Headquartered in Bangalore and Delaware, cell therapy startup Eyestem secured $6.4 million in its Series A funding round at a post-money valuation of $46.4 million.
The funding was led by three Indian pharma majors- Biological E. Limited, Alkem, NATCO and Anurag and Karan Bagaria, promoters of Kemwell Biopharma. Existing investors Endiya Partners and Kotak Private Equity also participated in this round.
Founded in 2016 by a team of clinical research, regenerative medicine, and ophthalmology experts, Eyestem has developed an experimental treatment for dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) called Eyecyte-RPE.
This product replaces damaged retinal pigment epithelium cells and is designed to restore sight for patients in the early stages of dry AMD or arrest loss of vision for those in later stages. The product is allogenic, administered by a surgical procedure, and is patented in India and abroad. The company will file for a first in human trial for the product within a year, with India’s regulator – CDSCO and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
