The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has named the five finalists for its INNOVATE Pitch Tank 2026. The showcase runs on 28 and 29 October 2026 in Baltimore, USA, and the winner receives US$10,000. ASRM Congress

• U-Ploid Biotechnologies (Jordan Abdi): Lyvanta, a therapeutic aimed at meiotic aneuploidy in eggs.
• The Proficient Lab (Unika Alexander): a platform for visualising and managing clinical lab quality and operations.
• illumicell AI (Michel Bielecki): volumetric 3D imaging designed to replace the manual microscope read.
• E-Cryogenics LLC (Rod DaSilva): next-generation cryopreservation for reproductive medicine and cell preservation.
• Ovo Labs (Oleksandr Yagensky): therapeutics to improve IVF outcomes by addressing egg quality.

Two finalists target egg quality and aneuploidy with drugs, the problem embryologists see most and can do least about. The other three are laboratory technologies: quality management software, 3D cell imaging and cryopreservation. Only the cryopreservation company names reproductive medicine explicitly.

For lab directors attending ASRM, the usual questions apply. What is the evidence, what is the regulatory status, has it been tested on human gametes or embryos, and what validation would the lab need before clinical use?

Quality data and AI in the laboratory are also themes of the next International IVF Initiative session, Beyond the Bench, on 13 October.

Sources

28 September 2026. ASRM Congress

• Meet the Pitch Tank Finalists!

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https://asrmcongress.org/meet-the-pitch-tank-finalists/