In the heart of India\u2019s biotech awakening, a homegrown startup is spinning a silken thread of innovation that could reshape how the world produces complex proteins. While the rest of the biotech world has long relied on costly lab-grown microbes and industrial-scale bioreactors, Bengaluru-based Loopworm is doing something remarkably unconventional \u2014 using silkworms as living, breathing bio-factories.<\/p>\n
And this bold idea is catching the attention of global investors.<\/p>\n
Loopworm has just announced the closing of its $3.25 million Pre-Series A round, led by existing backer WaterBridge Ventures and ENRISSION INDIA CAPITAL, a Japanese venture capital firm that\u2019s increasingly eyeing India\u2019s deeptech frontier. The fresh capital is aimed at commercializing their breakthrough recombinant protein production platform, a move that could unlock new possibilities in diagnostics, animal health, and beyond.<\/p>\n
Loopworm’s Funding<\/p>\n
At the core of Loopworm\u2019s innovation lies a radical departure from conventional biotech. Recombinant proteins \u2014 widely used in everything from diagnostics to therapeutics \u2014 are typically produced by inserting genes into hosts like yeast or bacteria. These genetically modified organisms are then nurtured in large, energy-hungry bioreactors to produce the desired proteins.<\/p>\n
Loopworm, however, has cut the lab out of the equation.<\/p>\n
Using a proprietary method, the startup employs silkworms as live hosts to express complex proteins. These silkworms act as natural incubators, eliminating the need for expensive infrastructure, reducing energy consumption, and dramatically cutting down production costs and timelines.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur reactor-free approach changes the economics entirely,\u201d said Ankit Alok Bagaria, Co-founder and CEO of Loopworm. \u201cHaving proven the technology, we are now focusing on commercialization \u2014 starting with applications that have lower regulatory barriers like diagnostics and animal vaccines.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Biotech Platform for the Future<\/p>\n
Loopworm\u2019s innovation comes at a time when the global biotech industry is desperately searching for scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable production platforms. Co-founder Abhi Gawri highlights the larger vision: \u201cAs biotech evolves, the demand for platforms that combine speed, cost-efficiency, and scalability continues to grow. Our silkworm-based system is built to meet those needs \u2014 with unmatched flexibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the new funding, Loopworm is accelerating its mission to contribute to India\u2019s bioeconomy goals, aligning with national ambitions to lead in sustainable biotech and deeptech innovation.<\/p>\n
More Than Just a Lab Innovation<\/p>\n
Loopworm already runs a state-of-the-art, 6,000-tonne insect processing facility in Bengaluru. It\u2019s not just an R&D lab anymore \u2014 it\u2019s a commercial player.<\/p>\n
The company exports protein and oils derived from silkworms and other insects to clients across Europe, South America, and ASEAN nations, primarily catering to the aquaculture and pet food industries. In parallel, its research wing has made significant strides \u2014 including successfully expressing complex proteins like antigens and growth factors using silkworm pupae.<\/p>\n
And this isn\u2019t just theory. Loopworm\u2019s facility meets global standards with ISO 22000, GMP+, HACCP, and EU TRACES certifications, ensuring compliance as it scales.<\/p>\n
Global Backing, Local Innovation<\/p>\n
For Loopworm, the investment is more than just capital \u2014 it\u2019s validation from some of the sharpest minds in the venture space.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cLoopworm is a testament to the dominant role Indian startups can play in the global biotech industry,\u201d said Ashish Jain, Partner at WaterBridge Ventures. \u201cTheir silkworm platform isn\u2019t just novel \u2014 it\u2019s a potential leapfrog moment for Indian biotech.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
From Japan, ENRISSION INDIA CAPITAL sees strong alignment with its own goals.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe see deep synergy between Loopworm\u2019s platform and Japan\u2019s industrial biotech and sustainability objectives,\u201d noted Harsh Deodhar, Principal at the firm. \u201cThis investment reflects both strategic alignment and conviction in the startup\u2019s vision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even Omnivore\u2019s Mark Kahn, an early backer of Loopworm, is convinced that this is a world-class deeptech story unfolding from India. \u201cWhat they\u2019ve built since we first backed them is genuinely cutting-edge,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Loopworm\u2019s story is also a story of long-term vision and intellectual property. The company has filed multiple patents for its recombinant technology and received regulatory approvals for R&D-scale production. A robust IP and compliance framework is underway as they scale toward full-fledged commercial rollout.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t just another biotech startup \u2014 it\u2019s a full-stack innovation house aiming to make India a serious player in the global industrial biotech race.<\/p>\n
India has often been called the \u201cpharmacy of the world,\u201d but with innovations like Loopworm\u2019s, it may soon be known as the bio-factory of the future. By reimagining silkworms \u2014 creatures long associated with traditional textiles \u2014 as modern-day production engines, this Bengaluru-based startup is giving new meaning to Make in India.<\/p>\n
And with global investors, cutting-edge tech, and a planet-friendly production model, Loopworm seems poised to redefine biotech \u2014 one silkworm at a time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the heart of India\u2019s biotech awakening, a homegrown startup is spinning a silken thread of innovation that…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":43014,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[33742,33741,64,33744,33745,607,1258,33752,33749,33739,33747,33748,33751,33740,33750,5180,33743,67,132,68,33746],"class_list":{"0":"post-43013","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entrepreneurship","8":"tag-bangalore-startup-news","9":"tag-biotech-innovation-india","10":"tag-business","11":"tag-deeptech-india","12":"tag-enrission-capital","13":"tag-entrepreneurship","14":"tag-funding","15":"tag-indian-biotech-startup","16":"tag-indian-startups","17":"tag-insect-protein-startup","18":"tag-insect-based-protein","19":"tag-loopworm","20":"tag-loopworm-funding","21":"tag-recombinant-protein","22":"tag-silkworm-biotech","23":"tag-startup-funding","24":"tag-sustainable-protein-production","25":"tag-united-states","26":"tag-unitedstates","27":"tag-us","28":"tag-waterbridge-ventures"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114805584986046239","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}