Serendipity Space, a deep-tech startup working at the intersection of space technology and pharmaceuticals, has secured pre-seed funding from Campus Fund to advance its mission of developing microgravity-enabled drug manufacturing. The Bengaluru-based venture is developing a proprietary satellite platform with an autonomous crystallization unit named ‘Alchemy’ aimed at producing superior quality drug and protein crystals in space.
The company was founded by Antariksh Parichha (CEO), a master’s graduate in Applied Physics from the Technical University of Munich, Jivitesh Debata (CTO), who earned a master’s in Computer Science from Rochester Institute of Technology, and Dr Monica Ekal (Chief of Space Systems), who holds a Ph.D. in Space Robotics from Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal. Dr Ekal brings experience from the German Aerospace Center and NASA. The team is addressing a major challenge in the pharma sector—gravity-induced defects that hinder optimal crystallization on Earth.
Campus Fund’s founder and CEO Richa Bajpai praised the team’s vision, stating that the initiative combines advances in aerospace and pharmaceuticals to address real-world medical challenges and could fast-track life-saving drug development. Serendipity Space has already built and tested several modules for crystallization and formulation.
Its ground-based trials have demonstrated high-purity results in working with both proteins and small molecules. Microgravity, with its lack of sedimentation and convection, allows for the formation of more uniform crystals—key to improving the stability and efficacy of many medications.
The company estimates that space-enabled drug production could yield up to $1.2 billion in added value per new pharmaceutical product, and forecasts suggest the in-orbit manufacturing market may exceed $10 billion by 2030. By using reusable satellites capable of return missions, Serendipity aims to build commercially viable infrastructure for off-Earth pharmaceutical processing.
CEO Antariksh Parichha noted that this funding will allow the company to validate core systems needed to deliver a complete end-to-end solution for pharmaceutical firms. The company’s long-term vision is to make orbital production a standard option in drug discovery and formulation. The Campus Fund investment adds Serendipity Space to its growing portfolio of deep-tech student-led ventures, reinforcing India’s rising position in space innovation and next-generation manufacturing.
