Team Startupcity

• Utopia Therapeutics raised $1.5M from Whale Tank to advance its obesity vaccine, UT009, toward clinical trials.
• UT009 targets metabolic disorders by modulating the immune system to reduce fat accumulation.
• The partnership supports global expansion of Utopia’s regenerative product line UT018 and reflects India’s growing biotech capabilities.

Utopia Therapeutics, a pioneering biotech startup based in Hyderabad, has raised $1.5 million in funding from Whale Tank Biocatalyst Fund, a prominent early-stage venture capital firm specializing in life sciences. The announcement was made during the BIO International Convention 2025.

The investment will accelerate the preclinical development of Utopia’s lead immunotherapeutic candidate, UT009, a novel vaccine designed to modulate immune response to reduce fat accumulation and improve metabolic health by targeting lipid-associated antigens. The funding will support regulatory toxicology studies, IND-enabling milestones, and Phase I clinical trials.

Whale Tank’s commitment of over $1.5 million also extends to Utopia’s broader therapeutic and consumer health pipeline. This includes full development funding for UT009, which is positioned as a first-in-class preventive vaccine for obesity and fatty liver disease. Additionally, the partnership supports the global scale-up and commercialization of UT018, a regenerative product line based on GRAS-qualified, non-pharmaceutical applications.

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The announcement was attended by key industry leaders including Dr Jitendra Kumar (MD, BIRAC), Narayanan Suresh (COO, ABLE), and Dr Balasubramanya S (GM, ABLE).

Dr Jitendra Kumar remarked, “This partnership showcases the strength of India’s translational biotech ecosystem and highlights the global potential of homegrown innovations in metabolic health”.