A business based at Norwich Research Park is developing rapid at-home tests for male reproductive health with AI-powered support tools and has been successful in earning a place on a prestigious Innovate UK accelerator programme to Singapore. It has also secured a significant private equity investment.
Virilitas Labs, co-founded by Dr Daniel Marcu and Prof Simone Immler, professor of genetics and reproduction at the University of East Anglia (UEA), is looking to address the need to support male fertility which currently lacks reliable diagnostics and easy-to-access information and guidance. It is aiming to deliver clinic-level rapid testing for male fertility with personalised care, that should help shorten diagnostic delays and speed up access to treatment.
Prof Immler, said, “After more than two decades researching sperm biology, and knowing how widespread male infertility is, it became clear that our insights had to move beyond scientific journals and reach the people who struggle with infertility.“
The interest generated this idea has led to Virilitas Labs being selected as one of only 15 companies for Innovate UK’s Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) for Health and Medical Technologies in Singapore this month (November 2025).
These programmes aim to help UK businesses grow and scale on a global stage. The five-day tailored programme includes a market visit to Singapore to connect Virilitas Labs with other businesses, research organisations and key stakeholders. It will provide a unique opportunity to find partners to work with, identify opportunities to build R&D as well as for technology and innovation collaboration that will accelerate its access to market. Virilitas Labs will also benefit from bespoke support from an innovation and growth specialist.
Dr Marcu said, “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen for the Singapore innovation programme. This could be a game changer for us in terms of finding new partners and potential customers to work with. We are now in a position that we have further financial backing to make our journey to market much more attainable and quicker which means we can maximise the opportunity we have as a first mover in this fast-growing market.”
Virilitas Labs was also successful recently in securing a significant equity investment through Anglia Capital Group’s latest investor network funding round and has received further support from UEA Enterprise and grants from Anglia Innovation Partnership. The funding will be used to expand Virilitas Labs’ IP portfolio, complete optimisation of its rapid testing technology and support the development of a companion app that will explain individual reproductive risks and provide practical, step-by-step support.
Laura Hood, director of operations at Anglia Capital Group, said, “What the Virilitas Labs team have created is truly innovative and this really impressed the screening committee. Impact is important to Anglia Capital Group’s investors and they could see that Virilitas Labs is addressing a real market need and will ultimately be providing a service which will improve lives. Daniel and Simone are highly competent founders and clearly articulated the market that they intended to serve. They were able to demonstrate the key milestones they need to hit in order to deliver their business plan.
“Anglia Capital Group is focussed on supporting early-stage, innovative businesses in the East of England so we’re hugely proud to be working with exciting science-backed businesses based at Norwich Research Park which is a great example of the innovation happening here in Norfolk.”
Roz Bird, CEO of Anglia Innovation Partnership, said, “Virilitas Labs was one of the first companies Anglia Innovation Partnership supported through its campus-wide enterprise strategy. It has been inspiring to see Simone and Daniel take their company from strength-to-strength over the last three years. Starting as a spinout from UEA, winning the Cambridge Tech Week Start-Up award in 2024 and now this recognition from Innovate UK and a chance to explore global markets in Singapore. I have seen just how hard they are prepared to work, to achieve success. They also have enormous courage and personal passion to unlock male fertility. There are certainly exciting times ahead for Virilitas Labs.”
