Profile: ExSeed Health, Checking Sperm Quality From Your Smartphone

Seeing a newborn baby enter the world for the first time can bring out feelings of joy for every parent but also knowing that at the same that the baby will not always experience memorable (and positive) occasions as he or she grows up. Raising children is a huge responsibility that takes a great deal of cooperation between both partners, which can influence their child’s life for the next several years.

However, the process of conception would also have to rely on the health of the sperm as well. Having great sperm quality enhances the chances of conception and ExSeed Health is helping men determine if their sperm is healthy enough to conceive a child

Founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in May of 2017, by CSO Emil Andersen, CEO Martin Ulsted and main partner Daniel Daugaard-Jensen, ExSeed Health wants to improve couples’ chances of conception through a smartphone-enabled sperm test device. In the comforts of the user’s own home, he will analyze his sperm health by inserting the slide with the semen sample into the smartphone compatible device, then he’ll place his smartphone on top of the device to analyze his sperm quality, and then he’ll get the news that’ll notify him if his sperm quality is good or needs improvement.

Forbes voted ExSeed Health #1 on its “These Are The Startups You Should Watch in 2018” list for knowing how to solve the male infertility problem, providing state-of-the-art smartphone compatible technology that provides results in seconds, and a “pretty neat price-point.” Even though ExSeed Health’s current headquarters is now located in London, the startup still retains the old headquarters in Copenhagen as the secondary branch.

The technology that ExSeed Health implements in its devices is Microptic technology, which allows sperm testing to be completed in just a few seconds. The Microptic technology used in the smartphone compatible devices can work with SCA (Software Communication Architecture) software and the applications they manage on, and also implementing advanced algorithms that provide personalized recommendations to men who want to improve his sperm quality and overall health.

ExSeed’s programs emphasized on the competency of artificial intelligence as it offers a personalized experience for ExSeed subscribers by providing lifestyle intervention programs that promote fertility, conduct live conversations with fertility experts, and be instantly referred to licensed physicians. To successfully market these programs to a wider audience, ExSeed have collaborated with Danish software developer Trifork, a leading company in the development of authentic AI, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Microservices and Mobile Technologies in the Northern European market.

Another company that is partnering with ExSeed Health is Prevas, Swedish-based technical IT company that was named as ExSeed’s new development partner. ExSeed CEO Morten Ulsted stated that Prevas was a good choice as a development partner due to the latter’s experience in developing hypermodern electronics in the life science industry, an industry that is considered by Prevas president Henrik Møller as one of the company’s main focus areas.

Waterfront Solicitors, LLP., a British-based technology law firm in the prestigious Legal 500, also advised ExSeed in regards to the investment round that were inputted into the company by several corporate investors and a group of private individual investors. Waterfront had assisted ExSeed with the first fundraising round outside of Denmark and the members of Waterfront that were involved, Matt Cunningham (Head of Corporate Law) and Okachi Kejeh (Associate) was praised by Morten Ulsted for “providing clear and concise assistance based on their practical advice and good knowledge of the process”.

ExSeed Health’s combination of artificial intelligence with mobile technology aims to address the problems of declining sperm quality among men who are dealing with low sperm count, as well as informing female partners who are trying to give birth. Although most fertility services are specifically for women, about 40% of fertility deficiencies have been reported by males with the most commonly reported deficiency being varicocele, a clump of varicose veins in the testes.

A report from Harris Williams & Co., a middle market investment bank, shows that there is a $40 billion global fertility services market, with the United States possessing as much as $4 billion in the market. In the same report, the two main causes of male infertility weren't surprising as they were tube blockages, which means obstructions to the vas deferens or epididymis caused by infections, injury, or birth defects, and low sperm count, which includes poor sperm motility and abnormally-shaped sperm.

The advancements made in technology and medical science have led to the establishment of countless infertility tests and treatments, which were caused by the rise of infertility and gynecological disorders. The main causes that lead to infertility would be related to the lifestyle choices made by the couples themselves, particularly those who belong in the millennial demographic and frequently engage in habitats such as consumption of junk food and alcoholic beverages.

The take-home fertility test that is used by ExSeed Health was first implemented four years ago by Greg Sommer and Ulrich Schaff, developers from Sandia National Laboratories. Sommer and Schaff called the test they created, “TrakFertility” and their test allowed users to obtain results in minutes while retaining the same accuracy that can be found in a clinical lab test.

Currently, ExSeed is still operating in developed countries such as those in Scandinavia, Western Europe, and North America as 1 in 5 Western couples have trouble conceiving and that there are 8.5 million men in the West that were diagnosed as infertile. However, low sperm count can occur to men who live in countries that have developing economies, especially countries like Brazil, Russia, and China, and the co-founders of ExSeed have also noticed that as lifestyle changes have also occurred in those countries as well.

Having access to ExSeed’s device can help men determine whether or not their sperm are healthy enough to conceive. Being able to obtain knowledge from ExSeed’s analyses can save a lot of time and money and also can help couples plan ahead of time if they’re seriously considering to start their own family.