Utopia Therapeutics, a Hyderabad-based biotech startup developing next-generation vaccines for chronic metabolic diseases, has secured a $1.5 million investment from Whale Tank, a leading early-stage venture firm focused on breakthrough life science innovations, at BIO International Convention 2025.
The funding will accelerate the preclinical development of UT009, Utopia’s lead immunotherapeutic candidate targeting obesity. UT009 is a novel vaccine designed to modulate the immune system to reduce fat accumulation and improve metabolic health by targeting lipid-associated antigens. This investment supports the advancement of UT009 toward regulatory toxicology studies, IND-enabling milestones, and Phase I human clinical trials.
Whale Tank Biocatalyst Fund has committed over $1.5 million in cumulative investment toward Utopia’s therapeutic and consumer health pipeline. The collaboration includes full development funding for UT009, a first-in-class preventive vaccine for obesity and fatty liver disease. The partnership also supports global scale-up and commercialisation of Utopia’s UT018 based regenerative product line, built on GRAS-qualified, non-pharmaceutical applications.
The announcement was made in the presence of Dr Jitendra Kumar (Managing Director, BIRAC), Narayanan Suresh (COO, ABLE), Dr Balasubramanya S (GM, ABLE), and senior representatives from the Indian biotech community.
Dr Jitendra Kumar, MD, BIRAC, said, “This partnership reflects the strength of India’s translational biotech ecosystem. A vaccine for metabolic disorders and a regenerative product pipeline coming out of India and entering global markets demonstrates the scientific depth and entrepreneurial maturity that BIRAC has consistently fostered."
