New Delhi – Impact investment firm Omnivore is ramping up its focus on India’s deep science ecosystem, with plans to make four to six new investments this year—two of which are expected to be in the life sciences domain. The firm is eyeing high-potential sectors like animal health, bioinformatics, precision fermentation, and material science, as part of its mission to support startups solving complex, science-backed challenges.
“I would love to do a life sciences deal related to animal science. It’s a sector ripe for disruption and has great challenges. The sector has strong economics and good margins”, said Mark Kahn, Managing Partner at Omnivore.
From Agritech to Deep Science
Founded in 2010 by Mark Kahn and Jinesh Shah, Omnivore has become a leading name in agritech, foodtech, and climate-smart investing in India. The firm has funded over 40 companies and currently manages $295 million across two active funds. In FY25 alone, it made nine investments, with new deals in Sid’s Farm, Scimplify, Cornext, and Two Point O Capital.
Now, Omnivore is widening its investment horizon to tap into India’s growing pool of deep science startups, many of which are emerging from government-supported incubators like C-CAMP, BIRAC, Bangalore Bioinnovation Center, Venture Center Pune, and IKP Knowledge Park in Hyderabad.
These startups often spend several years developing viable products using non-dilutive grants before they begin to raise private capital.
“By the time you’re investing, you’re doing diligence on something real, with real commercial traction, real pilots, and real IP”, Kahn explained.
Exit Strategy and Funding Gaps
Alongside new investments, Omnivore is also working on a couple of exits from its second fund. According to Abhilash Sethi, Investment Director at Omnivore:
“This year, we expect to try to get a decent chunk of our capital back”.
While the Indian biotech and deep science space has raised $1.9 billion between 2020 and 2024, according to a joint report by Omnivore, Nucleate, and IndieBio, there’s still a shortage of early-stage private capital, especially pre-seed funding.
“What is missing now is a pre-seed cheque writer that is comfortable coming in very, very early. Maybe not alongside the earliest grants given by the government, but when it starts moving towards commercialisation”, said Kahn.
The bulk of funding so far has gone to biopharma and medical biotech startups, often from generalist VC funds, reflecting a recent rise in interest from investors traditionally outside the life sciences space.
What Will Unlock India’s Deep Science Boom?
Despite this growing interest, experts say India’s deep science sector needs a major inflection point to unlock its full potential.
Kahn believes two key developments are necessary:
- Increased global investor focus on India, moving beyond biotech hotspots like the US and Israel.
- A breakout exit event from an Indian deep science startup to spark confidence and unlock larger rounds of capital.
“We need to get India on the global radar for life sciences”, Kahn said.
“When people see that, it will unlock a lot of capital in the sector and accelerate how much capital comes in. Right now is the educational part of the story”.
🌊 Launching Biowave: A New Push for Awareness
To catalyze this momentum, Omnivore has partnered with Nucleate and IndieBio to launch Biowave, an annual flagship event aimed at driving both investment and innovation in India’s biotech landscape.
“I think there’s a significant capital unlock just through awareness”, Kahn added, hoping the initiative will move deep science funding beyond seed rounds and toward growth-stage capital.
According to the joint report, between 2020 and 2024, India’s deep science startups saw just 61 Series A rounds, 34 Series B rounds, and only 13 deals beyond Series B—numbers that reflect the gap between early excitement and long-term scale.
With deeper pockets, a sharper strategy, and collaborative efforts like Biowave, Omnivore aims to play a pivotal role in transforming India’s deep science sector into a globally recognized innovation hub.
