Our Take
Real automation of IVF steps, but 19 births is too small to prove the system matches human embryologist success rates.
Why it matters
IVF costs $15,000+ per cycle largely due to specialized labor. Automation could expand access if it proves non-inferior to manual processes at scale.
Do this week
Fertility clinic operators: evaluate automated IVF pilot programs now before competitors lock exclusive regional deals.
Robots now perform complete IVF cycles
Conceivable has deployed an automated IVF system that handles sperm selection, egg fertilization, embryo culture, and candidate selection for transfer. The system combines motorized lab equipment with AI ranking tools for eggs, sperm, and embryos.
At least 19 children have been born from the automated process (company-reported). Founder Alejandro Chavez-Badiola says the device could process thousands of IVF cycles annually in future iterations.
The Carlos Simon Foundation in Spain is testing a separate robotic approach: direct embryo injection into uterine lining via camera-guided delivery tube. Fewer than 10 women have undergone the procedure with no pregnancies yet, but the trial continues.
Meanwhile, Columbia's STAR system uses AI to scan over one million microscope images per hour to find healthy sperm in samples with extremely low counts. The team announced the first pregnancy from STAR-selected sperm in November.
Standardization could reshape clinic economics
Current IVF relies heavily on embryologist judgment calls made by visual inspection. Success rates vary dramatically between clinics and individual practitioners. Even healthy-looking embryos implant successfully only 40% to 60% of the time.
Laura Rienzi, scientific director at Italy's IVIRMA fertility network, expects automation will "allow every patient to be treated in the same way in every single lab in the world." The technology could reduce the specialized labor costs that keep IVF expensive and geographically limited.
However, all current approaches still require some viable genetic material to start with. When couples lack healthy sperm, eggs, or embryos, automation cannot solve the underlying problem.
Gene editing emerges as next frontier
Cathy Tie's Origin Genomics is developing embryo gene editing to prevent single-gene diseases like cystic fibrosis and Huntington's. The approach remains technically complex and legally restricted in many jurisdictions.
Genetic testing of embryos has become routine at many clinics. PGT-A testing for chromosome abnormalities shows clear benefits for women over 38, reducing miscarriages and shortening time to pregnancy (per Boston IVF analysis).
More controversial polygenic testing from companies like Nucleus Genomics promises to predict traits from intelligence to Alzheimer's risk. Most practitioners remain skeptical of the evidence base for such complex trait prediction.