Biotechnology startup Loopworm raises $3.25 million in a pre-Series A funding round

Loopworm, a biotechnology startup developing sustainable protein manufacturing platforms using farmed insects, has raised $3.25 million in a pre-Series A funding round. The investment was co-led by WaterBridge Ventures and Japanese venture capital firm ENRISSION INDIA CAPITAL.

The latest round follows a $3.4 million seed funding raised previously from Omnivore and other early backers. According to Loopworm, the new capital will support commercialization of its silkworm-based recombinant protein production platform, targeting diagnostics, animal vaccines, and other applications with faster go-to-market timelines due to lower regulatory hurdles.

Founded in 2019 by IIT-Roorkee alumni Ankit Alok Bagaria and Abhi Gawri, Loopworm is pioneering an unconventional approach to biomanufacturing. The startup uses silkworms as “living bioreactors” to produce complex recombinant proteins — a task traditionally carried out by genetically modified microorganisms in expensive stainless-steel fermenters.

The startup plans to use the funding to scale production, expand R&D partnerships, and accelerate time-to-market for its recombinant protein products.

"Recombinant protein manufacturing has long been constrained by expensive infrastructure and slow scalability," said Bagaria, who is also the CEO of the company. "Our reactor-free approach using silkworms changes the economics entirely. Having proven the technology, we are now focusing on commercialization."

Loopworm’s platform has demonstrated successful expression of antigens, growth factors, and other complex proteins within silkworm pupae. The startup is now working to scale the system for industrial-grade applications across healthcare, veterinary science, and biotechnology sectors.

It currently operates a 6,000-tonne-per-year insect processing facility in Bengaluru, which it claims to be one of the largest in Asia, from where it supplies insect-derived proteins and lipids for use in aquafeed and pet nutrition across Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia. Its product portfolio includes insect-based soluble proteins, collagen, enzymes, and lipids.

"Our silkworm-based platform is uniquely positioned to meet these needs." Ashish Jain of WaterBridge Ventures stated, "Loopworm is testament to the dominant role Indian startups can play in the global biotech industry."