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Peptris

Category: AI in Healthcare

An AI-powered preclinical drug discovery company that integrates unsupervised learning and generative AI to design optimized molecules, significantly reducing the need for wet lab testing and accelerating drug development timelines. Peptris was founded in 2019. The company is led by Narayanan Venkatasubramanian. Based in Bengaluru, India. Team size: 9-10. Total funding raised: $8.7M. Latest round: Series A ($7.7M, Feb 2026). Key investors include ["IAN Alpha Fund","Speciale Invest","Tenacity Ventures","BYT Ventures"].

Founded
2019
Headquarters
Bengaluru, India
Team size
9-10
Total funding
$8.7M

Value proposition

Reduces preclinical development timelines and costs multifold by leveraging proprietary AI to rapidly generate novel molecules, predict critical drug development parameters, and identify viable drug candidates with superior potency, safety, and selectivity profiles before wet lab testing.

Products and solutions

["pepAI - Proprietary AI Drug Discovery Platform","PEPR-124 (RT001) - Licensed DMD therapeutic candidate","Novel Chemical Entity (NCE) Discovery Programs","Drug Repurposing Platform","Drug Rescue/Repositioning Solutions","Preclinical Asset Pipeline (Oncology, Inflammation, Rare Diseases)"]

Unique value

First Indian company to license an AI-discovered drug candidate (PEPR-124 for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy). Operates a 'Circular Discovery' model with three distinct approaches: Novel Chemical Entity generation, Drug Repurposing, and Drug Rescue. Uses virtual operations model, outsourcing wet lab work to CROs while focusing AI expertise in-house.

Target customer

Pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, academic research institutions, and rare disease organizations seeking AI-accelerated drug discovery and development partnerships

Industries served

["Pharmaceutical","Biotechnology","Healthcare AI","Rare Disease Therapeutics","Oncology","Inflammation & Immunology"]

Technology advantage

Integrates unsupervised learning algorithms with generative AI using a Large Language Model built on proprietary molecule language syntax. Platform can rapidly screen ultra-large virtual chemical libraries, design de novo molecules with superior physicochemical properties, and predict critical drug development parameters (potency, safety, selectivity, biological activity) with high accuracy. This reduces molecules requiring wet lab testing, cutting costs and accelerating time-to-clinic.

How they differentiate

First Indian company to license an AI-discovered drug candidate (PEPR-124/RT001) with a unique 'Circular Discovery' model combining Novel Chemical Entity generation, Drug Repurposing, and Drug Rescue. Proprietary AI platform integrates unsupervised learning with generative AI using LLM-based molecule syntax. Virtual operations model reduces capital intensity by outsourcing wet lab work to CROs.

Main competitors

["ImmunitoAI","Boltzmann Labs","Bugworks Research"]

Key partnerships

["Revio Therapeutics - Exclusive licensing agreement for PEPR-124 (RT001) in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (excluding BRICS markets)","Speciale Invest - Lead investor (pre-seed and Series A rounds)","IAN Alpha Fund - Co-lead investor (Series A)","CROs and biotech partners - Wet lab testing and validation","Academic institutions and rare disease organizations - Research collaborations"]

Notable customers

["Revio Therapeutics"]

Major milestones

["Licensed PEPR-124 (RT001) to Revio Therapeutics - India's first AI-discovered drug candidate out-licensed (Mar 2025)","Series A co-led by IAN Alpha Fund and Speciale Invest raising ₹70 crore (~$7.7M) (Feb 2026)","Developed proprietary AI drug discovery platform with multiple preclinical assets across oncology, inflammation, and rare diseases","Demonstrated commercial validation through exclusive licensing agreement with US biotech partner"]

Growth metrics

Progressed from pre-seed to Series A within 3 years; successfully out-licensed first drug candidate before Series A close

Market positioning

India's leading early-stage AI drug discovery company progressing from molecule generation to clinical-ready assets, with validated commercial capability demonstrated through out-licensing deal

Geographic focus

India (primary), Global partnerships (excluding BRICS for licensed assets)

Patents and IP

No specific patents publicly disclosed in available sources

About Narayanan Venkatasubramanian

Specialist in algorithms with 30+ years of diverse experience in the consumer industry and technology sector. Expertise in building large systems and software. Previously worked at Philips where he was part of the team that created the world's first Flat Television in 1997. Co-founder and CEO of Peptris since 2019.

Official website: