Inito AI Antibodies: Expanding At-Home Fertility Testing

Inito Secures $29 Million Series B Funding for At-Home Diagnostics Expansion

Inito, a fertility-focused startup, has successfully raised $29 million in a Series B funding round. This capital injection will be utilized to broaden the scope of its at-home health diagnostics platform and leverage AI-designed antibodies for the development of innovative at-home testing solutions.

Initial Focus on Fertility Tracking

Since its initial launch in 2021, Inito’s primary objective has been to facilitate quantitative fertility hormone testing within the convenience of one’s home.

Traditional at-home ovulation tests typically focus on identifying fertile windows by monitoring estrogen and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. However, they often lack the ability to measure progesterone metabolite PdG, a crucial hormone for confirming ovulation. Inito’s system distinguishes itself by enabling the measurement of estrogen, LH, progesterone (PdG), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) using a single test strip.

Data-Driven Insights and Growth

AI models employed by Inito analyze these hormone levels to reveal individual fertility patterns, pinpoint fertile days, and definitively confirm ovulation.

To date, the platform has gained considerable traction, having analyzed over 30 million fertility hormone data points since its inception in 2021.

Expanding Beyond Fertility

The company is now strategically shifting its focus towards establishing healthcare as a home-centric experience. This involves evolving Inito from a dedicated fertility tracker into a comprehensive hormone and at-home health diagnostics platform.

The Power of AI-Engineered Antibodies

A significant portion of the new funding will be dedicated to the research and development of AI-engineered antibodies. Inito believes these antibodies will not only enable the creation of novel tests but also enhance the precision of existing ones.

Antibodies play a vital role in both laboratory and at-home tests, functioning by binding to specific target molecules, such as estrogen or testosterone, to generate a detectable signal. Traditionally, antibodies are produced within animals and then manually screened in a laboratory setting, a process that can be both time-consuming and costly.

A Paradigm Shift in Antibody Development

Conventional antibodies often lack the necessary sensitivity for reliable at-home testing of a wide range of biomarkers.

Inito asserts that AI-designed antibodies represent a transformative approach. Rather than relying on animal-based production, these antibodies can be treated much like software.

“We utilize AI to predict protein folding in three dimensions, design synthetic antibodies, and virtually assess millions of variations before synthesizing even a single antibody in the lab,” explained Varun Venkatesan, Inito’s co-founder and CTO. “This methodology yields antibodies that exhibit superior sensitivity, consistency, and stability compared to those developed through traditional methods.”

Redefining Diagnostics

“Our ultimate goal extends beyond simply introducing new tests,” stated Aayush Rai, Inito’s co-founder and CEO. “We envision a complete redefinition of diagnostics. Individuals should have the ability to monitor and gain insights into their bodies at all stages of life and health, without being constrained by clinic appointments, lab schedules, or inflexible testing protocols.”

Expanding Test Capabilities

Inito intends to broaden its platform beyond fertility tracking, with plans to incorporate tests for pregnancy, menopause, and comprehensive at-home health monitoring.

“Our long-term strategy encompasses a platform capable of measuring and interpreting the complete spectrum of hormones that influence health throughout a lifetime,” Rai added. “This includes pregnancy progression, menopause, and various endocrine markers like testosterone, all powered by AI antibodies and imaging technology that currently distinguishes Inito.”

Scaling Manufacturing and Global Reach

The company will also allocate funding to scale up manufacturing capabilities and expand its global presence to meet the increasing demand in the United States and new international markets.

Investment Details

This latest funding round was spearheaded by Bertelsmann India Investments and Fireside Ventures, bringing Inito’s total funding to approximately $45 million. Prior funding rounds included $6 million led by Fireside Ventures and $9 million from Y Combinator, former Nurx CEO Varsha Rao, and various physicians and family offices.