Mandrake Bio Secures $1.82 Million in Pre-Seed Funding to Advance AI Protein Design

Introduction

Mandrake Bio, a company pioneering AI-native protein design and gene editing infrastructure, has successfully raised $1.82 million (approximately Rs 16 crore) in a pre-seed funding round. The round was co-led by Activate and Antler, with additional participation from Spectrum Impact, DeVC, and notable angel investors including Dr. Vijay Chandru, Paras Chopra, Sanjiv Rangrass, and Vatsal Dusad.

Company Background

Founded by Tanay Lohia, Mandrake Bio is focused on transforming biology from mere discovery into a more engineering-centric discipline. The company leverages generative AI and biophysics to design proteins and gene-editing enzymes from scratch, aiming to enhance the precision and effectiveness of applications in both agriculture and medicine.

Funding Details

The pre-seed funding, announced on July 16, 2026, marks a significant milestone for Mandrake Bio. With the injection of $1.82 million, the company aims to further its mission of developing advanced programmable gene editing tools.

Investors Involved

The funding round was spearheaded by Activate and Antler, with support from Spectrum Impact and DeVC. Individual investors from the AI and biotech sectors, such as Dr. Vijay Chandru, Paras Chopra, Sanjiv Rangrass, and Vatsal Dusad, also contributed, highlighting the broad interest and confidence in Mandrake Bio's innovative approach.

Strategic Use of Funds

Mandrake Bio plans to utilize the newly acquired funds to enhance its AI-driven protein design platform. The company intends to expand its core research team, focusing on AI and biophysics, and scale up wet-lab validation processes for their designed editors. These advancements are crucial for the application of their technologies in agriculture and medical fields.

Founder’s Vision

Tanay Lohia, the founder of Mandrake Bio, expressed his vision: "We've always been limited by the tools we discovered in nature. At Mandrake, we use generative AI & biophysics to design proteins from scratch—not just reading biology, but writing it." His statement underscores the company's commitment to revolutionizing the way biological engineering is approached, aiming to reduce the time and cost associated with traditional methods.

Conclusion

The successful funding round positions Mandrake Bio to make significant strides in the field of protein design and gene editing. With the backing of prominent investors and a clear strategy for growth, the company is set to advance its technology and potentially reshape industries reliant on biological engineering.