A healthcare startup focused on gastroenterology, liver and metabolic care has raised $1 million (around ₹9 crore) in a seed funding round backed by a consortium of more than 15 investors, including healthcare professionals and industry participants.
Gut Clinic said the round included investors such as Dr Amitoj Singh, Dr Aman Rajpal, Ankur Kathuria of Alpha Wave Global, Juhi Bhatnagar of Forj Capital, and Deepak Garg, Senior Executive Vice President at Reliance Industries.
The funding comes amid a rising burden of lifestyle-related digestive and metabolic disorders in India, with estimates suggesting around 70 million people are affected. Much of the current care ecosystem remains hospital-led and reactive, with limited focus on early-stage diagnosis and long-term management.
The company is working on an outpatient-led model supported by technology and standardised treatment protocols. The approach aims to shift part of the care delivery outside acute hospital settings, while still integrating with day-care and in-hospital services where necessary.
The capital will be used to set up additional centres, strengthen clinical systems and expand diagnostic capabilities. The broader preventive healthcare segment in India is estimated to be worth about $197 billion, though it remains fragmented.
“This funding allows us to strengthen the clinical systems required to deliver consistent, high-quality outpatient care at scale,” said Dr. Akshat Kumar, Founder and CEO of Gut Clinic. “We are not looking to replace hospitals, but to complement them by managing chronic and preventive gastro, liver and metabolic conditions more effectively outside acute settings. With gastrointestinal disorders on the rise, liver disease among the leading causes of mortality, and fatty liver affecting nearly one in three Indians, it is the need of the hour to bring our world-class clinicians closer to patients’ homes.”
Gut Clinic was founded by Dr. Akshat Kumar, a US-certified physician and Wharton MBA who previously worked in global clinical operations at McKinsey. The venture also draws on the clinical background of Dr. Ajay Kumar, a B.C. Roy Awardee and Chairman at Pan Max, Gastroenterology & Hepatology India.
The startup has an advisory board that includes Dr. Nageshwar Reddy of AIG Hospitals and Dr. Suresh Chari. The founding team also includes Dr. Manav Wadhawan as Chief Strategy and Medical Officer.
Currently operating in the Delhi NCR region, the company plans to expand to Chandigarh, Punjab and other parts of northern India, with a target of setting up over 20 centres in the near to medium term.
