Australian startup develops hormone sensor to streamline IVF
A Melbourne-based startup is developing a wearable biosensor that could simplify hormone monitoring for IVF patients, reducing the need for frequent blood tests and potentially lowering treatment costs. The device, created in partnership with the University of Melbourne and Monash IVF, aims to track progesterone and estradiol levels using fluid from the skin rather than blood.
Currently, IVF patients rely on blood draws to measure hormone levels at specific points in their menstrual cycle. The timing is critical — clinicians need to know when progesterone, estradiol and luteinising hormone are at optimal levels for egg collection or embryo transfer. But the approach has limits. If testing falls on a weekend, when most labs are closed, providers have to pick a less precise testing window, which can affect treatment accuracy.
A patch that reads hormones through the skin
The startup, Symex Labs, was founded by University of Melbourne alumni Edgar Charry and Muhammad Umer. Both have partners who experienced infertility, which drove them to look for a better way. Their biosensor uses tiny microneedles that penetrate the skin to reach interstitial fluid — the fluid that surrounds cells. The needles attract progesterone molecules, which bind to the probe’s surface and generate an electrical signal. That signal is then translated into a hormone reading.
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“Our biosensor will eventually be worn as a patch and will work by penetrating the skin using small microneedles to attract progesterone molecules in the patient’s interstitial fluid. These molecules will bind to the surface of the probe, generating electrical activity. The technology then translates the electrical activity to progesterone levels, ultimately informing the IVF clinical team if the patient is ready for embryo transfer. This data will be sent directly to the clinic’s monitoring system, allowing IVF nurses to review the results and advise the patient,” Charry said.
The same approach could also detect estradiol, another key hormone in fertility treatment. The company says the data would go straight to the clinic, cutting out the lag between blood draw and lab result.
Funding and next steps
Symex Labs has raised $2.5 million from the federal government, the University of Melbourne’s Genesis fund, Monash IVF, RMIT and Breakthrough Victoria. The money will support the first in-human pilot study, which is expected to start within the next 12 months. Commercialisation is planned for early 2028.
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The shift from blood-based testing to wearable sensors has parallels in other areas of medicine, where continuous monitoring is replacing discrete lab visits. For IVF patients, who often endure multiple blood draws per cycle, a patch that streams data directly to their clinic could reduce both physical discomfort and the logistical hassle of scheduling tests around lab hours. The technology still needs to prove it can match the accuracy of standard blood tests in a clinical setting.
The pilot study will be the first real test. If it works, Symex Labs plans to bring the patch to market within two years. For now, the team is focused on getting the sensor through human trials and into the hands of fertility specialists. The founders say they want to make treatment less burdensome — not just for patients, but for clinics that have to work around lab closures and weekend gaps in testing availability.
