Three Startup Funding Stories to Watch – Venomics AI, altM and Blitz Expand Their Ambitions

Three Indian startups working in biotechnology, sustainable materials and delivery infrastructure have announced fresh funding updates. Venomics AI has disclosed a $2.7 million pre-seed round, altM has closed a $10.3 million Series A round, and Blitz has raised Rs. 28.7 crore in a pre-Series B round.

The businesses may be very different, but each is solving a practical problem. Venomics AI is searching for future medicines in animal venom, altM is turning agricultural residue into industrial chemicals, and Blitz helps brands deliver online orders faster.

Venomics AI and the search for new medicines

Bengaluru-based Venomics AI has raised $2.7 million in a pre-seed round led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons, with participation from Operators Studio reported Speciale Invest.

The startup was founded by Prof. Kartik Sunagar and Dr. Vinay Prabhu. Venomics AI was incorporated in India in 2026 and brings together venom biology, artificial intelligence and laboratory testing.

Its core project is called the Venom Atlas. This is a growing collection of data on molecules found in animal venoms, including those from snakes, spiders, scorpions and marine species. The company sequences and studies these molecules, tests them against biological targets, and uses AI to identify promising drug candidates.

The aim is not to turn venom directly into medicine. Instead, researchers study molecules that may have useful properties, such as acting on pain pathways, bacterial infections or metabolic conditions. These potential candidates still need extensive laboratory work, safety checks and clinical trials before they can become approved medicines.

Venomics AI says the funding will help expand the Venom Atlas and move its early drug-discovery programmes forward. Its main competition comes from conventional drug-discovery companies and global biotech firms using AI to find new molecules.

There is one reporting detail worth noting. Speciale Invest announced the $2.7 million pre-seed round on November 5, while Venomics AI’s website lists the same funding amount as an April 2026 milestone. The available public material does not clearly state whether this is a new round or a later public announcement of the same funding.

altM turns farm residue into industrial materials

Bengaluru-based altM has closed a $10.3 million Series A round. Rainmatter by Zerodha and Mela Ventures joined existing investors Omnivore, Theia Ventures, Aureolis Ventures and Spectrum Impact. VC Grid and strategic angel investors also participated as per its Press release.

altM was founded in 2022 by Apoorv Garg and Yugal Raj Jain, both former Tesla manufacturing leaders. Dr. Harshad Velankar later joined the company as chief scientific officer.

The startup uses agricultural residue, including sugarcane bagasse and rice straw, to make specialty chemicals for sectors such as beauty and personal care, textiles, packaging, construction and consumer goods.

Agricultural residue is often treated as waste, but it contains useful natural materials such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. altM’s goal is to process these materials into industrial ingredients that can reduce dependence on fossil-fuel-based inputs.

The Series A money will be used to expand manufacturing, research and development, customer qualification programmes, and engineering and commercial teams. The company is moving from pilot-scale production towards commercial manufacturing.

For example, altM is developing products such as a lignin-derived ingredient for sun-care formulations, a cellulose-based thickening material and bio-derived ferulic acid for cosmetics. The major challenge will be producing these materials consistently at the quality, price and scale customers expect.

Blitz expands quick-commerce fulfilment

Quick-commerce fulfilment startup Blitz has raised Rs. 28.7 crore in a pre-Series B round led by existing investor IvyCap Ventures. ICMG Group, angel investor Vishal Dhupar and others also joined the round.

Blitz was founded in 2020 by Gaurav Piyush, Mayank Varshney and Yash Sharma. It helps ecommerce and D2C brands offer delivery options ranging from 10 minutes to same-day and next-day delivery.

The company runs a network of dark stores and fulfilment centres. A dark store is a location used to store and pack online orders rather than serve walk-in shoppers.

For a skincare or grocery brand, Blitz can help keep products closer to customers, pack orders quickly and hand them to delivery partners. Faster fulfilment can improve customer experience, but it also requires careful control over inventory, warehousing and delivery costs.

According to regulatory filings reported by Entrackr, Blitz plans to use the funding for business growth, expansion and general corporate purposes. It operates in a highly competitive market that includes logistics firms, fulfilment providers and large quick-commerce platforms.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and is not investment, financial or medical advice.