Corneal opacity is a major global cause of blindness, affecting over 10 million individuals who rely on donor tissue for hope of vision restoration. However, less than 2 percent of those in need can access this crucial transplant due to a critical shortage of human donor corneas.
Pandorum Technologies, a tissue regeneration startup based in Bengaluru, seeks to address this issue. The company has conducted multiple animal studies demonstrating that its lab-created ‘liquid cornea,’ known as KuragenX, can promote the transparent regeneration of the cornea to restore sight.
“Cornea is the transparent skin of the eye. Learning from nature, we have developed a bioengineered cornea that helps regenerate one’s own cornea and restore vision,” explained Arun Chandru, Co-founder of Pandorum Technologies.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has granted ‘Orphan’ designation to KuragenX for treating neurotrophic keratitis II/III, a type of corneal blindness that currently lacks effective treatment options. Chandru mentioned that the company plans to seek approval for first-in-human clinical trials in India, the United States, and Japan by 2026.
Pandorum Technologies positions itself as a specialized research and development company. As its projects advance to clinical stages, it intends to license its innovations to larger pharmaceutical firms for patient delivery. “Some notable ones are already in conversation with Pandorum,” Chandru stated.
Additionally, the company has developed a proprietary technology platform for manufacturing human mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) exosomes—nanovesicles released by MSCs that facilitate cell communication and support the regeneration of human tissues, including cornea, skin, and cartilage. This technology complies with the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).
The startup operates R&D labs in Bengaluru and San Carlos, California, and collaborates with the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago and Kyoto University in Japan. It holds around 20 families of patents, with some granted in the U.S., India, and other nations, while others are in review.
Pandorum Technologies has garnered support from the Indian government and prominent investors. The company was established with prize money from the BEST-2010 competition, organized by the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises and the Department of Biotechnology. It has also received competitive grants, including the Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) and the Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI) from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). The Karnataka Biotech Venture Fund has invested equity in Pandorum, which operates from incubation centers in Bangalore funded by both central and state governments.
As of the fiscal year 2024-25, Pandorum Technologies has raised approximately $22 million, completing a pre-Series B funding round in 2024 that yielded $11 million from a mix of new and existing investors.
Published on November 24, 2025.
