Swiss HealthTech company ReproNovo raises €57 million to tackle declining fertility rates

Lausanne-based HealthTech startup ReproNovo, a company innovating treatments for reproductive medicine and women’s health, has secured a €57 million Series A financing round.

The round was led by Jeito Capital, AXA IM and M Ventures, alongside a syndicate of healthcare funds including Ysios Capital and ALSA Ventures.

Jean Marie Duvall, Co-founder and CEO of ReproNovo, said: “We are focused on innovative therapeutic solutions for male and female infertility and pioneering management options for conditions like adenomyosis. Our aim is to address critical gaps in the landscape of infertility and women’s health worldwide. We are thrilled to announce the successful closing of our $65 million Series A funding round with this strong, sector specialised group of investors, marking a significant milestone in our journey to becoming a leading reproductive medicine and women’s health company.”

Founded in 2021, ReproNovo is developing novel approaches to address critical gaps in reproductive medicine and women’s health, including male and female infertility as well as uterine health. The company, led by Jean Marie Duvall (CEO) Joan-Carles Arce, MD, PhD (CSO and Medical Officer), and BingMei Hao (CFO), bring a track record in clinical development and commercial launches.

Since its inception, ReproNovo has built a pipeline comprising two Phase 2 clinical-stage assets across three disease areas. The company plans to use the proceeds from this financing to advance this pipeline across multiple programmes:

• With its lead candidate, RPN-001 (leflutrozole), the company will focus on the development of an oral therapy for male infertility due to low testosterone levels. According to ReproNovo, low testosterone is becoming more prevalent, including in younger men, highlighting the need for an efficacious treatment option.​ This trend coincides with a broader decline in male reproductive health, now recognised as a public health problem.
• RPN-002 (nolasiban), also orally administered therapy, is a “first-in-class” compound to manage adenomyosis, an overgrowth of endometrial tissue into the uterus that can result in severe menstrual bleeding and pain. Similar to endometriosis, this is a common gynecological condition, with recent imaging studies identifying features of adenomyosis in nearly one in four women undergoing gynecological evaluation.

RPN-002 will also be explored for improving success rates in assisted reproductive technologies (ART).

Dr Rafaèle Tordjman, MD, PhD, Founder and CEO of Jeito Capital, said: “ReproNovo combines strong innovative potential, a seasoned team, and a clear ambition to address one of the most pressing global challenges of our time: declining birth rates. At Jeito, we are committed to advancing breakthrough innovations with significant value for both patients and society. This investment reflects that commitment. We are proud to support the acceleration of ReproNovo’s clinical development and help unlock its potential to become a future market leader.”

The global decline in fertility rates, coupled with the rising incidence of male infertility (sperm counts have fallen by 50% to 60% over the last four decades) and the significant health risks women endure during fertility treatments underscore the need for innovative reproductive solutions that address both genders and these global challenges comprehensively.

Ksenija Pavletic, Partner and Chief Commercial Officer at Jeito Capital, added: “As approximately one in six people worldwide will face infertility issues, we are proud to support ReproNovo, whose commitment to advancing novel therapies in reproductive health aligns well with our focus on accelerating cutting-edge technologies and the commercialisation of treatments with transformative benefits for patients. We are highly impressed by the ReproNovo team, whose members have a strong track record in this field, having brought a number of compounds successfully through clinical development and onto the market. Their deep understanding of the field will enable them to effectively address critical unmet needs that have a strong impact on society.”

While headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, the company has its primary development team in Copenhagen, Denmark, and an additional development site in Barcelona, Spain.

Adjacent to this announcement, Ksenija Pavletic, Jeito Partner and Chief Commercial Officer with 25 years of experience in reproductive medicine and women’s health, will also be joining ReproNovo’s Board of Directors.

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