Whale Tank Biocatalysts hosts Startup-Investor Meet WT 3.0 in 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 catalysing 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 $500 million in investments.

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 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.

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 commercialised stages, primarily in the Healthcare, Medical, Life Sciences, and Biotechnology sectors.