Peptris, a Bengaluru-based AI-first biotech startup, has raised $7.7 million in a seed funding round to scale its generative AI platform for small-molecule drug discovery. The capital will fuel expansion of its proprietary AI models, enhance its computational chemistry capabilities, grow its scientific team, and advance internal programs targeting high-unmet-need diseases such as metabolic disorders and oncology.
Glimpse:
The $7.7 million seed round was led by a syndicate of prominent global and Indian investors with deep expertise in biotech and AI. Peptris uses its generative AI engine to design novel small-molecule candidates with optimized properties (potency, selectivity, ADMET profile) faster and more cost-effectively than traditional methods. The funding will support scaling of its platform, initiation of new discovery programs, and strategic collaborations with pharma partners to co-develop breakthrough therapies.
Peptris, an emerging Bengaluru-based startup at the intersection of generative AI and small-molecule drug discovery, has secured $7.7 million in seed funding to accelerate its mission of building the next generation of AI-native drug discovery engine. The round, announced on February 26, 2026, was led by a strong syndicate of investors including a prominent global biotech VC, several India-focused deep-tech funds, and strategic angels with significant pharmaceutical industry experience.
Founded in 2023 by a team of computational chemists, AI researchers, and seasoned drug discovery scientists from leading global pharma companies and IITs, Peptris has developed a proprietary generative AI platform that designs novel small molecules de novo. Unlike many AI drug discovery companies that focus primarily on target identification or virtual screening, Peptris emphasizes end-to-end molecule generation with integrated multi-parameter optimization simultaneously optimizing for potency, selectivity, physicochemical properties, ADMET risks, and synthesizability all within a single AI workflow. The platform has already demonstrated the ability to generate experimentally validated hits against multiple disease-relevant targets in months rather than years.
The fresh capital will be used to expand Peptris’s computational infrastructure, grow its team of AI scientists and medicinal chemists, enrich its proprietary training datasets through strategic data partnerships, and advance a pipeline of internal discovery programs focused on high-unmet-need indications including metabolic disorders, oncology, and central nervous system conditions. The company also plans to initiate select co-discovery collaborations with mid-sized and large pharma partners seeking to augment their internal pipelines with AI-generated novel chemical matter.
Peptris co-founder and CEO emphasized that the funding comes at a critical time when global pharma companies are increasingly looking to AI-native startups to address the declining productivity of traditional drug discovery pipelines. The company’s India-based model allows it to deliver high-quality AI-driven discovery services and internal programs at a fraction of the cost of Western counterparts, while maintaining rigorous scientific standards and IP protection.
The round reflects surging investor interest in India’s growing AI-biotech ecosystem, where access to world-class talent, lower operational costs, and large-scale biological data generation are creating unique competitive advantages. Peptris intends to use the momentum from this raise to establish itself as a leading AI drug discovery player in Asia and a preferred partner for global pharma companies seeking innovative, high-quality small-molecule candidates.
“Drug discovery is ripe for disruption. With this funding, Peptris is scaling an AI engine that can design better molecules faster and more affordably bringing hope to patients waiting for breakthrough therapies.”
By
HB Team
