran that it evolved as a separate specialized stream and department. He said, linkage of Biotechnology with Digital Technology will open the floodgates for this sector.

Dr Alka Sharma, Senior Advisor, DBT and MD, BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) in her welcome address said, DBT has established 15 theme-based autonomous institutions across the country. She also informed that one international institution namely the New Delhi center of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology and two Public Sector Undertakings BIBCOL and BIRAC have also been established for manufacturing of biologicals and fostering and nurturing the startup innovation ecosystem.

Dr. Sanjay Mishra, Senior Scientist presented vote of thanks and took the collective pledge to make DBT, one of the premier Research and Innovation Departments of the country and the world in times to come.

DBT has contributed in strengthening all the diverse aspects of Biotechnology. Some of the major achievements in key areas include —  

1. Ease of Governance-Policy Reforms include Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) Department is subsuming its 14 Autonomous Institutions to create one Apex Autonomous Body
2. Vaccines for Swasth Bharat;
   Under Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0, a special grant of Rs. 900 Crore was allocated to the Department for the implementation of Mission COVID Suraksha towards development of vaccines against COVID-19.

Sectoral achievements include —

• Genomic Sequencing - Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) ng for Tracking Pathogens 
• Therapeutic Interventions
• Regulatory Reforms include Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal (BioRRAP)– “One Nation One Portal”, Biotech-KISAN,(~100/year) for law enforcing agencies, medico-legal applications and quality testing. CDFD offers diagnostic services for various genetic disorders including rare genetic disorders which help iDBT-Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) offers DNA Fingerprinting services.

CRISPR -based Biotech Startup CrisprBits Raises $250K in Pre-Seed Round from US-based VJ Group

CrisprBits, one of the first Indian companies using CRISPR, a breakthrough gene-editing technology, has raised 250,000 USD in Pre-seed funding from US-based VJ Group. The funding will be used towards product development, team expansion and for research and development.

Founded by Dr. Vijay Chandru, Sunil Arora, Dr. Rajeev Kohli, Bharat Jobanputra, and Aditya Sarda in 2020, CrisprBits was started with a vision of developing high-quality healthcare solutions in diagnostics and gene editing that all Indians can afford. The company plans to extend its CRISPR-based diagnostics platform to point-of-care detection of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes associated with hospital-acquired infections. CRISPR is used by bacteria to protect themselves from invading viruses and in the past few years, scientists have harnessed the power of CRISPR to develop therapeutics as well as other biotechnological products in the domains of human, plant & microbial bio-engineering.

Very recently, the company developed OmiCrisp, a CRISPR- based test to detect SARS-CoV2 and to determine whether it is an Omicron or non-omicron variant. The test was developed with support and collaboration from the C-CAMP-InDx (Indigenisation of Diagnostics Program), an initiative supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India.

The CrisprBits team comprises industry veterans with a deep understanding of genomic science and a track record of running successful businesses. Dr. Vijay Chandru, a renowned academician and entrepreneur, co-founded Strand Life Sciences, a leading genomics-based research and diagnostic company. Dr. Rajeev Kohli is an Ira Leon Rennert Professor of Business at Columbia Business School and has been a part of the Marketing Division since 1991. Sunil Arora, as the Managing Director of Abilities India Pistons & Rings Ltd, has transformed the company from a domestic aftermarket player to an 80% export OEM supplier. Bharat Jobanputra, a former Vice President of Projects at Forderanlagen Magdeburg GmbH in Canada, has led multiple major turnkey projects for top multinational companies. Aditya Sarda is both the Managing Director of Bhawani Plywoods Private Limited and a partner in Pioneer Timber Products.

Sunil Arora, Co-Founder and CEO, CrisprBits, added, “CrisprBits was founded with an aim to address critical healthcare needs through the use of a breakthrough technology like CRISPR. The team’s prior experience in developing diagnostics, precision medicine and clinical-research solutions that are used by clinicians, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in India and around the world, has enabled us to come out with products that have significant public health and social impact. We are thrilled to welcome the VJ Group as our strategic investors.The new investment will accelerate our next phase of growth and allow us develop many more high-quality healthcare solutions in diagnostics and gene editing. ”

Commenting on the investment, Vijay Alreja, Founder and CEO, VJ Group, said, “The potential of CRISPR technology is truly incredible, and we are excited to support CrisprBits harnessing this technology to develop high quality yet affordable and accessible solutions to improve human health. Our team is thrilled to embark upon this journey with a high caliber leadership and scientific team at CrisprBits to leverage an innovative and groundbreaking CRISPR technology for human well-being. We look forward to working together to commercialize the products that are in the pipeline as well as develop new products. We strongly believe that this collaboration will lead to synergistic outcomes”

Dr Vijay Chandru, Co-Founder and CSO, said, "At CrisprBits, we are using the latest in CRISPR gene editing technology to bring high-quality life sciences solutions to all Indians. With the recent publication of our manuscript on OmiCrisp, a CRISPR-based test for SARS-CoV2, we are demonstrating our commitment to infectious disease surveillance and one health. Through our upcoming ‘PATHCRISP’ point of care platform, we are making these solutions accessible to all. Beyond diagnostics, we will also explore new therapeutic strategies in gene editing for oncology, cardio-vascular applications, and even industrial biotechnology applications."

About VJ Group

Over the past 35 years, VJ Group has developed and commercialized numerous X-ray inspection systems and solutions for a variety of industries. VJ Group’s fastest growing venture is a partnership in IITPL, a Bengaluru based company that has indigenously developed and manufactured innovative Cath lab; IITPL has now become India’s fastest growing and Asia’s most awarded Cath lab company.

About CrisprBits

CrisprBits is one of the first Indian companies using CRISPR, a breakthrough gene-editing technology, to develop high-quality solutions in the life sciences that all Indians can afford. The company was founded by a team of entrepreneurs and scientists with vast experience in both the industry and academic sectors. They have a proven track record in developing diagnostics, precision medicine, and clinical-research solutions used by clinicians, pharmaceutical companies, and biotechnology firms globally, including in India.

CrisprBits operates under three key principles: using deep science to deliver high quality products; adhering to the highest ethical standards, including in the choice of products they offer; and developing an organization that draws exceptional individuals with diverse backgrounds and affinities.

With offices in Delhi and Bengaluru, their laboratory is located in C-CAMP, a premier incubator for biotechnology innovation in Bengaluru.

BioAngels Plan to Invest in 100 Startups, with Ticket Size of ₹ 25 L to ₹ 10 Cr

BioAngels, which is India’s first sector-focused angel investor group to fuel the growth of startups from sectors such as Biotech, Medtech, Healthtech, Pharma and Cleantech, has set up a plan to invest in 100 startups, with ticket sizes ranging from Rs 25 Lakh to Rs 10 Crore, said Padmaja Ruparel, Founder of BioAngels in an interaction with BioSpectrum India, a magazine for Healthcare & Biopharma industry.

Padmaja Ruparel is also the Co-founder of Indian Angel Network (IAN), and the Indian Angel Network came into partnership with BIRAC, Department of Biotechnology, to launch BioAngels Network (BiAN) at the Global Bio India 2019.

BioAngels is focussed on seed to early-stage investments in healthcare, biotech, pharma, medtech, cleantech and agritech sectors.

 

Padmaja Ruparel

Speaking about the plans, Padmaja further said to the website, "BioAngels aims to create a pool of domain experts who will provide their technical expertise to entrepreneurs and investors."

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), the not-for-profit Public Sector Enterprise of Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India, is providing BioAngels an access to high-quality technology expertise embedded in the Department of Biotechnology ecosystem. This is extremely critical because it is key for investors to understand the technology and its functionality, before taking an investment decision.

Answering a question about specific areas that BioAngels would be focusing on, while working with startups, Padmaja said,"We would be looking at all preventive and curative health issues that can be solved innovatively."

Speaking on reports of cash-crunch startups shutting down their operations and how BioAngels' investment will help in such scenario, Padmaja said , "once both the science and the commercial aspects, legal (IP) are vetted, and investors find trust in the entrepreneurs to lead the journey."

According to Padmaja, biotech/healthcare sector will grow exponentially (13.25%).

Notably, India’s healthcare ecosystem is among the fastest growing sectors having benefited from government policies and liberalized FDI regime in various sub-sectors like hospitals, medical devices, health insurance, etc.

The size of BioTech market alone was valued at around USD 497 billion in 2020 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 9.4% between 2021 and 2027.

Scalable Cell Replacement Therapies Developer Firm Eyestem Raises $6.4 Mn in Series-A Led by Three Pharma Majors

Dr Jogin Desai Founder/CEO with Eyestem Team

Eyestem raises Series A round from Biological E, Alkem, NATCO, Kemwell promoters and existing investors - Kotak and Endiya

The investment will enable Eyestem to progress a treatment for Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration to the clinic

Eyestem, a Bengaluru-based cell therapy company, has raised $6.4 million (INR 51 Crore) in a Series A round led by three pharma majors - Biological E. Limited (BE), Alkem, NATCO and Anurag and Karan Bagaria, promoters of Kemwell Biopharma. Existing investors Endiya Partners and Kotak Private Equity also participated in this round, valuing Eyestem at $46.4 million (INR 371 Crore) post money.

Dr Jogin Desai, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eyestem said, “We started Eyestem with the sole purpose of being able to create cell therapy products at scale for diseases that devastate a large number of people in India and the world. The support of major Indian pharma companies who share our vision endorses our strategy of developing affordable innovation for patients worldwide. Post this funding, we will remain focussed on solidifying our cell therapy platform and moving our flagship product for Dry AMD through early clinical trials of an international standard”.

(L to R) Dr Rajarshi Pal, Dr Jogin Desai & Dr Rajani Battu, Founders of Eyestem

Eyecyte-RPE, the company’s patented flagship product, is an experimental treatment for Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD) and the company has other products in the pipeline for the treatment of incurable diseases affecting humanity. EyeCyte-RPE replaces damaged retinal pigment epithelium cells and is designed to restore sight for patients in early stages of Macular Degeneration or arrest loss of vision for those in later stages. The product is allogenic, administered by a surgical procedure and is patented in India and abroad. The company intends to file for a first in human trial for the product within a year in consultation with CDSCO and US FDA.

Rajeev Nannapaneni, CEO, NATCO Pharma Limited quoted, "We are very happy to be associated with Eyestem for their innovative work that services unmet needs of patients that have high impact for quality of life".

Commenting on the fundraise, Dr. Ramesh Byrapaneni, Managing Partner of Endiya Partners said, “Endiya partners is delighted to back such strong, globally competitive innovative start-ups and participate in the current funding round. The addition of leading pharma and biotech investors on our cap table is a great validation of the world class science that Eyestem is pursuing which can change millions of lives globally”.

Founded in 2016, by an experienced team of clinical research, regenerative medicine and ophthalmology experts, Eyestem is advised by a world-class Board and has built collaborations with other leaders in related scientific disciplines in India, UK, Japan and the United States. The long-term vision is to develop a scalable cell therapy platform to treat incurable diseases and democratize access to these newer technologies globally.

About Eyestem:

Headquartered in Bangalore and Delaware, Eyestem was founded by an experienced management team consisting of experts in clinical research, regenerative medicine and ophthalmology. Eyestem intends to be the benchmark for quality and affordability in cell therapies for targeted conditions. The company has received several prestigious awards and grants from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

BioTech Innovator String Bio Raises $20 Mn in 1st Close of Series B from Woodside Energy, Ankur Capital, Others

• String Bio (String) and Woodside Energy are collaborating on potential production of sustainable protein ingredients from greenhouse gases.
• Woodside Energy has invested in String’s Series B round of equity raising, along with new and existing investors, to further develop String’s methane-based technology platform.
• The collaboration is a significant milestone for String’s vision to redefine manufacturing and enable decarbonization.

String Bio, a biotech innovator, announced today that it has signed a strategic development agreement with Woodside Energy Technologies Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of global energy company Woodside Energy Group Ltd (Woodside). In parallel, Woodside has also announced an investment in String’s Series B equity raise, subject to conditions precedent. New and existing investors including Ankur Capital, Dare Ventures, Redstart, Zenfold Ventures and others have joined the first close of US$20 million of the Series B raise.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s AR6 report, methane traps around 27 times the amount of heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and is responsible for a third of the global warming. Reducing methane emissions is one of the fastest opportunities we have to slow the rate of global warming. Agriculture and the Oil & Gas industry together account for 70% of methane emissions and adoption of emerging technologies can be critical to enabling net zero by 2050. The investment in this technology is an example of the energy and biotechnology sectors working toward a more sustainable future, advancing a technology that could contribute to a circular carbon economy.

String Bio has been one of the early entrants in this space and has built an innovative technology platform that leverages advances in biology, fermentation technology, chemistry and process engineering to convert the energy in methane into diverse value-added products. Products enabled by String’s platform range from protein ingredients for nutrition, to innovative crop inputs, to products for biodegradable polymers. The differentiated innovation delivers on decarbonization while increasing supply of key inputs for diverse sectors. String had previously set up its first multi-purpose gas fermentation facility in Bangalore that can run on methane from both natural gas and biogas. The current investment and collaboration will enable String to further drive the market growth of its products and strengthen its decarbonization impact.

Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill said the company aimed to thrive through the energy transition with a resilient and diversified portfolio. “Our investment in String Bio builds on our ability to potentially abate greenhouse gases through the conversion of carbon into useful products. “We believe String Bio’s technology could eventually be used to recycle methane at Woodside facilities. It could also be deployed at third-party sites with available biomethane such as landfill facilities and farms,” she said.

Vinod Kumar, Co-Founder & Managing Director, String Bio highlighted that this is a significant milestone for both String and the biotech ecosystem in India. “Our fundamental ethos is to enable supply and establish demand for our diverse product portfolio. The partnership with Woodside will be a defining milestone to enable carbon-friendly products in the global marketplace.”

Speaking on the development, Dr. Ezhil Subbian, Co-Founder & CEO, String Bio said “The vision for String has been to leverage cutting edge advances in biotechnology to enable better living at significantly reduced environmental footprint. With the Woodside collaboration and Series B raise, we are taking a giant step forward to bring such solutions to market - solutions that are better for people and the planet.”

One of the earliest institutional investors in String Bio was Ankur Capital, a Mumbai based impact investment fund. Ritu Verma, Managing Director of Ankur Capital had the following comment on the development. “At Ankur Capital we think biotechnology will play a big role in reimagining manufacturing of existing products and introduce new ones. String sits at the forefront of this and we are excited to deepen our investment with them as they enter the next step of their journey to bring their products to market with like minded partners across the globe and drive the climate impact they envision.”

North India’s 1st Biotech Park/Incubator Launched; Aims To Produce 25 Biotech Startups in A Year

Representational Image Only

The Biotech Park to act as hub for incubation of new ideas and will support the Agri-entrepreneurs, Startups, Progressive farmers, scientists & scholars not only from J&K, but from neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

After launching North India’s first big space centre in March this year, union minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has inaugurated North India’s first Industrial Biotech Park Ghatti, Kathua, Jammu. The Biotech Park would act as hub for incubation of new ideas and will act as a robust platform to support the Agri-entrepreneurs, Startups, Progressive farmers, scientists, scholars and students not only from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh but also from nearby States of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

"Kathua is, because of its resource richness with diversity as well as its geographical location, destined to be North India's StartUp destination.," the minister said.

This comes within a week after BioRRAP — a Single National Portal for Biotech researchers and Startups, was launched.

The newly launched biotech park will carry out research on biodiversity, medicinal and aromatic plants of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and it will also promote green category businesses.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the biotechnology park at Kathua has a potential to produce 25 startups in a year which will be among its great contributions to this region. Dr. Singh informed that with the unlocking of space technology in India under PM Narendra Modi, sixty startups have been established in only one and a half year, Onkar Singh, the young scientist from Jammu present today here is among the best examples of it.

The Biotech Parks of J&K are among 9 Biotechnology Parks supported by Department of Biotechnology (DBT)Govt. of India's  Ministry of Science & Technology, in various States.

"Under PM Narendra Modi without any regional bias, the UT of Jammu and Kashmir has seen a new dawn of development in education, health infrastructure, science and technology. The establishment of AIIMS, IIM, IIT, IIMC, Space Centre at Central University of Jammu, Highway villages, Express Corridor, Atal Setu, Mega-Quintal Seed Processing Plants, Medical Colleges some of which have been established in Kathua are some of the national level development projects J&K has seen in last eight years," said the minister.

In addition to this biotech park in Jammu, there are two more Industrial Biotech Parks comin up in the region — one at Ghatti, Kathua, Jammu and other in Handwara, Kashmir. These are jointly funded by DBT  and Jammu & Kashmir Science, Technology & Innovation Council.The work on these Biotech parks was started in February 2019. Notably, the J&K region already has CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, (CSIR-IIIM), which has been entrusted with the responsibility of implementation of this project.

DBT has established Biotechnology Parks/Incubators across the country to translate research into products and services by providing necessary infrastructure support. These Biotechnology Parks offer facilities to Scientists, and Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) for technology incubation, technology demonstration and pilot plant studies for accelerated commercial development of Biotechnology.

For "Ease of Science", India Gets Single National Portal for BioTech Researchers and Startups

Last Saturday, a Single National Portal for Biotech researchers and Startups was launched that are seeking regulatory approval for biological research and development projects.

The Portal "BioRRAP" (Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal) is essentially a centralized mechanism created to cater to all those seeking regulatory approval for biological research & development activity in the country and thus offer a huge relief for "Ease of Science" as well as "Ease of Business".

Notably, there are over 2,700 biotech start-ups and more than 2,500 biotech companies working at present in the country.

BioRRAP is the first public mechanism that tracks requisite regulatory approvals for research proposals online.The portal will keep researchers notified on the stage of their application in terms of regulatory clearances. It further allows users to see preliminary information on all the research work being undertaken by the particular researcher/ organization.

BioRRAP provides a single route to direct the applicant to regulatory agencies providing requisite approval relevant to the biological research. 

Based on a succinct set of questions responded in affirmative by the applicant, the list of regulatory agencies from whom approvals may be required for biological research, is determined and attached to the unique BioRRAP ID generated on the submission.

The online Portal will also allow stakeholders to see the approvals accorded against a particular application through BioRRAP IDs. This portal is brought in existence by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology.

On launch of BioRAPP, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said, "There is no mechanism to track the requisite regulatory approval for a research proposal on a single portal and therefore, to provide more credibility and recognition to such biological researches, Government of India has developed a web system under which each research, requiring regulatory oversight, will be identified by a unique ID called 'BioRRAP ID."

He said, the portal will serve as a gateway and will help researcher to see stage of approval of their applications for regulatory clearances and to see preliminary information on all the research work being undertaken by the particular researcher and/or organization.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that other than biotechnology, biological work related to biodiversity, latest methods of conservation and protection of flora and fauna, forest and wildlife, bio-survey and bio-utilization of biological resources are also gaining momentum in India due to effect of climate change on them.

He added that research in the various biological fields is continuously expanding its vista in India supported by the grants from various public and private sector. Many of these research falls under the purview of one or more regulatory agencies which first approve the research proposal after which researcher undertakes that specific research.

The minister directed the DBT officials for wider publicity of this unique National Portal and asked them to make short duration films capturing all the nuances of the registration and regulatory approval through the portal.

OncoStem Diagnostics Wins Aegis Graham Bell Award in the Innovative Diagnostics Category

OncoStem Diagnostics, an Oncology focused company that enables personalised cancer treatment has been recognised as the winner of Aegis Graham Bell Award in the Innovative Diagnostics Category. The award is an initiative by Aegis School of Data Science to honour innovations in IT, Telecom and exponential technologies.

Aegis Graham Bell Award Certificate - OncoStem Diagnostics

Aegis Graham Bell Award is a tribute to the father of telephony and great innovator, Alexander Graham Bell. The Aegis School of Business, Data Science and Cyber Security has initiated this award to promote innovations and recognize the outstanding contributions by the innovators. This award is supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India; NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India is a policy think tank of the Government of India); Skill India (campaign launched by Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, the campaign is under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship); National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated (NICSI), a Government of India enterprise.

Commenting on the recognition, Dr. Manjiri Bakre, CEO and Founder, OncoStem said, "We are honoured to be recognized as winners in the category of Innovative diagnostics. At OncoStem, innovation is not just an idea/concept, it's a process that we have followed at every stage of the product. This award is a huge recognition of our exemplary teamwork and we hope this award will help us in our goal to reach every eligible breast cancer patient in India via our government's universal health scheme - Ayushman Bharat. More importantly, I really hope this award given to many start-ups like ours will help India achieve its goal to become "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" as a nation.

OncoStem's CanAssist Breast is an innovative, cost effective test that can help clinicians to plan tailor made treatment for each breast cancer patient based on tumor biology.

The risk of cancer recurrence is dependent on tumor type, stage and on the biology of each patient's tumor. 'CanAssist-Breast' determines the proteomic fingerprint of the tumor. This information is then used by OncoStem's proprietary machine learning-based algorithm that stratifies patients as 'low or high' risk for cancer relapse. Patients classified as 'low risk' of relapse can potentially avoid chemotherapy and its associated side-effects while patients who are at 'high risk' of relapse would benefit from the addition of chemotherapy to their treatment regimen. Use of CanAssist Breast thus allows doctors to devise treatment plans that are in tune with the prognosis, maintaining a balance between the benefits and side effects of chemotherapy.

About OncoStem Diagnostics

OncoStem Diagnostics is a Bangalore based startup company that develops innovative multi-marker prognostic tests to enable personalized treatment of cancer patients. Founded by Dr. Manjiri Bakre in 2011, OncoStem's flagship product 'CanAssist Breast' has been in use in the Indian subcontinent for the past 3 years. OncoStem is currently working on similar tests for other subtypes of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. OncoStem has raised ~ US $9 million in funding from Sequoia Capital and Artiman Ventures. 

C-CAMP and Japan's Beyond Next Ventures Launch Hub to Fund & Mentor Indian Life Sciences, Bio-Tech Startups

The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), India’s premier bio-innovation hub recently signed an Letter of Intent (LOI) with Tokyo, Japan-based venture capital firm Beyond Next Ventures (BNV), which is also one of the leading independent accelerators in Japan dedicated to incubation investment in technology start-ups.

The aim of this collaboration is to encourage and promote the best deep science innovations in the field of Life Sciences and Biotechnology in India.

The two organizations intend to create the C-CAMP – BNV Innovation Hub (CBIH) which will largely focus on facilitating Japanese investment of up to 5 million USD in Indian start-ups working on exciting technologies in the Life Sciences and Biotech domain.

This hub also aims to support start-ups in both the regions through exchange of human resources and technologies and through other facilitation programs and events to connect skilled talent, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in both regions.

C-CAMP has over the last few years interacted with over 500 start-ups and supported over 100 of these through funding, incubation and mentorship.

Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO & Director, C-CAMP said “C-CAMP has been identifying and supporting the most exciting early stage innovations and now looks forward to nurture many more such high-risk high-return innovations at an early stage through this collaboration with Beyond Next Ventures. This will be a fantastic start to build Indo-Japan collaborations for high-end innovations.”

Mr. Tsuyoshi Ito CEO, BNV said “We are very excited to jointly launch the “C-CAMP Beyond Next Ventures Innovation Hub” (“CBIH”) in collaboration with the top incubator in India C-CAMP. As the top accelerator and VC in Japan, we look forward to combining our experience and extensive network with C-CAMP to support new innovations in Japan and India. Through this collaboration, we plan to make full-fledged venture investments into the life sciences field of India and contribute to the industrial and economic development in India in the future."

Established in August 2014, BNV is an independent accelerator dedicated to incubation investment in technology startups. It is one of the few leading companies in the field in Japan with a wealth of investment experience ranging from support for commercialization of university seeds to venture investment, growth support, and excellent operation results, and JSTs university new industry creation program. It has been recognized as a business promoter at (START) and EDO's R & D venture support project. The first fund established in February 2015, and the second fund established in October 2018, totals less than 15 billion yen, operating as the country's largest fund as an accelerator, and will be invested in a large number of technology startups, supporting its commercialization and
growth.

BNV is actively working on commercialization support other than funding, "BRAVE acceleration program", for researchers / entrepreneurs such as universities and research institutes aiming to commercialize innovative technologies, matching with management human resources candidates, knowledge and human resources for commercialization realization We provide network and growth funds. In addition, a program called “Blockbuster TOKYO” That supports contracting from Tokyo and supports entrepreneurship in drug discovery and medical ventures and growth of drug discovery and medical venture companies also operates.

In February 2019, as a base to provide start-up companies in the life sciences area with support for commercialization including research and development, BNV launched the share lab / wet lab “Beyond BioLAB TOKYO” in Chuo-ku, Tokyo.

From March 2019, BNV started to provide a co-founder matching platform "Co-founders" specialized for technical seeds and researchers at universities(URL:https://co-founders.team/)and by providing the online matching opportunities and real support, we are helping to create a strong founding team.

C-CAMP Launches New Startup Initiatives including An Incubator and CoE in Agri-Innovation

Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), which is India’s largest incubator to boost life science research, innovation and entrepreneurship, has recently launched of three of its initiatives - Karnataka Startup Advancement Program (K-SAP) BIO 50, Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Agri-Innovation and Technology Business Incubator.

The launch was conducted in the presence of Shri K. J. George, Hon’ble Minister of Large & Medium Scale Industries, IT, BT & ST, Government of Karnataka and Shri N. H. Shivashankara Reddy, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture, Govt. of Karnataka, along with Principal Secretary, Department of IT, BT & S&T, Govt. of Karnataka, Shri Gaurav Gupta.

Notably, C-CAMP is a Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India initiative to provide platforms for technology development and nurture innovations in the area of life sciences. C-CAMP is also a member of the Bangalore Life Sciences Cluster (BLiSC) with a mandate to enable cutting-edge life science research and innovation and promote life science entrepreneurship.

In line with C-SAP, C-CAMP in association with Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS) and Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (BBC) has also initiated a 1 year equity based mentorship and capacity building program for startups based out of Karnataka, the Karnataka Startup Advancement Program (K-SAP) BIO 50.

The main objective of this program is to meaningfully engage and work closely with Karnataka startups to enhance their odds of success and to enable startups achieve faster traction in their key milestones”, explained Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO, C-CAMP.

Till date, C-CAMP has incubated over 30 innovative startups and entrepreneurs working in different areas of Life Sciences and Biotechnology. Its incubatees are currently working in the fields of drug discovery, molecular biology, transgenic model systems, biomaterials, synthetic biology, upstream & downstream processing, agricultural sciences, nutraceuticals etc

“The scientists in our country are doing a wonderful job. The government of Karnataka is very happy to join hands with C-CAMP which is an initiative of Government of India. We are happy to help you out in your ventures and you have our full support”, said K J George, Hon’ble Minister of Large & Medium Scale Industries, IT, BT & ST, Government of Karnataka while addressing the audience during the inaugural ceremony.

“In the agricultural system, there are a lot of missing links. Although we are focusing on production we are not giving enough importance to processing and marketing. We need to work on this. C-CAMP as an incubation centre can provide with few solutions to address such problems. There are so many innovations happening in India that can be applied in agriculture”, stated Shri N. H. Shivashankara Reddy, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture, Govt. of Karnataka during the inauguration.

In last couple of years, Biotechnology startups scenario in India has improved tremendously. In a 2017 study by Association of Biotechnology Led enterprises (ABLE) revealed that Indian biotech startup ecosystem is booming with 1022 bio-technology startups and it has managed to fetch investments of over $2.8 billion (Rs 18,700 crore) in five years i.e from 2012 to 2016.

In April this year, Swiss multinational healthcare firm Roche informally announced that it is looking for startups in India that will help the company bring evidence-based medicine in India through its proprietary technology

However a life sciences or medical product company is yet to make it big in India, despite a startup culture that is now almost two-decades years old.

Last October, Union Minister of Science and Technology launched Women Bio-tech Incubator at Golden Jubilee Biotech Park for Women Society during International Science Congress, 2017 in Chennai.

In 2016, Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) made waves in the Indian startup ecosystem when it launched an Innovation Hub (iHUB@CCMB) in its medical biotechnology complex there. Last year, it even selected 4 biotech startup companies for this incubator.

Source - Bio Spectrum India

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Govt To Include 8-10 Years old BioTech, Medical Devices Cos As Startups

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has moved a cabinet note and suggestion that the maximum age for classifying a biotechnology or a medical devices firm as a startup be raised to 8-10 years from the current five years.

The DIPP has suggested these changes to be incorporated under Startup India Action Plan, a Narendra Modi led flagship programme to nurture startups and entrepreneurship in the country.

This suggestion note to increase the age of Biotechnology and Medical Devices companies to consider as startups is made on the very fact that the companies in these two sectors take long development process to mature. To promote biotech firms, the government already offers Rs 1 crore to bio-incubators under the Biotech Equity Fund. A total of 20 bio-incubators have been supported by the department of biotechnology so far. Nearly 350 startups have received benefits from these bio-incubators under programmes such as Biotechnology Ignition Grant, Industry Innovation Programme on Medical Electronics (IIPME), Sparsh, Grand Challenges and BioNEST.

Related Reading - A Glimpse of Indian Bio-Technology Industry And Its Hottest Startups

Notably, in a recent study called "India's Biotech Startup Ecosystem" by Association of Biotechnology Led enterprises (ABLE) revealed that Indian biotech startup ecosystem is booming with 1022 bio-technology startups and it has managed to fetch investments of over $2.8 billion (Rs 18,700 crore) in five years i.e from 2012 to 2016. Bengaluru, with 190 Biotech Startups, is the capital of India's biotechnology industry.

Additionally, in order to ease processes for startups, the DIPP has also written to the corporate affairs ministry to notify startups as ‘fast track’ firms, which will allow them to wind up their business within 90 days. So far, the DIPP has recognized 713 startups out of 1,835 applications it received.

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Meet 4 Biotech Startups Selected For iHUB Incubator of CCMB

Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) made waves in the Indian startup world last year when it announced about opening an Innovation Hub (iHUB@CCMB) in its medical biotechnology complex there. CCMB, which is a research establishment of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), set up the Innovation Hub with an aim of engaging with the industry and translating its own research into reality.

After the launch, the iHUB is in the news once again for selecting four biology startup companies- Bioartis, Virupaksha Life Sciences, Theranosis and Oncosimis. This is for the very first time that the Innovation hub has signed up four biology startup companies. All the selected four have already exchanged a licence agreement with the CCMB to incubate their startups at CCMB's Hyderabad-based iHUB.

A press release announcing the selection reveals that the CCMB has put in extra efforts in providing state-of-the-art facilities at iHUB so that any biology startup could make optimum use of those facilities as "plug and play" mode and have these at their disposal.

According to a statement given by CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra, the basic idea behind setting up iHUB was that any biology startup in India shouldn't have to look beyond iHuB for facilities and that each of these startups should be provided with a fair chance at becoming a success by executing their business plans.

He also added that the Innovation hub hosts a number of activities like scientist-industry interactions and training programmes on how-to produce industry-ready human resource that would specifically prove beneficial to the biotech industry.

Here's some more information about the selected 4 biology startups:

1) Oncosimis Bitotech Private Limited

Incorporated on 05 December, 2016 by Lokireddy Chandra Mohan Reddy and Lokireddy Sudarsanareddy, this Telangana-based biology startup plans to establish their innovative processes in the production of biosimilars and develop a novel/innovative process to prepare a number of cancer drugs.

2) Virupaksha Life Sciences

Incorporated in November 2016 by its founder M Bala Subba Reddy, Virupaksha Life sciences plans to utilise iHUB facilities to develop novel molecules for diabetes.

3) Theranosis Lifesciences Pvt Ltd

Incorporated in February 2016 by founders Shibi Chakravarthy and Balakrishna Venugopal Nambur, Theranosis Lifesciences Pvt Ltd is a Biotech R&D startup, which is on a mission to enable personalized cancer therapy by harnessing the power of Asia’s largest biobank of patient derived tumor tissues and India’s BioIT S/W skills to develop and deliver novel theranostic products for the global market and clinical diagnostic services to the Indian market.

The startup's vision is to build on the recent advances being made in the medical technology field and give birth to a sustainable, viable and scalable product-oriented Biotech R&D company with a goal to deliver niche "in vitro diagnostics" for enabling personalised cancer care.

4) Bioartis Life Sciences Private Limited

Founded by Sunanda Arvapally, Jatin Arrvapalli, Deepti Naseer and Nasaruddin Khaja in July 2014, Bioartis Life Sciences Private Limited is focused on optimizing and validating novel diagnosis methods for diseases of animal and marine origin. It also plans to develop diagnostic kits for such marine diseases.

According to the Press Release, all the selected four biology startups are expected to start their activities at iHub very soon.

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