Fertility
Virtual fertility clinic aims to challenge treatment experience
The world’s first virtual fertility clinic uses AI to maximise the chances of conception
FemTech World meets Caroline Noublanche, co-founder and CEO of Apricity, the virtual clinic on a mission to change fertility care.
Few people know that the world’s first baby to be conceived via in vitro fertilisation (IVF) was born in Manchester in 1978. Since then, IVF success rates have grown from 10 per cent to 50 per cent, according to a report from 2018.
Although the modern use of ultrasound imaging to harvest the eggs under a mild sedation has advanced the procedure, the complexity of the treatment has not changed a lot, says Caroline Noublanche.
“When you can’t conceive, you have to actually give up on the idea that the baby will be born naturally,” the CEO tells me.
“Even though IVF has existed for 40 years, it’s still a very painful process, organised around the constraints of the clinic and the doctor and emotionally, it’s a roller coaster of emotions. On average couples need three cycles, but in some cases they might need more or they might not succeed at all. So, IVF remains uncertain.”
Along with her co-founder, Andrew Berkley, Noublanche came up with the idea of reinventing fertility treatments, and launched Apricity in 2018. “Instead of having to go to a clinic 10 times on average during treatment, we wanted to arrange everything from the comfort of your home,” the CEO explains. “That includes video consultations, but also blood tests, scans, sperm analysis and drug delivery.
“The patients would only have to go to the clinic for two procedures: the collection and the embryo transfer. We also wanted to make the whole process a lot more digital so that the patients can have access to a fertility advisor who can answer their questions, arrange appointments and make sure that when they are short of drugs, they can get a top-up in time,” the co-founder continues.
“We also have a dedicated care team who supervise patients’ treatment and help with early diagnostic. Our two objectives [using the platform] are to deliver the best experience possible for patients and to maximise the chances to conceive through a mix of protocol adherence, treatment efficiency as well as a mix of algorithms and data-driven decisions which are there to help our patients.”
In a virtual clinic, doctor-patient communication is key and with a rise in digital health technology during the pandemic, more and more people are open to remote consultations. “When you have to go to the clinic, it can be quite intense,” Noublanche points out.
“We very much believe that delivering the best experience from the comfort of your home, where your partner can be present as well, can make a huge difference. There are 30 per cent mistakes today in treatments in traditional clinics, because it’s a lot of word of mouth. During a video consultation, however, one of our nurses is able to support the patients, so that they know the exact dose they need, when they need it and subsequently, have a much better product regimen.”
Apricity found that their doctors, nurses and advisors’ relationship with their patients is very different from the one they have in a traditional clinic. Seeing the couple – not just the woman undergoing the treatment – can enable doctors to also observe the dynamic of the two.
“I think COVID has really changed the perception of people on digital health as a whole,” says Noublanche. “Virtually, you’re gaining on aspects such as convenience and doctor-patient quality of the relationship itself. The goal of all of the data [collected] is to make sure that you don’t get a treatment with a one-size-fits-all type of approach.
“We use the data to inform our decisions and to make sure that we better personalise treatment. The customisation also comes from the emotional support we offer and which is extremely important in terms of mental health.”
A fertility predictor is also able to tell patients what their chances to conceive are when following a certain type of treatment. The CEO says that: “We try to show our patients the glass half full because it’s a moment when they tend to be a bit more fragile, but [the predictor] also tells them black on white what their chances are.
“We are also transparent about the costs from the very beginning. What we don’t want is starting a treatment you would think would cost £4,000 and then find out that you have to pay another £1,000 for drugs or additional consolations. Yes, sometimes we lose and sometimes we gain, but we always want to be transparent. I think that’s very important.”
Caroline says the team have big plans for the future, focusing on the expansion of the company beyond the UK. “Our mission is to become the queen of Europe in fertility treatment,” she proudly tells me.
“We are planning to be present in Italy, Germany and in other European countries and continue to deliver the same quality of care and same attention to patients.”
She adds that: “At the moment we already outperform the national average of 61 per cent, so we have amazing success rates. We do everything with a data-driven approach and tech to provide efficiency. What we want is to continue to increase our success rates.
The CEO says that the feedback they receive is what keeps Apricity going and what motivates her, as an entrepreneur. “We often get pictures of new-born babies and that moves us a lot. Even from the people who don’t succeed, we get really amazing feedback on the support that we offer. Our one mission is to help patients live their life while creating one.”
For more information, visit apricity.life.
Simultaneous exposure to toxic chemicals and climate-related heat may be worsening fertility harms across humans and wildlife, research suggests.
The review of scientific literature looks at how endocrine-disrupting chemicals, often found in plastic, together with climate-related effects such as heat stress, are each linked to lower fertility and fecundity, meaning the ability to reproduce, across species including humans, wildlife and invertebrates.
Though the reproductive harms of each issue in isolation are well studied, there is little research on what happens when living organisms are exposed to both.
“Together, the two issues are likely to pose a greater threat to fertility, and the additive effect is “alarming”, said Susanne Brander, a study lead author and courtesy faculty at Oregon State University.
“You’re not just getting exposed to one, but two, stressors at the same time that both may affect your fertility, and in turn the overall impact is going to be a bit worse,” Brander said.
The paper looked at 177 studies.
Shanna Swan, a co-author on the new paper, co-produced a 2017 study that found sperm levels among men in western countries had fallen by more than 50 per cent over four decades. Other research has suggested human fertility has been declining at a similar rate.
The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has previously said the world was approaching a “low-fertility future”, with more than three quarters of countries below replacement rate by 2050.
The new paper’s authors focused on the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and substances, including microplastics, bisphenol, phthalates and PFAS.
These are thought to cause a range of serious reproductive problems, disrupt hormones and be a potential driver of falling fertility.
Brander said the harms linked to these chemicals are often similar across organisms, from invertebrates to humans.
Phthalates, for example, have been linked to altered sperm shape in invertebrates, spermatogenesis in rodents, meaning sperm production, and reduced sperm counts in humans.
PFAS are also thought to affect sperm quality, and both have been linked to hormone disruption.
The chemicals are widespread in consumer goods, so people are often regularly exposed.
Meanwhile, previous research has shown how rising temperatures, lower oxygen levels and heat stress, among other effects linked to climate change, may also worsen infertility.
Heat stress has been found to affect human hormones, and is linked to spermatogenesis in rodents and bulls.
Research shows temperature also plays a role in sex determination in fish, reptiles and amphibians.
The species has evolved to choose which sex it produces in part based on temperature, and the heating planet can “push it too far in one direction or the other, which overrides that evolutionary benefit”, Brander said.
Similarly, many endocrine disruptors may alter environmental sex determination.
The study set out some of the overlapping effects of chemical exposure and climate change across taxonomic groups, from invertebrates to humans.
In birds, for example, exposure to increased temperature, PFAS, organochlorines and pyrethroids may each individually cause abnormal sperm, increased fledgling mortality, abnormal testes and population decline.
“What happens if they’re exposed to more than one of those stressors at the same time? There has been little exploration of that question.
“Even if there have not been a lot of studies looking at these simultaneously, if you have two different factors that both cause the same adverse effect, then there’s a likelihood that they are going to be additive,” Brander said.
Katie Pelch, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council nonprofit, who was not part of the study, said the authors had reviewed high-quality science.
She said she wanted to see more examples of the overlap in impacts, but agreed with the overall premise.
“It is likely [multiple stressors] would have an additive effect, at very least, even if they have different mechanisms of harm,” Pelch added.
The solution to the systemic problems would involve tackling climate change and reducing the use of toxic chemicals.
The study cites the global reduction in the use of DDT and PCBs achieved under the Stockholm Convention as an example of an effective measure, but Brander said much more is needed.
“There is enough evidence in both areas to act to reduce our impact on the planet,” she said.
Weight loss jabs are being studied to see if they could help women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
The condition, which affects up to one in ten women, changes how the ovaries work and is linked to infertility and weight gain.
Dr Shagaf Bakour has won a £60,000 NHS research grant through Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust to look at whether drugs such as Mounjaro and Ozempic might help.
“The research could lead to earlier support, better long-term health, and more joined-up care for a condition that affects many women but is still often overlooked,” she said.
Women with PCOS have higher levels of male hormones and can suffer from irregular periods and symptoms such as excess body or facial hair, the NHS said.
Associated weight gain can also lead to an increased risk of diabetes and heart problems.
Bakour, a gynaecologist and director of medical education at Aston Medical School, will work with a team to evaluate the effect of the weight loss medicines on metabolic and reproductive outcomes.
The drugs mimic a hormone called GLP-1, which suppresses appetite.
Bakour, alongside Dr Hoda Harb, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the NHS trust, will review existing evidence on their use and assess how they help patients with PCOS.
“The aim is to give women with PCOS evidence-informed, clearer treatment options and more consistent care,” she said.
“The project hopes to show whether these medicines can improve both general health and fertility health, while also helping local services develop clearer care pathways.
Prof Elizabeth Hughes, director of research and development at the NHS trust, said the effects of PCOS, including infertility, were “very emotive subjects”.
“We should be doing all we can within research and development to advance healthcare for women and to better help future generations with this condition,” she added.
Fertility
Future Fertility raises Series A financing to scale AI tools redefining fertility care worldwide
Future Fertility Inc. has announced the closing of a US$4.1 million Series A financing round.
The round was led by M Ventures (the corporate venture capital arm of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany) and Whitecap Venture Partners, with participation from new investors Sandpiper Ventures, Gaingels, and Jolt VC.
The financing will accelerate Future Fertility’s commercial expansion into Asia-Pacific and support its entry into the United States, including planned FDA 510(k) clearance for additional products as part of a broader U.S. market entry strategy.
Proceeds will also advance the development of a broader AI platform, from egg assessment through to embryo transfer, designed to support clinicians, embryologists, and patients across the full IVF journey.
M Ventures and Whitecap have supported Future Fertility’s mission to translate AI innovation into meaningful clinical outcomes since the company’s earliest stages.
Oliver Hardick, investment director, M Ventures, said: “Future Fertility is addressing a critical unmet need in reproductive medicine with a differentiated AI platform grounded in clinical data and real-world workflow integration.
“We are excited to continue supporting the company and team because we believe its technology has the potential to improve decision-making for clinicians, bring greater clarity to patients, and help advance a more personalised standard of care in fertility treatment.”
Future Fertility’s AI platform addresses a long-standing gap in fertility care: historically, there has been no objective, clinically validated method for assessing egg quality (Gardner et al., 2025), despite it being one of the most important drivers of reproductive success.
The company’s suite of deep learning tools includes VIOLET™, MAGENTA™, and ROSE™, purpose-built for egg freezing, IVF, and egg donation respectively.
The tools are based on AI models trained and validated on more than 650,000 oocyte images and are deployed in over 300 clinics across 35 countries.
Rhiannon Davies, founding and managing partner, Sandpiper Ventures, said: “The best outcomes in fertility care globally come from better data and smarter tools. Future Fertility understands that, and they’ve built a platform that delivers on it.
“Sandpiper is proud to back a team turning rigorous science into real results for patients and clinicians alike.”
Partnerships with the world’s leading fertility networks – including IVI RMA and Eugin Group across Latin America and Europe, FertGroup Medicina Reproductiva in Brazil, and most recently announced Kato Ladies Clinic in Japan – reflect growing demand for objective, AI-powered oocyte assessment in fertility care. In the United States, ROSE™ is newly available under an FDA 513(g) determination.
Research shows that approximately 50 per cent of IVF patients do not understand their likelihood of success, and many discontinue treatment prematurely, even though cumulative success rates improve significantly with multiple cycles (McMahon et al., 2024).
By delivering earlier clarity on egg quality, Future Fertility’s tools support more informed conversations between clinicians and patients, helping set realistic expectations and guide decisions about next steps.
Future Fertility’s growing evidence base spans seven peer-reviewed publications in Human Reproduction, Reproductive BioMedicine Online, Fertility & Sterility, and Nature’s Scientific Reports, and more than 70 scientific abstracts accepted and presented with partner clinics at conferences worldwide.
Christine Prada, CEO, Future Fertility, said: “Fertility treatment is one of the most emotionally and physically demanding experiences a person can go through.
“Every patient deserves objective data, not just a best guess, to support better decisions at critical moments in their care.
“This funding means we can bring that clarity to more patients, in more countries, at a moment when it matters most.”
Find out more about Future Fertility at futurefertility.com
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