Biotech startup Helex raises $3.5 million in round led by pi Ventures

Hyderabad- and US-based biotech startup Helex has raised $3.5 million in a seed round led by pi Ventures, with participation from Bluehill Capital, SOSV, and other global investors.

The startup is developing targeted genomic medicines for kidney diseases using its proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug design platforms.

Incubated at ASPIRE–BioNEST, University of Hyderabad, Helex aims to make gene therapies more precise, accessible, and affordable, its founders told ET.


The funding will accelerate preclinical development of its lead candidate for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) — an inherited disorder affecting about 12 million people globally and nearly 5% of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in India, according to the India Renal Foundation.

Helex’s platform integrates deep-learning models trained on proprietary genomics, bioinformatics, and sequencing data from gene-edited target cells to design and verify disease-specific guide RNA.

“By solving for kidney-targeted delivery, Helex opens the door to a new class of targeted, curative medicines for millions of patients who currently have no effective treatment options,” the startup said in a statement.

Founded by Poulami Chaudhuri, Rohini Kalvakuntla, and Anirudh Nishtala, alumni of King’s College, London, the team brings expertise in LNP-based delivery, genome editing, molecular biology, and healthcare strategy.

Chaudhuri, CEO of Helex, said, “For far too long, patients with ADPKD have had to rely only on symptom management. By enabling targeted delivery of genomic medicines directly to the kidney, we are developing a transformative therapy that is accessible and affordable for every patient who needs it.”

Kalvakuntla, chief business officer, said the startup plans to partner with larger pharma firms for late-stage development and licensing its platforms while prioritising low-cost synthetic manufacturing to keep therapies affordable in markets like India.

Nishtala added that Helex’s mutation-agnostic approach for ADPKD could enable a single therapy to address 85% of PKD1 — a gene that, when mutated, causes ADPKD. "This therapy could provide best-in-class options even for younger, diagnosed but asymptomatic patients,” he emphasised.

Roopan Aulakh, managing partner at pi Ventures, said, “ADPKD represents a significant unmet medical need. Gene therapies are emerging as one of the most promising frontiers in medicine. Helex’s mechanism has the potential to be a curative therapy and positions the company to build a differentiated pipeline of therapies for kidney diseases.”

With this round, Helex has raised over $6 million in total funding to date.