Parisian start-up raises US$2.5m to ‘maximise’ IVF success rates

A Parisian deeptech start-up has secured US$2.5m to help IVF clinics increase workflow and maxmise success rates.

ImVitro uses computer vision and AI technologies to bring automation to the IVF imaging process aiming to save clinicians time and reduce the number of potential human errors.

According to the developers, the Saas platform is able to analyse time-lapse incubation and imaging used in IVF against a database of more than 35 million data points, resulting in a hybrid score that includes the patient’s BMI, uterus receptivity, and sperm motility.

This, the company says, will not only help reduce the time clinicians spend on searching for key biological events in embryonic development, but it will also provide predictions based on the synergies between the patient’s medical profile and the development of the embryo.

“By taking into account data about the patients and their treatment, the Embryoly platform predicts more accurately the chances an embryo has to lead to a pregnancy and provides more transparent and personalised recommendations,” ImVitro founder, Dr Alexandra Boussommier, told Tech.eu.

The funding round, led by LDV Capital, MMC Ventures & Tiny VC, will help the French start-up to make strategic hires in both its technical and sales teams as it gears up for a prolonged expansion into the US market.

The ImVitro team said: “We are very excited to be partnering with fantastic VC funds that can truly accelerate our growth in this next key chapter.

“Congratulations to the whole team for making this happen and a big thank you to the many clinicians who have been using our tool in their lab making our dream of helping more and more patients become a reality.”

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), between 48 million couples and 186 million individuals struggle with infertility globally.

In recent years, more couples have turned to assisted reproductive technology (ART), including IVF or the use of an egg donor, sperm donor or adopted embryo.

Researchers suggest that the growing utilisation of the procedure will mean that as many as 10 per cent of all children will be soon conceived through IVF in many parts of the world.

However, the authors of a recent study on the dynamics of reproductive genetic technologies have warned that given the rapid scientific and technological evolution, it is imperative that both the public and regulatory bodies remain engaged in establishing a framework for the ethical evaluation of emerging technologies.