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Ivy Natal is a biotech organization developing a novel process to create healthy human egg cells from skin cells using stem cell technologies and CRISPR. This innovative approach addresses infertility by enabling women who would otherwise need donor eggs:due to factors such as surgery, chemotherapy, maternal age, or genetic conditions:to have genetic children. The company's long-term goal is to ensure every person and couple can choose to have genetic children, extending possibilities to men, any age, or same-sex couples. Ivy Natal has received funding from investors like SOSV through accelerators such as IndieBio. Key personnel include co-founders and CEOs Colin Bortner and Jeff Hsu, PhD, alongside Director of Biology Muneaki Nakamura, PhD, and Head of Machine Learning Andrew Ho. The organization was co-founded by Colin Bortner and Jeff Hsu.
Ivy Natal has raised $250K across 1 funding round.
Ivy Natal has raised $250K in total across 1 funding round.
Ivy Natal is a biotechnology company engineering cells to create human egg cells from skin cells, addressing infertility by enabling genetic children for those affected by age, disease, chemotherapy, or genetic conditions.[1][2][3] It also targets animal agriculture by accelerating breeding up to 100x through in vitro gametogenesis.[2] Founded in 2020 and based in San Francisco, the seed-stage startup has raised $200K–$250K from investors like SOSV and IndieBio, serving reproductive health patients and biotech research with a small team of 2–10 experts in cellular engineering and computational biology.[1][3]
The company solves core infertility challenges—global rates of 10–25% due to egg fragility, stress, or disease—by transforming normal cells into reproductive ones, bypassing donor eggs.[1][3] Early traction includes VC backing via IndieBio, but its Mosaic Score recently dropped -22 points, signaling potential financial or market hurdles.[1]
Ivy Natal emerged in 2020 from a vision to unlock human fertility through stem cell-derived gametes, founded by a diverse team of cellular engineering and computational biology experts.[1][2][3] The idea stems from synergies in machine learning, mRNA/CRISPR tech, and automated lab systems to reprogram skin cells into healthy egg cells, inspired by rising infertility needs and parallels in animal breeding acceleration.[2]
Pivotal early moments include securing seed funding of $200K–$250K from SOSV's IndieBio accelerator, providing runway for secretive R&D amid a wave of Bay Area fertility biotechs like Conception.[1][3] Headquarters at 479 Jessie Street, San Francisco, positions it in a biotech hub, with a lean team driving initial progress toward in vitro gametogenesis.[1]
Ivy Natal rides the in vitro gametogenesis (IVG) trend, transforming fertility biotech by enabling lab-created gametes from any cells, amid surging demand from delayed childbearing, cancer survivorship, and LGBTQ+ family-building.[1][3] Timing aligns with CRISPR/mRNA advances post-COVID, accelerating stem cell reprogramming in a market where infertility affects 10–25% globally and donor eggs limit options.[3]
Market forces like aging populations, rising IVF adoption, and agtech needs for faster breeding favor it, though regulatory hurdles for human trials loom.[1][2] It influences the ecosystem by joining secretive pioneers like Conception, potentially disrupting $50B+ fertility and breeding industries while sparking ethical debates on designer reproduction.[1]
Ivy Natal's path hinges on proving safe, scalable egg production, with milestones like preclinical data or new funding rounds critical amid its low Mosaic Score and modest $200K raise.[1] Trends in AI-driven biotech, regulatory greenlights for IVG (e.g., Japan pilots), and dual human-ag revenue could propel growth, evolving it from seed startup to fertility leader.[2]
Success might redefine reproduction, tying back to its core promise: ensuring every person can choose genetic parenthood in an era of biological limits.[3]
Ivy Natal has raised $250K in total across 1 funding round.
Ivy Natal's investors include Atomico, At One Ventures, Future Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Mayfield, McWin Capital Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, SOSV, Bill Gates, Kyle Vogt, Pawan Deshpande, Richard Branson.
Ivy Natal has raised $250K across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $250K Seed in April 2020.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2020 | $250K Seed | — | Atomico, AT ONE Ventures, Future Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Mayfield, Mcwin Capital Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, SOSV, Bill Gates, Kyle Vogt, Pawan Deshpande, Richard Branson | Announced |
