Gut Clinic Raises Seed Round Led By Healthcare Experts

Gut Clinic, a healthcare platform specialising in integrated gastroenterology, liver, and metabolic care, has raised $1 million (approximately INR 9.0 crore) in seed funding. The round was backed by a strategic consortium of over 15 investors, including healthcare ecosystem players and industry veterans. Notable participants include Dr. Amitoj Singh (Harvard-trained physician and preventative care specialist, University of Arizona), Dr. Aman Rajpal (University of California, San Francisco; international fatty liver expert), Ankur Kathuria (Alpha Wave Global), Juhi Bhatnagar (Forj Capital), and Deepak Garg (Senior Executive Vice President, Reliance Industries).

The funding comes at a critical time as India faces a massive and growing burden of lifestyle-led digestive and metabolic disorders, with an estimated 70 million Indians suffering from these issues. Currently, care remains largely reactive and hospital-dependent; Gut Clinic’s vision is to shift this care "upstream", moving toward early diagnosis, protocol-driven treatment, and long-term disease management. By combining deep clinical expertise with a scalable, technology-enabled care infrastructure, the company is building an outpatient-first model, complemented by day-care and in-hospital centres. The capital will be used to establish new centres, strengthen clinical systems, and expand diagnostic capabilities across a $197 billion preventive healthcare market that currently 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, Wharton MBA, and former leader of McKinsey’s global clinical operations practice. The venture builds on a personal legacy of clinical excellence established by his father, Dr. Ajay Kumar (B.C. Roy Awardee and Chairman, Pan Max, Gastroenterology & Hepatology India).

The startup is guided by a distinguished Board of Advisors, including Dr. Nageshwar Reddy (Chairman, AIG Hospitals) and world-renowned pancreatologist Dr. Suresh Chari, ensuring global best practices in Clinical Gastroenterology Sciences. The founding team also includes Dr. Manav Wadhawan, Chief Strategy and Medical Officer, who brings deep expertise in liver and metabolic health.

Currently operating in the Delhi NCR region, Gut Clinic plans to expand to Chandigarh, Punjab, and other parts of Northern India, with a target of establishing over 20 centres in the near-medium term. The broader aim is to build India’s largest gastro-metabolic platform to significantly improve patient outcomes and the experience of care.