A joint program between EPFL Innovation Park and Groupe Mutuel
Call for Application 2022 Opening soon!
Next Roadshow November 17th
Program Duration 9 months
A joint program by Foundation EPFL Innovation Park and Groupe Mutuel
Call for application 2025 deadline is February 15!
October 18, 2023

Pioneering IVF Success through its AI technology

Infertility is an increasing health problem affecting 190 million people worldwide. IVF is a well-known infertility treatment with around three million cycles globally. The IVF global market is growing at 6% CAGR and is estimated to be worth 37,8 billion in 2030. Europe, China, Japan, and the USA are the most active regions.

Socio-demographical changes reinforce the need for fertility treatments, and culturally there is more openness to discuss, and opting for IVF treatments is becoming a "new normal". The IVF industry is getting mature, and IVF clinics are getting organized in international groups of clinics. Scientific and technological advances will help to improve treatment accessibility: telehealth, home-based tests, the automation and miniaturization of the IVF laboratory, and the use of AI to personalize hormonal treatments and to select eggs, sperm, and embryos.

In a world where IVF success is more efficient and accessible, Manina Medtech is turning its vision into reality with its product “Seedchrony”. This innovative product aims to improve the success rates of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) by addressing the uncertainty surrounding uterine readiness for embryo transfer, potentially reducing the need for multiple IVF cycles.‍

Enhancing IVF Outcomes

Manina Medtech is on a mission to enhance IVF outcomes and provide a better experience for individuals seeking fertility treatments. Seedchrony offers real-time assessments of uterine readiness, with the goal of significantly increasing the chances of successful embryo implantation. While specific success statistics are pending, ongoing pilot programs are expected to provide valuable data on Seedchrony's effectiveness in improving IVF results.‍

The Visionary Team: Revolutionizing Reproductive Technology

The visionary team at Manina Medtech is at the forefront of revolutionizing assisted reproductive technology. This dynamic group comprises experts from diverse backgrounds, each contributing their unique skills and perspectives to advance the company's mission.

Monica Rodriguez de la Vega, the Co-founder and CEO, holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and brings two decades of life science research experience to the team. Her passion for healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship, combined with her ISO 14155 training, drives the project. She's not only an inventor of the patent protecting Seedchrony but also plays a pivotal role in guiding the company from identifying unmet needs to MVP development.

Luis Manuel Artiles, Co-founder, COO, and technical lead, is a senior ML/AI expert with a Ph.D. in Mathematics and extensive business consultancy experience. His critical role involves overseeing product development and technology integration, managing relationships with technology providers and suppliers.

The Manina Medtech Story

Manina Medtech's journey is one of innovation driven by scientific curiosity. Co-founder and CEO Monica Rodriguez de la Vega, with a background in Biochemistry and extensive life science research experience, embarked on an innovation program. During a clinical immersion in the Gynecology and Obstetrics department of a Barcelona hospital, she participated in the identification of around 250 unmet needs in the field of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

The process of embryo transfer during in vitro fertilization (IVF) stood out as an area of high uncertainty. Doctors used hopeful language while patients were anxious, highlighting the need for real-time information on uterine readiness for embryo transfer. This inspired Monica and co-founder Luis Manuel Artiles to hypothesize a biomarker solution, leading to the creation of Seedchrony, a microsensor that detects uterine readiness during IVF procedures.

Trailblazing Milestones in Assisted Reproductive Technology‍

Manina Medtech has achieved critical milestones on its path to revolutionizing assisted reproductive technology. Their long-term collaboration agreement with VHIR in November 2021 marked a pivotal moment. They successfully completed the first-in-human and Early Feasibility Study in July 2022, validating Seedchrony's effectiveness. Additionally, they submitted a PCT application inNovember 2022 to protect their innovative technology.

By May 2023, Manina Medtech had actively developed the Seedchrony MVP, encompassing the device, consumable components, and software.

The team created Seedchrony, which is a point-of-care device that detects endometrial receptivity non-invasively, and instantly, enables right-on-time embryo transfer to boost IVF success. Unlike the standard of care (counting days) and the current solutions (tissue analysis requiring tissue biopsies and time for sample processing), Seedchrony is accurate, the measurements are done directly in the uterine fluid, and the results are immediate, allowing doing test and transfer on the same day. The objective is to use the embryos only if the uterus is ready: Seedchrony will make every embryo count.

Their Pilot protocol, scheduled to launch in Q4-2023, signifies a significant step in advancing clinical investigations. These accomplishments underscore their commitment to enhancing pregnancy outcomes and streamlining assisted reproductive technology. Their vision is to make parenthood more accessible and successful for those facing infertility challenges.‍

Advice to other Founders

Select wisely your co-founders, team, clinical partners, and advisors. Also, carefully select the service providers you outsource (legal, IP, accounting, regulatory), and ask for second opinions. Use regional resources and talk to other founder sin your community! Bootstrapping, staying emotionally flat, and focusing on the big picture was the way we overcame most challenges. And we are particularly proud of our friends and relatives who gave us priceless help investing in our project, giving us their trust and the possibility of moving Manina to the next milestone.

‍About joining Tech4Eva Program

In general, programs such as Tech4Eva are eyes openers and act as true accelerators of our mindset and the overall company evolution process. Monthly updating with a dedicated mentor has been fundamental in our journey. When peers are so close to you in their profile and needs, this is even a much better experience. I have found a community with a drive for cooperation and partnering.

At Manina Medtech, we are very grateful to the program and the organizers for the opportunity. We encourage young start-ups in Femtech to apply for the next cohort.

For more info:

Website: https://maninamedtech.com/

 Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3t8cfSk