Hyderabad-based therapeutics startup Helex has raised $3.5 million in a seed funding round led by pi Ventures, with participation from Bluehill Capital, SOSV, and a global syndicate of investors. This brings Helex’s total funding to over $6 million to date.

The funds will be used to accelerate development of its lead gene-editing candidate for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) and to expand its proprietary AI-driven therapeutics platform focused on genetic kidney disorders.

Building the Future of Kidney Therapeutics

Founded in 2021 by Poulami Chaudhuri, Rohini Kalvakuntla, and Anirudh Nishtala, Helex is developing a new class of targeted genetic medicines using its LNP-based (Lipid Nanoparticle) delivery system and AI-powered drug design platform.

Incubated at ASPIRE-BioNEST, University of Hyderabad, Helex aims to revolutionize chronic and rare kidney disease treatment by developing programmable, non-viral therapeutics that deliver genetic payloads directly to kidney cells.

Its proprietary platform integrates genomics data, bioinformatics, and high-throughput sequencing to design and validate disease-specific gRNAs through deep learning models — a process that enhances precision and minimizes off-target effects.

Targeting ADPKD: A Global Health Challenge

Helex’s lead program focuses on Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD), a progressive inherited disorder affecting over 12 million people worldwide and nearly 5% of CKD patients in India. The company aims to create a single-dose, non-viral gene-editing therapy capable of halting or significantly slowing the disease’s progression.

Poulami Chaudhuri, Co-founder and CEO of Helex, said, “Our mission is to redefine how genetic kidney diseases are treated — through precision, safety, and scalability. With this round, we’re one step closer to making gene-editing-based kidney therapeutics a clinical reality.”