Spermatech

What Spermatech does

Spermatech AS is a privately held Norwegian drug discovery company founded in 2015 (per company records) and headquartered in Oslo, with 11–50 employees. The company develops small-molecule compounds that modulate sperm cell ATP production to either enhance or inhibit sperm motility, applied across two pipelines: (1) SpermAct, a boar sperm cell activator designed to improve fertility outcomes and litter sizes when used with artificial insemination in commercial pork production, and (2) a non-hormonal male contraceptive program in earlier-stage development for human use.

The underlying platform is a proprietary high-throughput screening (HTS) assay using live sperm cells, developed from research at the University of Oslo by scientific founder Professor Bjørn Steen Skålhegg. Spermatech has used this assay to screen more than 300,000 compounds in collaboration with Evotec AG and the Norwegian Biotech Center to identify fertilization activators and blockers. A patent on male contraceptive inhibitor compounds was filed in May 2017 (pending). Operational R&D partners include SINTEF, the University of Oslo, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, NTNU Gjøvik (administration hardware development), and Aragen Life Sciences (chemical optimization). Field development of SpermAct is conducted in collaboration with Norsvin R&D (part of Topigs Norsvin) and two Norwegian breeding operations (Stampen Purkering AS and Næra Purkering AS), with the concluding 2024 field trial covering just shy of 600 animals.

Spermatech is an R&D-stage, pre-revenue company. Its business model contemplates future licensing/royalty revenue from sperm activators sold or licensed to animal breeding operations and, longer-term, pharmaceutical revenue from a non-hormonal male contraceptive. To date, operations have been funded primarily through non-dilutive grants from the Norwegian Research Council (notably an IPN grant awarded in April 2021, supported by Forskningsmidlene for jordbruk og matindustri) rather than equity investment. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and no commercial product is on market.

Name

Spermatech

Legal name

Spermatech AS

Website

https://spermatech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spermatech AS is a Norwegian preclinical biotech developing small-molecule sperm cell ATP modulators for two pipelines: SpermAct, a boar fertility activator for pork production artificial insemination, and a non-hormonal male contraceptive for humans. Pre-revenue, grant-funded, founded 2015, based in Oslo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Fertility Pharmaceuticals

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAMAEAI

Reproductive Health & Hormonal Products

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Veterinary Pharmaceuticals & Biologics

SECONDARYAFACAEAA

Artificial Insemination (AI) & Semen Services (Collection, Processing, Storage)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Livestock Services (Breeding, AI, Pregnancy Checking, Handling)

Keywords

• Animal fertility drugs
• Sperm cell activators
• Non-hormonal contraceptives
• Animal breeding biotechnology
• Drug discovery research

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Animal Breeding Sperm Activators: Revenue from licensing and selling sperm cell activators to animal breeding operations, particularly pig/pork production industry for use with artificial insemination.
2. Human Male Contraceptive Products: Non-hormonal male contraceptive pill for humans - product development stage with potential future pharmaceutical revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Spermatech AS is a drug discovery and development company designing small-molecule sperm cell activators to improve fertility in animals (commercial lead: SpermAct for boar artificial insemination in pork production) and developing non-hormonal compounds that inhibit sperm motility for human male contraception. Its pipeline rests on a proprietary high-throughput screening assay using live sperm cells that has screened over 300,000 compounds in collaboration with Evotec AG.

Product overview

Spermatech AS is a drug discovery company developing two distinct product pipelines based on its proprietary sperm motility manipulation technology: (1) SpermAct, a sperm cell activator for animal breeding applications to improve pork production efficiency through enhanced boar sperm motility and artificial insemination success rates, and (2) Sperm Cell Inhibitor, a non-hormonal male contraceptive for humans. The company leverages a unique high-throughput screening assay using live sperm cells that has been applied to over 300,000 compounds to identify both fertilization activators and blockers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SpermAct: Sperm cell activator product for improving pork production through enhanced boar sperm motility in artificial insemination.

Products and services

• SpermAct (Boar Sperm Cell Activator) A small-molecule sperm cell activator compound designed to improve animal fertility by enhancing sperm cell ATP production, enabling sperm hyperactivation and increasing pregnancy rates and litter sizes when used with artificial insemination in commercial pork production. Targeted at pig breeding operations using AI.
• Sperm Cell Inhibitor (Non-hormonal Male Contraceptive) A non-hormonal male contraceptive compound that inhibits sperm cell ATP production to prevent fertilization, intended to offer a safe contraceptive option for humans with minimal side effects relative to hormonal contraceptives. Currently in drug discovery and development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pregnancy percentage equal to or slightly better than controls in field trials
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NTNU GjøvikcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2021Spermatech entered an activator administration and delivery development program with NTNU at Gjøvik, collaborating with Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering to develop hardware for administering SpermAct.
• Norsvin AScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpermatech collaborates with Norsvin R&D (a company in the Topigs Norsvin group) on field trials for boar sperm activator. Norsvin provides access to pig breeding operations and conducts insemination and data collection for field trials.
• SINTEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpermatech collaborates with SINTEF (the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia) to improve sperm activators for field trials. SINTEF provides scientific expertise and research infrastructure.
• University of OslocoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with Professor Bjørn Steen Skålhegg's research group at the Institute for Basic Medical Sciences. Company has roots from UiO.
• Evotec AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationHigh throughput screening experiments performed in collaboration with Evotec AG (Germany), a leader in drug discovery. Evotec provides HTS capabilities and quality research services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• SINTEF: SINTEF is Scandinavia's largest independent research institute and a core R&D collaborator for Spermatech's sperm activator programs. It is an enabling partner providing applied science infrastructure rather than a competitor.
• Topigs Norsvin: Topigs Norsvin is one of the world's largest swine genetics companies and Spermatech's principal field-trial partner via its Norsvin R&D unit. It is comparable as the customer and channel through which SpermAct would reach the global commercial pig herd.
• Aragen Life Sciences: Aragen is a CRO engaged by Spermatech to optimize the chemistry of its sperm activator. It is an enabling/service partner analogous to the role Evotec plays, rather than a competing product company.
• Evotec AG: Evotec is a global contract research organization that performed HTS experiments for Spermatech. It is comparable as an enabling drug-discovery partner and platform operator rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• IMV Technologies: IMV Technologies is a global leader in animal reproduction technologies, including boar semen evaluation, processing, and AI consumables. It is directly comparable to Spermatech as a supplier of products and protocols that improve artificial insemination outcomes in livestock.
• Contraline: Contraline is a clinical-stage male contraception company developing a long-acting, non-hormonal vas-deferens occlusive product. Although the modality differs, it competes for capital, partnership attention, and market positioning in the emerging non-hormonal male contraceptive category alongside Spermatech.
• YourChoice Therapeutics: YourChoice Therapeutics is developing a non-hormonal, on-demand male contraceptive, directly comparable to Spermatech's sperm ATP inhibitor program. Both target the male reproductive market with hormone-free mechanisms.
• BioVenic: BioVenic supplies reagents and services for animal reproduction and AI programs, including boar and boar-related reproductive tools. It overlaps with Spermatech's customer base of commercial pig breeding operations using AI.
• Minitube (Minitüb): Minitube develops and sells boar semen extenders, AI catheters, and reproductive consumables used in commercial pig AI programs worldwide. Like Spermatech, it targets improved fertility and litter outcomes through inputs applied at the point of insemination.
• Eppin Pharma: Eppin Pharma is developing a non-hormonal male contraceptive targeting sperm function, sharing Spermatech's approach of modulating sperm physiology without hormones. Both compete for the same underserved non-hormonal male contraceptive opportunity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@hvorfordetpodkast/video/7167056649524382982
• Xx.com/spermatechcom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spermatech