Entrepreneur
Round up: funding for world’s first AI-powered IVF lab, and more
Femtech World explores the latest business and investment developments in the world of women’s health.
Funding supports US launch of world’s first AI-powered, automated IVF lab
Conceivable Life Sciences has raised US$50m to accelerate the development and commercialisation of the world’s first AI-powered automated IVF laboratory.
The funding will help to make the therapy more accessible, scalable and effective at delivering improved pregnancy results.
The Series A round brings Conceivable’s total funding to US$70m, including the company’s US$20m seed round, which closed in December 2022.
AURA utilises robotic precision and AI algorithms to remove variability and standardise more than 200 steps with the aim to deliver consistently successful IVF outcomes.
Conceivable is in active clinical operations and currently conducting a 100-patient pilot study.
The Series A funding will support Conceivable Life Sciences’s US debut next year, expanding its partnerships with fertility networks in 2026, marking the US commercial launch of the world’s first automated IVF lab.
“The fertility industry stands at a critical inflection point where breakthrough innovation will fundamentally expand access to care,” said Alex Christ, general partner at Advance Venture Partners.
“We saw a fragmented landscape of companies building low impact, point solutions for individual IVF processes, but only Conceivable tackling the full end-to-end approach to IVF that truly pushes the industry forward.
“By integrating these complex steps in one system, they’ve revolutionised the IVF lab with technology, engineering and biology at the core.
“Conceivable’s technology will enable the entire sector to deliver fertility care that’s more consistent, scalable, and, most importantly, within reach for the families who need it most.”
Truelli to advance R&D for world’s first menstrual pad with a built-in screening technology
Health tech startup Truelli is to advance its research and development on the world’s first menstrual pad that has a built-in screening technology designed to transform a period into a health checkpoint.
The company is developing a smart pad that analyses menstrual blood; an information-rich yet historically overlooked biomarker.
The technology is designed to routinely assess four key health indicators in women including nutrient levels, hormonal fluctuations, metabolic function and sexual health.
Results are delivered through a mobile application that syncs relevant data and provides actionable insights.
While innovation in women’s health is progressing, its impact is constrained by the lack of physiologically-relevant and robust R&D.
Without sustained investment that enriches our understanding of female-specific biology, real-world application of these innovations is fruitless.” said Dr. Saba Alzabin, Truelli co-founder and CSO.
“At Truelli, we’re transforming overlooked biological signals within the female cycle into tools that can support her healthspan.
“This has far-reaching potential in geographies where systemic and cultural barriers limit care for women and girls.”
NIH grant for endometriosis therapeutic
EndoCyclic Therapeutics has been awarded a National Institute of Health (NIH) Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) Program grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD.
This funding will accelerate the commercialisation of ENDO-205, a non-hormonal, disease-modifying therapeutic designed to treat endometriosis.
The CRP grant provides late-stage development resources to propel promising therapies toward the clinic.
ENDO-205 employs a pH-sensitive peptide mechanism that selectively eliminates lesions at the site of the disease, while leaving healthy tissue untouched.
This targeted approach allows the drug to fully eliminate lesions across all subtypes of the disease while maintaining a good safety profile.
US$4.5m to Drive US launch of breast surgery platform
Medtech startup Plexāā has raised US$4.5m funding to support the US launch of BLOOM43 – the world’s first fully wearable medical device designed to help patients prepare for breast cancer surgery.
Complication rates in breast surgeries, which can include infection, skin necrosis and the need for additional surgeries, have been recorded as high as 30 per cent.
BLOOM43 utilises Supraphysiological Preconditioning – a new technique that preconditions the skin, causing the release of heat-shock proteins that cause vasodilation and increased blood flow to the area.
According to the company, the process has reduced wound healing complications in proof-of-concept clinical trials and the device has demonstrated substantial improvements in the patient experience and surgical readiness.
Further investment includes over US$1.6m in i4i grant funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and US$1.3m from Thena Capital, a London-based VC firm backed by the British Business Bank.
The company says the funding will also support future innovations.
Berry Fertility launches AI powered tool for patient communications
Berry Fertility, a comprehensive patient-management platform for IVF, IUI, embryo transfer and egg freezing, has launched its AI-powered Smart Compose tool for patient communications.
Smart Compose is designed to integrate into existing workflows and EMRs to support care teams without disrupting day-to-day operations.
It pulls relevant chart details, reviews patient messages and references history to create a message draft that clinical staff can review and tweak before responding to patients.
The tool, which is purpose-built for the unique needs of fertility clinics and care teams, enables decisions and clinical judgment to be human-led.
The agentic AI system uses a “human-in-the-loop” approach, enabling staff to remain in control and review, edit or discard drafts before they are sent to patients.
By drawing on vetted fertility content and a medication database developed by Berry Fertility, the tool is fully customisable to each clinic’s workflows.
To ensure the safeguarding of data, all data remain isolated to ensure workflows are not shared or used to improve any other system, and no AI models are trained on patient data.
Medical partnership launches femtech product for menstrual cramps
Spark Biomedical and Velentium Medical, partners in neuromodulation device development, have partnered to launch OhmBody.
OhmBody is a division of Spark Biomedical that is working to develop a wearable, non-invasive wellness product intended to help reduce cramps and unhealthy amounts of menstrual blood loss.
Spark Biomedical says that the product is also designed to provide support for other disruptive effects of your period like fatigue, gastric discomfort, and emotional fluctuations.
Seven Starling raises US$8m for mental health platform expansion
Seven Starling has raised US$8m in funding to accelerate the national US expansion of its maternal mental health platform.
Currently operating in 18 states, the company plans to expand to over 30 states by the end of 2026.
The expansion will increase access to specialised care for women experiencing mental health challenges during fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and early parenthood.
According to Seven Starling, the platform has seen 90 per cent clinical improvement in patients who complete the programme, showing significant reductions in depression symptoms.
The platform offers automated patient screening technology, one-click referrals and direct EMR integrations.
It also automates critical operational functions including insurance verification, personalised care team assignment and care co-ordination, and utilises AI for administrative workflows.
“We’ve built technology to solve the operational challenges that typically create friction in healthcare delivery,” said Sophia Richter, COO and co-founder of Seven Starling.
Axia Women’s Health launches AI mammograms
Axia Women’s Health will be offering an FDA-cleared AI technology with every mammogram.
The development aims to increase access to earlier and more accurate breast cancer detection.
The technology known as MammoScreen acts as a “second set of eyes” for radiologists providing a dual-read approach to every mammogram.
In retrospective studies, MammoScreen detected 38.5 per cent of screen detectable cancers two years before diagnosis.
Through a partnership with Onsite Women’s Health, MammoScreen is now available across the Axia Women’s Health network, with multiple imaging centers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Indiana.
Each imaging center is located within or near existing Axia OB/GYN care centers, making it more convenient for women to receive the comprehensive care they need.
The Women’s Health Innovation Summit (WHIS) has announced that submissions are open for the 2026 Innovation Showcase, giving early and growth-stage start-ups the chance to present their solutions to the most influential audience in women’s health.
Taking place October 13–15 at Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, Massachusetts, WHIS brings together more than 1,000 decision-makers from across the women’s health ecosystem — investors, payers, health systems, pharma leaders, and employers — all under one roof.
Selected companies will pitch live on stage to an audience with the funding, expertise, and connections to accelerate their growth.
Past participants have walked away with investor introductions, commercial partnerships, and clinical collaborations that moved from conversation to contract.
WHIS is where the women’s health ecosystem comes together to get deals done,” said Sarah Rowlands, marketing director.
“The Innovation Showcase puts promising start ups directly in front of the people who can take them to the next level.”
The showcase sits at the heart of a three-day programme spanning digital health, therapeutics, diagnostics, and consumer health.
Previous attendees have included representatives from Mayo Clinic, CVS Health, Eli Lilly, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Alumni Ventures, Muse Capital, and Maverick Ventures, among hundreds of others.
Applications are open now. Start-ups can submit at
www.whisusa.com/attend/start-ups
About WHIS
Now in its eighth year, the Women’s Health Innovation Summit is the largest global gathering of senior leaders shaping the future of women’s health.
Organised by Kisaco Research, WHIS unites providers, health plans, employers, regulators, pharma, investors, and innovators to increase deal flow, expand reimbursement, improve access, and deliver better health outcomes for women at every stage of life.
WHIS 2026 takes place October 13–15 at Encore Boston Harbor, Everett, MA.
Learn more at www.whisusa.com
Five women-led startups will compete for a share of a £30,000 prize fund in Imperial’s WE Innovate final on Monday 15 June 2026.
The finalists are building businesses to tackle challenges in areas including vaccine technology, epilepsy care and the destruction of “forever chemicals”.
The WE Innovate programme, run by Imperial Enterprise Lab, is a targeted pre-accelerator open to teams led by students, recent alumni and early career researchers who identify as women.
The programme supports 25 women-led teams through six months of masterclasses, business coaching, one-to-one expert support and peer mentoring.
The top five teams will compete to win a share of the £30,000 prize fund at the WE Innovate Grand Final Showcase at Imperial on Monday 15 June 2026 from 18:00 to 21:00.
Tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
This year’s final also marks the second year of WE Innovate National, a growing UK-wide programme that has expanded the WE Innovate model built at Imperial to other parts of the country.
Alongside Imperial, Queen’s University Belfast, Swansea University and Loughborough University are each hosting their own grand final showcases on their campuses.
The four showcases are collectively contributing to a shared national ecosystem focused on supporting women-led innovation.
WE Innovate National is set to expand to seven universities next year, supporting 175 women-led startup teams across the UK.
AlphaVectors Biotech is developing a lipid nanoparticle platform to enhance the stability of RNA vaccines at room temperatures.
Lipid nanoparticles are tiny fat-based particles used to deliver genetic medicines into the body. RNA vaccines use genetic instructions to help the immune system recognise a disease target.
Current RNA-based therapeutics rely on lipid nanoparticles that need storage at between -20°C and -80°C and high dosing. This increases distribution costs and leads to significant wastage, limiting scalability, deployment and accessibility in lower-resource markets.
AlphaVectors Biotech says its technology can lower the need for temperature-controlled supply chains, reduce costs and improve the scalability of RNA vaccines for wider deployment.
The startup is led by Dr Apanpreet Kaur, an Imperial alumnus with a PhD in chemical engineering.
Epile-X, by NeuraVance Labs, is working on a platform that could provide continuous, real-world brain monitoring for people with epilepsy.
More than 630,000 people in the UK live with epilepsy, according to the charity Epilepsy Action.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that can cause recurring seizures. EEG, or electroencephalography, is a test that records electrical activity in the brain.
Current diagnosis relies on EEG recordings in clinical settings and patient-reported diaries, which may miss seizures that happen during daily life.
The startup says its technology combines a wearable EEG with AI-driven analysis to capture daily brain activity and support improved diagnosis and more personalised treatment decisions.
Epile-X is led by Ester D’Alterio, an innovation, entrepreneurship and management MSc graduate from Imperial.
FluoroCycle is developing technology for low-energy chemical destruction of PFAS, breaking down “forever chemicals” at 10 times lower temperatures than current incineration methods.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals found in air, water and soil. Some studies have linked exposure to them to health risks including thyroid disease, reproductive illness and cancer.
The startup aims to make PFAS destruction more affordable by providing its technology as an onsite engineered unit, allowing customers to save on energy and transport costs while cutting their carbon footprint.
FluoroCycle is led by Amanda Fogh, a research associate in Imperial’s department of chemistry.
Waypoint is building a video game controller for visually impaired players to hear and feel popular games, including Super Mario and Minecraft.
At least 2.2 billion people globally have some form of vision impairment, according to the World Health Organisation, while estimates show around 43 million people have complete blindness.
Waypoint says only 0.001 per cent of video games are fully playable for blind gamers.
The startup’s technology uses computer vision and AI to read the game screen and translate key information into sound, vibration and touch for a fully immersive experience.
The founders say it is the first game controller designed to make video games fully playable for blind players.
Waypoint is led by Bana Quronfuleh, an innovation design engineering MSc student at Imperial.
Snitch is developing an accountability-based app that allows friends to cut down their screen time together.
UK adults spend an average of 4.5 hours a day online on personal smartphones, tablets and computers, according to Ofcom’s Online Nation 2025 report.
Young adults spend more than six hours online on average. Some research suggests excessive screen use may have a negative impact on mental and physical health.
The app allows users to join accountability groups and set shared limits across their most used apps.
When one person scrolls, the group’s combined timer counts down. The founders say this helps build awareness, encourage reflection and create small behavioural shifts by making screen use a shared responsibility.
Snitch is led by Asha Bakhai, a design engineering MEng graduate from Imperial.
Indian pharmaceutical giant Sun Pharma has agreed to buy Organon for US$11.75bn in a deal aimed at expanding its women’s health and biosimilars business.
Organon, which was spun out of Merck in 2021, has built a portfolio of more than 70 women’s health and general medicines products, including biosimilars, sold in the US and about 140 other countries.
The acquisition would give Sun Pharma a broader presence in biosimilars, which are medicines designed to be highly similar to existing biological drugs, and strengthen its position in women’s health.
Dilip Shanghvi, executive chairman of Sun Pharma, said: “Organon’s portfolio, capabilities, and global reach are highly complementary to our own, and we believe that bringing the two organizations together can create a stronger and more diversified platform.”
The companies said the combined business would generate annual revenue of US$12.4bn, operate across 150 countries and rank among the top three companies globally in women’s health.
They also said it would become the seventh largest biosimilar player.
Sun Pharma said the deal would help grow its innovative medicines business and expand its biosimilars offering.
It added that the combined company would have 18 large markets each generating more than US$100m in revenue.
Organon’s largest markets include the US, Brazil, Canada, China and countries in the European Union. The company also has six manufacturing facilities across the EU and emerging markets.
The deal follows market speculation that began on 10 April, when Indian media reported that Sun Pharma had submitted an all-cash offer for Organon.
A later report said the offer had been revised to US$13bn. Sun Pharma shares rose about 7 per cent on India’s National Stock Exchange after the announcement.
Sun Pharma said it would acquire all of Organon’s issued and outstanding shares in cash, using a combination of available cash and committed bank financing. It also estimated synergies of about US$350m within two to four years of completion.
The company said the acquisition would strengthen its cash generation, with EBITDA and cash flow set to nearly double, supporting efforts to reduce the net debt to EBITDA ratio of 2.3 times resulting from the deal. EBITDA is a measure of operating performance before certain costs are deducted.
Organon reported revenue of US$6.2bn last year and adjusted EBITDA of US$1.9bn. It also reported debt of US$8.64bn, down from US$9.5bn when it separated from Merck, and a cash balance of US$574m.
In November, Organon announced plans to sell its JADA System, designed to control and treat abnormal postpartum uterine bleeding or haemorrhage, to Laborie Medical Technologies for up to US$465m. Net proceeds from the sale will contribute to Organon’s cash balance as of 31 March 2026.
Organon will merge with a subsidiary of Sun Pharma, with Organon surviving the merger. The boards of both companies have approved the transaction.
Carrie Cox, executive chair of Organon, said: “Following a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives, our Board determined that this all-cash transaction offers compelling and immediate value to Organon stockholders.”
The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and Organon stockholder approval.
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