Part 8 of Tech That Matters
For millions of couples in India, the path to parenthood through IVF can be long, confusing, and filled with emotional uncertainty. The tools are expensive, the procedures fragile, and the outcomes, often, painfully unpredictable. SpOvum Technologies wants to change that, not by copying Western solutions, but by creating smarter, kinder fertility care systems rooted in India.
Founded by Ramnath Babu TJ and Santosh Bhargav DB, both PhDs from the Indian Institute of Science, this Bengaluru-based startup is building an ecosystem of technologies to solve some of IVF’s hardest problems. Their flagship innovation, RoboICSI®, is already proving that automation can bring not just precision but compassion into the fertility lab.
A Broken System, Reimagined
India has over 27.5 million couples dealing with infertility. Yet, IVF treatment is a journey full of challenges.
“IVF remains manual, expensive, and heavily reliant on imported tools that are often unsuited to Indian clinic conditions,” says Ramnath Babu. “The process is also highly subjective, particularly in areas like oocyte and embryo selection, leading to inconsistencies and emotional distress for patients.”
SpOvum is addressing these gaps through two pillars: technological innovation and operational excellence. It aims to embed AI and automation across every critical step of the IVF journey whether it’s selecting embryos, automating delicate procedures, or enabling affordable access to advanced tools.
And it’s doing this with systems designed and manufactured locally, in Bengaluru.
RoboICSI®: Precision That Protects
At the heart of SpOvum’s platform is RoboICSI®, a robotic system that automates Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).
“It addresses one of the most critical bottlenecks in IVF: the highly skilled and delicate procedure of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI),” said Ramnath Babu.
The machine uses precision micromanipulation and safety mechanisms to minimize trauma to the oocyte, a fragile human cell essential to fertilization. In manual ICSI, 5% of oocytes globally are damaged during the procedure. With RoboICSI®, SpOvum has demonstrated zero degeneration and improved fertilization rates.
Its design also allows mechanical locking for embryo biopsy, enabling procedures like re-biopsy and PGT (Preimplantation Genetic Testing) with more consistency and less risk. “Our gripper-based holding technique distributes mechanical load more uniformly, reducing stress on the oocyte compared to traditional pinching methods,” adds Ramnath Babu.
And perhaps most importantly, RoboICSI® doesn’t require elite-level training to operate. “We are reversing the current paradigm. Instead of training people to match machine precision, we’re making machines adapt to varying skill levels,” he said.
It’s automation with empathy, tech that makes room for human variability while still raising clinical standards.
IVF With Integrity
In fertility care, trust is everything. SpOvum builds that trust not only through performance but through transparency and ethics.
“All AI models are trained on anonymized, ethically sourced data. We comply fully with India’s ART Act,” said Ramnath Babu.
Every AI recommendation comes with an explanation. The final call always rests with the clinician. SpOvum also maintains strict sample traceability as each sample carries a unique ID and no patient names are visible during analysis. Privacy is protected by design.
In the lab, SpOvum’s tools offer quantitative metrics where before there was only subjectivity. RoboICSI® is the first globally to offer mechanical stiffness measurement of oocytes, helping clinicians understand cell viability in a precise, repeatable way.
It’s not just AI for prediction, it’s AI for accountability, built into the workflows clinicians already trust.
Scaling with Care
While SpOvum’s tools are being adopted in clinics across India, including in Tier II and III cities, their focus isn’t limited to geography, it’s about creating widespread access without compromising on quality.
They’ve rolled out plug-and-play devices, remote training programs, and a pay-per-procedure model that makes it easier for clinics, regardless of size, to adopt advanced tech without huge upfront costs.
“These partnerships have demonstrated that with the right support, advanced fertility care can be made both accessible and sustainable in underserved regions,” said Ramnath Babu.
Currently active in over 50 clinics, SpOvum plans to scale to 100+ clinics within the next 18 months. They’re also preparing to launch more AI-powered decision support tools and expand globally—beginning with successful pilots in East Africa.
Protected, Purpose-Driven Innovation
Much of SpOvum’s innovation is already protected through patents.
“The RoboICSI® system is patented. Our Time-Lapse Imaging incubator and a unique sperm selection technique using gradient barriers have also been filed for patent protection,” said Ramnath Babu.
Their technologies aren’t just new, they’re defensible. This allows the company to stay ahead while still keeping affordability at the core of its mission.
Because at the end of the day, SpOvum isn’t trying to build the most expensive machine in the room. It’s trying to build the most meaningful one.
“Our broader mission is to democratize IVF care, bridging gaps in geography, affordability, and expertise, and to make quality fertility solutions a universal right, not a privilege,” Ramnath Babu said.
And that’s what makes it tech that truly matters.
This story is a part of our weekly series on tech innovations that matter!
