Serendipity Space Secures Pre-Seed Funding to Advance Space-Based Pharma

The startup is focused on leveraging space-based crystallization to address a key bottleneck in pharmaceutical development, the inability to produce high-quality protein and drug crystals on Earth due to gravity-induced defects.

Odisha-based Serendipity Space has secured pre-seed funding from Campus Fund to support its efforts in developing microgravity-based pharmaceutical manufacturing solutions.

The startup is focused on leveraging space-based crystallization to address a key bottleneck in pharmaceutical development, the inability to produce high-quality protein and drug crystals on Earth due to gravity-induced defects.

Serendipity Space has created a proprietary satellite platform and an autonomous pharmaceutical crystallization module named ‘Alchemy.’ 

The company combines expertise in space systems engineering and pharmaceutical development. The impact of space-produced drugs such as Keytruda on cancer treatment inspires its work.

Since its inception, Serendipity Space has built and tested several pharmaceutical modules, including two crystallization modules and one formulation module. Ground-based validation experiments using proteins and small molecules have demonstrated laboratory-grade crystallization quality.

The startup plans to use the funding to conduct technical demonstrations to validate the core subsystems needed to offer space-based crystallization as a complete service for pharmaceutical companies.

According to the company, space-based pharmaceutical production can yield an average net present value (NPV) of $1.2 billion per novel drug for a pharmaceutical company. The in-space manufacturing market is projected to surpass $10 billion by 2030, supported by the unique advantages offered by the microgravity environment.

Serendipity Space is part of Campus Fund’s growing deep-tech portfolio, which includes ventures driven by student entrepreneurs across space technology and advanced manufacturing.

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