Human fertility is a two-player game, but men are still underserved by diagnostics and care. I recently met Dr. Daniel Marcu at Web Summit 2024, and we had a genuinely pleasant conversation about the future of andrology and the translational path from lab to clinic. Virilitas Labs, a Norwich-based spin-out led by world-class spermatologists, is building tools and services to change that equation—pairing cutting-edge genomics, biochemistry, and (soon) AI to make male reproductive care earlier, faster, and fairer.

🚀 Why male fertility needs new diagnostics—now

Infertility affects millions of couples, and a substantial share involves male factors. Yet standard semen analysis still leans on rudimentary parameters (count, motility, morphology) and dated lab workflows. The result? Late, inconsistent, and often inconclusive insights that complicate decision-making for andrology labs, embryologists, and couples pursuing ART.

The problem in a snapshot

• Legacy lab metrics don’t reflect modern insights from genomics and proteomics.
  
• Access is uneven: men often test late, navigate fragmented care, and face inconsistent quality.
  
• Clinics need better stratification to raise IVF/ICSI success rates and reduce time-to-pregnancy.
  

🧬 What Virilitas Labs is building

Virilitas Labs is developing an ecosystem for men and clinics that blends novel diagnostics and interventions with clinic-facing services. Their public messaging highlights:

• Next-gen testing that layers advanced molecular readouts (e.g., genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic signals) on top of classic semen analysis to inform sperm selection and clinical decisions.
  
• Clinic solutions designed to lift andrology workflow quality and ART outcomes; the team is building with clinics, not just for them.
  
• Education and outreach to bring best practices and modern benchmarks to a broader network of fertility centers.
  

Explore their site: virilitaslabs.com.

🔎 What makes Virilitas unique

1) Deep academic DNA. Co-founders Prof. Simone Immler and Dr. Daniel Marcu bring a rare blend of evolutionary genetics, sperm genomics, and translational focus from academia into product.

2) Multi-omics meets clinical reality. By using whole-genome, transcriptome, and proteome data to guide analysis and sperm selection, Virilitas addresses where classic parameters fall short.

3) Ecosystem thinking. Beyond a single test, they’re assembling clinic partnerships, educational initiatives, and a men-first access model (including potential at-home screening steps) to reduce barriers and shorten the diagnostic journey.

👩‍🔬 The team (and where to find them)

• Prof. Simone Immler – Founder & Scientific Director, Professor of Genetics and Reproduction, University of East Anglia.
  Website bio: https://virilitaslabs.com/about/simone-immler · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-immler-ba2b8616/
  
• Dr. Daniel Marcu – Co-Founder & Managing Director, Senior Research Scientist in Andrology; specialist in sperm biology and multi-omics diagnostics.
  Website bio: https://virilitaslabs.com/about/daniel-marcu · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdanielmarcu/
  

Follow the company: LinkedIn – Virilitas Labs: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virilitas-labs/

🧩 Where YOUR R&D and Virilitas Labs can collaborate

At YOUR R&D, we specialize in full-cycle software & AI for Healthcare/MedTech—.NET backends, React frontends, data engineering, OpenAI-powered analytics, and DevOps for regulated environments. This skill set maps neatly to Virilitas’ translational ambitions.

High-impact collaboration concepts

• AI-assisted analysis pipeline. Build a compliant (ISO 13485-ready) data platform for semen & sperm multi-omics—ETL, QC, feature extraction—paired with explainable ML models to assist embryologists in sperm selection and risk stratification.
  
• Clinic dashboard & decision support. A secure web app (React + .NET) that unifies classic parameters with new biomarkers, flags actionable insights, and generates standardized, audit-ready reports for andrology labs.
  
• Home-to-lab continuity. If/when a home screening kit is introduced, deliver HIPAA/GDPR-compliant patient apps, at-home instruction UX, and logistics tracking that hand off structured data to clinics.
  
• Validation & MLOps. Set up de-identified data pipelines, versioned model registries, drift monitoring, and clinical-grade CI/CD to streamline regulatory documentation and evidence generation.
  

Why us (fit check)

• Healthcare pedigree: delivery leadership across multi-team HealthTech builds; SDLC rigor and transparency.
  
• AI + engineering under one roof: from data ingestion to clinician-grade UX.
  
• Scalable engagement: augment Virilitas’ core science team without slowing research velocity.
  

🧭 Links & further reading

• Virilitas Labs website: virilitaslabs.com
  
• YOUR R&D homepage: yourrnd.com
  
• Related reading: YOUR R&D Blog — insights on HealthTech software and AI delivery.
  

: #HealthTech #MedTech #MensHealth #FertilityInnovation #AIinHealthcare #SoftwareDevelopment #ITOutsourcing