Bengaluru-based Loopworm, a trailblazer in insect-derived protein production, has successfully raised $3.25 million in a Pre-Series A round to fuel the next phase of its sustainable biotech journey.
The round was co-led by WaterBridge Ventures (an existing investor) and ENRISSION INDIA CAPITAL, a Japanese venture capital firm with a focus on climate-positive innovation. This brings Loopworm’s total raised capital to $6.65 million, including a previous $3.4 million seed round led by Omnivore.
🧪 Loopworm’s Mission: Clean Protein from Insects
Founded in 2019 by Ankit Alok Bagaria and Abhi Gawri, Loopworm is building a next-gen biomanufacturing platform. The startup is tackling global protein demand by producing insect-derived proteins for:
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Aquaculture
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Pet food
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Animal vaccines
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Diagnostics
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Biotech research with low regulatory barriers
Loopworm is particularly known for its reactor-free recombinant protein production platform, powered by silkworms.
🔬 What Makes Loopworm Unique?
Instead of conventional bioreactors or microbial fermentation, Loopworm uses silkworms as living protein factories, enabling:
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⚡ Faster production cycles
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💰 Reduced manufacturing costs
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🌱 Sustainable, low-carbon process
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🧬 Complex protein output suitable for medical and industrial applications
This proprietary platform bypasses the expensive infrastructure typically needed for biotech manufacturing.
🏭 Global Operations & Reach
Loopworm already operates a 6,000-tonne per year insect processing facility in Bengaluru. Their high-quality protein and oils from farmed insects are exported to:
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🌍 Europe
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🌎 South America
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🌏 ASEAN countries
Use cases include:
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Fish and shrimp feed
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High-nutrition pet products
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Functional animal health ingredients
📈 Why This Funding Matters
This funding will allow Loopworm to:
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Commercialize its recombinant protein platform
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Expand production capacity
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Advance R&D for diagnostics and veterinary biotech
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Enter regulated markets with functional biotech solutions
🚀 India’s Biotech Frontier
Loopworm’s funding reflects India’s rising position in climate-tech, alternative proteins, and biomanufacturing. The company bridges science, sustainability, and global demand with a circular economy model based on insect farming.
🔗 Innovent Blog, your go-to source for startup news, sees Loopworm as a key player redefining biotech innovation from India to the world.