Loopworm, a Bengaluru-based biomanufacturing company developing insect-derived proteins, has raised $3.25 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by WaterBridge Ventures, an existing investor, and ENRISSION INDIA CAPITAL, a Japanese venture capital firm.
The funds raised will be used to commercialise its silkworm-based recombinant protein production technology, targeting diagnostics, animal vaccines, and other high-impact applications.
Founded in 2019 by Ankit Alok Bagaria and Abhi Gawri, Loopworm has developed a radical new approach to producing recombinant proteins – a type of protein typically made by inserting genes into host organisms like yeast or bacteria to “instruct” them to make proteins of medical or industrial importance.
Under its proprietary novel process, Loopworm uses silkworms as living factories to produce complex proteins, enabling faster, cheaper, and more sustainable production.
Loopworm has filed multiple patents on its recombinant protein production technology. It has received regulatory approvals for R&D-scale recombinant protein production and is building a broader compliance and IP framework.
Loopworm currently operates a state-of-the-art 6,000-tonne-per-year insect processing facility in Bangalore. It is already exporting to Europe, South America and ASEAN countries protein and oil produced from silkworms and other farmed insects for uses across the aquaculture and pet food industries.
Alongside its commercial growth in global markets, the company has made major technical breakthroughs including successfully expressing complex proteins such as antigens and growth factors in silkworm pupae.
Ankit Alok Bagaria, Co-founder and CEO of Loopworm, said, “Recombinant protein manufacturing has long been constrained by expensive infrastructure and slow scalability. Our reactor-free approach using silkworms changes the economics entirely. Having proven the technology, we are now focusing on commercializing our recombinant protein production platform, initially targeting diagnostics, animal vaccines and other applications with lower regulatory barriers.”
Abhi Gawri, Co-founder of Loopworm said, “As biotech evolves, the demand for manufacturing platforms that combine speed, cost-efficiency, and scalability continues to grow. Our silkworm-based platform is uniquely positioned to meet these needs with unmatched flexibility and affordability. With this new funding, we’re accelerating our efforts to make a meaningful contribution to India’s national bio-economy vision.”
Ashish Jain, Partner at WaterBridge, said, “Loopworm is testament to the dominant role Indian startups can play in the global biotech industry. Their silkworm recombinant platform isn’t just novel – it’s a potential leapfrog moment for biotech in India.”
Harsh Deodhar, Principal at ENRISSION INDIA CAPITAL, said, “For us, the investment represents both conviction in Loopworm’s platform and alignment with Japan’s strategic and biotech priorities. Loopworm’s approach holds strong potential across multiple sectors in Japan, aligning well with the country’s sustainability goals and industrial biotech ambitions.”
Mark Kahn, Managing Partner at Omnivore, said, “India is ready to lead the next wave of industrial biotech, and Loopworm is building the kind of platform that could make that possible. We backed them early for their deep tech, and what they’ve built since is genuinely world-class.”
