17th November, 2025 | Hyderabad : Whale Tank (WT) Biocatalysts, a leading startup accelerator, successfully concluded its third annual Startup-Investor Meet, WT 3.0, at the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad. The event was held in strategic collaboration with the Biotechnology Industry Research Advisory Council (BIRAC), Government of India, aligning with the national BioE3 mission. WT 3.0 focused on catalyzing funding for Deeptech startups across critical sectors, including Healthcare, Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Food, and Agritech.
Building on the successes of WT 1.0 and WT 2.0, which facilitated funding for over 100 startups with participation from 50+ investors in the last two years, this year’s edition promised and delivered even greater opportunities. Several WT-incubated startups are now nearing major commercial milestones, with two projects progressing toward securing USD 500 million in investments.
“The WT event is a transformational platform in the Indian startup ecosystem for translating deep science into commercial success,” remarked Dr. Uday Saxena, Co-Founder , Whale Tank Biocatalyst. during his introductory address.
Prof.Reddanna, Executive President , FABA (Federation of Asian Biotechnology Association) in his address to the startups, explained the dynamics of startup ecosystem in Biotechnology and critical success factors for their success.
A highlight of WT 3.0 was the official launch of WT’s pipeline product, NEXASWEET. This innovative, stem cell attractant-based sweetener is positioned to offer significant health benefits, including healing and repairing gut inflammation. NEXASWEET is among the first products developed by a BIRAC-funded startup to move toward commercialization, demonstrating the tangible results of the accelerator’s efforts.
Dr. Markandeya Gorantla, Founder, Whale Tank BioCatalyst said, “Whale Tank 3.0 has demonstrated the true strength of India’s Deep Tech ecosystem, with over 73 shortlisted startups and 46 investors coming together to accelerate breakthrough science. The launch of NexaSweet at this platform reflects how innovation can move from the lab to industry with national-scale impact.”
Dr. Taranjit Kaur, the representative from BIRAC, DBT (Department of Biotechnology), addressed the audience, underscoring the vital importance of the Government of India’s BioE3 mission in driving the nation’s bio-economy goals.
WT 3.0 reinforced Whale Tank’s commitment to bridging the gap between cutting-edge scientific research and market opportunities, ensuring India remains at the forefront of global Deeptech innovation. 50 startups participated in the function and made pitches to investors and also explained their products in kiosks. Key Investors from Whale Tank – Shri Tarak Dhurjati, Dr Ratnakar, Dr Vijay, Dr Rolando, Shri Rajendra Chandak, Shri Rajesh Maggu, Dr Jagadeesh Gandla, Dr Sunil Kurchania, and Shri Anant Reddy participated in the function, along with CEOs and senior management professionals from Biotech and Pharma companies. Shri Chakravarty, CII, and Rajaram Iyer from Laurus Labs also graced the occasion. Representatives of DBS Bank which acted as a sponsor to the event along with other Venture capital firms, etc. also participated in the event.
Out of nearly 80 applications, the WT team shortlisted 20 startups for the main pitching session and selected 50 more for dedicated networking and elevator pitch opportunities with investors. The pitching startups showcased excellent innovations at a high Technology Readiness Level (TRL), with many already at post-Proof-of-Concept (post-POC) or commercialized stages, primarily in the Healthcare, Medical, Life Sciences, and Biotechnology sectors.
