eNLife Raises INR 6 Cr to Advance AI Blood Test Aiming to Detect Alzheimer's Up to 15 Years Earlier
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Enlife also plans to begin filing patents over the next nine to 18 months, covering biomarker binders, diagnostic assays and its detection platform.
Bengaluru-based deep-tech biotech startup eNLife Research has secured INR 6 Cr in seed funding led by Piper Serica to accelerate the development of its AI blood test for Alzheimer's.
The newly raised capital will support validation of the company's blood biomarker platform, expansion of its research and development team, and advancement of its first diagnostic assay from prototype to clinical-grade validation.
eNLife has been advancing a blood-based diagnostic platform that aims to identify the disease up to 15 years before symptoms emerge, making early detection more accessible and affordable for the Indian population.
Founded by Dr Deepak Kumaran Nair, Professor at the Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Lt. Col. Jojo Jacob and former CAMS Finserv CEO Anish Mathew, eNLife Research is developing an AI blood test that analyses biomarkers linked to Alzheimer's, including amyloid beta and abnormal tau proteins.
The startup currently studies five to seven biomarkers and plans to expand the panel to between 25 and 100 biomarkers to improve detection of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Enlife also plans to begin filing patents over the next nine to 18 months, covering biomarker binders, diagnostic assays and its detection platform.
"The biggest failure of Alzheimer's care today isn't the absence of treatments in trials; it's that we find patients a decade too late to use them. Every diagnostic model the world has built so far was designed on Western cohorts, at hospital price points that don't work for India. We started Enlife to close both gaps at once: detect the disease at the molecular stage, far ahead of the symptomatic stage, and do it through a simple blood draw that is both accessible and affordable," Nair said.
The startup said artificial intelligence has enabled researchers to evaluate a much larger number of molecular candidates while reducing both development time and cost.
According to Lt. Col. Jojo Jacob, the startup has already demonstrated proof of concept and is currently integrating its research into a unified diagnostic platform. The technology is currently between Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 and 4.
"What previously took months of laboratory work can now be partially simulated using AI. It allows us to evaluate many more molecular candidates while significantly reducing both the time and cost involved," Jacob said.
eNLife plans to commercialise the platform through partnerships with hospital chains, diagnostic laboratories and pharmaceutical companies, enabling clinical deployment while supporting drug discovery and research.
The startup is also collaborating with researchers from IISc, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Hyderabad, and the Centre for Brain Research (CBR), Bengaluru, to build India-specific biomarker datasets.
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