illumicell AI Raises $2M Pre-Seed to Launch Real-Time AI Platform for Male Fertility Diagnostics

BOSTON, April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Techmed startup illumicell AI, founded by Harvard-trained physician Michel Bielecki, former McKinsey consultant Jeyla Sadikova, and rocket engineer Loup Cordey, has raised $2M in pre-seed funding to accelerate development of the first portable "lab scanner" and real-time AI platform for fluid-based diagnostics, capable of analyzing cells and biomarkers within minutes. illumicell AI aims to redefine male fertility care and unlock a broader infrastructure for cellular health data.

Investors include top-tier healthcare operators, clinicians, and early-stage funds such as KOFA Healthcare, Harvard Phoenix Venture Fund, and MedTechSyndicates.

While 1 in 6 couples face infertility, under 25% of men receive proper evaluation. "Up to half of all cases of infertility involve male factors, but the fertility burden remains almost entirely on women: a bias that's both culturally driven and scientifically flawed," said co-founder & CSO Jeyla Sadikova. "That's why we're making fast, accurate, scalable male fertility diagnostics accessible anywhere, so diagnosis starts where it should: with both partners, equally."

"Semen diagnostics are a massive inefficiency within the medical system," added co-founder & CEO Dr. Michel Bielecki. "Our real-time, lab-grade fluid diagnostics reduce wait times and cost, radically improving the quality of healthcare across the board."

"As a clinician, this is a game changer," agreed urologist and investor Dr. Jeremy Teoh. "illumicell AI brings sperm testing into the era of AI: real-time, clinical-grade results, without outsourcing or delays."

With over 400,000 datapoints collected, illumicell AI has built the first real-time dataset in male reproductive health. Each scan generates structured, labeled cell data, unlocking personalized insights like lifestyle-linked fertility changes, supplement responses, and early fertility decline warnings. While currently focused on semen, the platform has broader applications across fluids like urine and cerebrospinal fluid. As early clinical trials already outperform legacy systems, FDA submission is planned for 2026.

illumicell AI has been selected by innovation programs including Harvard i-Labs, Creative Destruction Lab, MassChallenge, Techstars, and Keihanna KGAP+, and was named a Top 8 Startup shaping the future of urology by the American Urological Association.

About illumicell AI

Founded in 2023, Swiss-American startup illumicell AI is transforming how clinicians analyze the most fundamental unit of health: the cell in fluid. With real-time diagnostics and an ever-growing data layer, the platform redefines how and where modern medicine begins.

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SOURCE illumicell AI