Boston-based techmed startup illumicell AI has secured $2 million in pre-seed funding to launch what they describe as the first portable “lab scanner” and real-time AI platform for fluid-based diagnostics, capable of analyzing cells and biomarkers within minutes. Their initial product is a portable sperm analysis scanner designed to transform male fertility care and create a broader infrastructure for cellular health data.
Founded by Harvard-trained physician Michel Bielecki, former McKinsey consultant Jeyla Sadikova, and rocket engineer Loup Cordey, illumicell AI brings together expertise from medicine, business, and engineering. The funding round attracted a mix of healthcare operators, clinicians, and early-stage funds, including KOFA Healthcare, Harvard Phoenix Venture Fund, and MedTechSyndicates.
The company is addressing significant gaps in male fertility diagnostics. Despite 1 in 6 couples globally facing infertility, fewer than 25% of men ever receive a proper fertility evaluation. Currently in the United States, millions of sperm tests are referred annually by over 250,000 doctors and specialists, yet only about 500 clinics are equipped to process them, leading to delays and increased costs for patients.
illumicell AI’s proprietary portable imaging system and AI-driven algorithms aim to eliminate these bottlenecks, enabling results 50 times faster and at 20 times lower cost in any doctor’s office worldwide.
“Semen fertility diagnostics are currently a massive inefficiency in the US medical system – not only often requiring travel for patients, but taking days to weeks for results. Our real-time, lab-grade fluid diagnostics can be performed in any doctor’s office, and reduce wait times and cost to the patient, which radically improves the quality of healthcare across the board,” said Dr. Michel Bielecki, co-founder & CEO of illumicell AI. “Every test becomes part of a feedback loop — helping clinicians today while training our models for tomorrow.”
Dr. Jeremy Teoh, a leading urologist and investor in the company, added: “As a clinician, this will be a game changer. illumicell AI finally brings sperm testing into the era of AI — clinical-grade results, in real time, without outsourcing or delays.”
Each scan with illumicell AI generates structured, labeled cell data. The company reports having already collected over 400,000 datapoints, which they are using to build what they call the first real-time dataset in male reproductive health. This data infrastructure aims to unlock personalized fertility insights, including lifestyle-linked fertility changes over time, fertility response to supplements or interventions (including post-chemotherapy), and the ability to flag early decline in fertility years before it happens.
While the company’s initial focus is on fertility, their technology platform has potential applications for analyzing other body fluids, from urine to cerebrospinal fluid, with broader implications for real-time cellular intelligence across multiple healthcare modalities.
“We’re treating semen not just as a fertility metric, but as a biomarker for male and family health,” added Jeyla Sadikova, co-founder at illumicell AI. “In essence, we’re building a digital fertility biobank. Through deep learning, our platform gets smarter with every scan. That’s how we shift from reproductive care diagnostics to a living, learning system for truly personalized medicine.”
According to the company, their prototype has already outperformed legacy systems in clinical trials with strong correlation to gold-standard lab results. They have signed letters of intent with leading fertility clinics in the USA, Japan, and Switzerland, and plan an FDA submission for 2026.
illumicell AI has been recognized by several innovation programs, including Harvard Innovation Labs, Creative Destruction Lab, MassChallenge Boston, Techstars, and Keihanna KGAP+ in Japan. The American Urological Association also named it one of the top 8 startups shaping the future of urology at its 2024 Innovation Nexus.
The $2 million pre-seed funding will be used to accelerate the development of illumicell AI’s portable scanner technology.
