Virilitas Labs, a tech spin-out company from research conducted at the University of East Anglia (UEA), based at Norwich Research Park, has just launched a new app that will lead the change in men’s reproductive health and improve their reproductive well-being.
The app was developed from research undertaken by Prof Simone Immler and Dr Daniel Marcu. They identified that, whilst there was plenty of information and support available for women’s reproductive health, there was very little on male reproductive health. As a result, many men do not engage with fertility care early enough, often due to stigma, lack of awareness and the absence of clear, accessible entry points into the system. Coupled with a marked decline in male fertility, it became apparent that this sector of men’s health was significantly underserved.
The Virilitas app provides users with personalised guidance based on their lifestyle and health behaviours, alongside instant support through a medically-informed AI assistant trained on reproductive health guidelines. Users can access evidence-based content to help them better understand their reproductive health. They can also engage with a community hub designed to connect individuals facing similar challenges, while maintaining privacy to help overcome stigma, and encourage earlier engagement with care. The platform also enables users to book consultations with fertility specialists when they are ready to take that next step. The app is now available online at the Google Play and Apple stores.
Dr Marcu said: “Men don’t engage with fertility care because there is no entry point designed for them. We’re building Virilitas to solve that. This is not just an information app; it’s the first layer of a new care pathway, designed to take users from confusion to action and ultimately into the right clinical support.”
The next phase of Virilitas’ proposition is to produce a rapid male fertility test. The test, currently in development, aims to provide people with a simple method to analyse their sperm health, which is also a very good indicator of overall health. By analysing a panel of biomarkers representing fertility and reproductive health, the test and its companion app return clear, actionable data in minutes, without the need for a visit to a clinic. Virilitas will be looking to complete a new round of funding to enable it to finish the development of the testing device. It is already working with a kit manufacturer.
Prof Immler said, “Male fertility and reproductive health have been ill-served till now. One in six couples are affected by fertility issues of which approximately 50% can be assigned to the male
partner. In recent years, on average, sperm count has halved due to the impacts of climate change, increased stress, chemical additives in food, obesity and unhealthy diets.
“Our app will hopefully start some serious dialogue on this issue and begin to provide people confronting infertility issues with help, support and signposting towards resources that can make a difference. Whilst the focus is on male reproductive health, the app has been designed for couples to use together and also, importantly, to remain anonymous if they’d prefer. Many couples have to try for a pregnancy for a year before they can have a NHS consultation. Our app will bridge the gap between working through the issues at home and being seen in the NHS.”
Virilitas has benefited from being part of Anglia Innovation Partnership’s (the campus management organisation for Norwich Research Park) incubator programme. The funding access it provides has enabled the company to build the current version of its app.
Roz Bird, CEO of Anglia Innovation Partnership, said, “Facilitating ground-breaking enterprise from discovery research is at the heart of what we do here at Norwich Research Park and Virilitas Labs is a perfect example of that. We have worked closely with Simone and Daniel for a number of years, supporting them as part of our campus incubation programme and with pre-seed funding, so it’s fantastic to see them launch this new novel app and progress their testing kit. We will continue to support them as they grow their business and look forward to seeing their company go from strength-to-strength as another success story of Norwich Research Park.”
This is Prof Immler’s first venture as an entrepreneur. Dr Marcu was one of Prof Immler’s PhD students where he studied genomic sperm biology between 2019-24.
