Bhubaneswar-based deeptech biotech startup Elmentos Research has won the Startup Mahakumbh Grand Challenge Award for 2025. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal congratulated the start-up. The award was given for the company's innovative innovation aimed at transforming the animal feed industry by eliminating antibiotics.

The award was presented at the Startup Mahakumbh held at Bharat Mandap in New Delhi from April 3 to 5. The three-day mega event marked India's largest entrepreneurship meet, with over 3,000 exhibitors, 10,000 start-ups, 1,000 investors and over 50,000 visitors from across the country and abroad. The platform showcased cutting-edge innovations through sector-focused pavilions in areas such as Agritech, Biotech, AI, Fintech, Climate Tech, Defence & Space Tech and more.

Elmentos Research, founded by renowned biotechnologist and entrepreneur Jayshankar Das, has emerged as a major player in the smart protein segment. The company uses Black Soldier Fly (BSF) biotechnology to convert organic waste into high-quality protein, oil, and organic fertiliser. Its flagship products contain functional proteins rich in antimicrobial peptides - a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional antibiotic-laced animal feed.

Elmentos' future feed solutions are custom-developed for the poultry, aquafeed and pet food industries. These smart formulations provide accurate nutrition, improve disease control at the microscopic level, significantly reduce dependence on antibiotics, and offer a path towards more resilient and environmentally friendly animal husbandry practices.

Recognised for its strong R & D foundation and sustainability-oriented mission, Elmentos has received numerous national and international grants and accreditations. These include BIRAC Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) Startup India Seed Fund, NRDC-DSIR TDVC Grant, I4F Indo-Israel Grant, HDFC Parivartan Eco-Innovate Grant and MeitY Leap Ahead Cohort.