South Korea is a leader in the demographic crisis, one of the reasons for which is the growing number of couples facing infertility problems. Every year, approximately 240,000 people in the country receive such a diagnosis. To help somehow fix this situation, South Korean startup Kai Health will use artificial intelligence-based embryo screening technology, Chosun reports.
Lee Hye-jun, founder and CEO of Kai Health, who also works as an obstetrician-gynecologist, won a startup competition from Seoul National University in October 2021. She then founded her company.
Lee told the media that the most important thing in infertility treatment is the embryo. She says her company can help both South Korean and international couples improve the success rate of in vitro fertilization procedures by optimally selecting embryos using artificial intelligence.
To this end, Kai Health has developed an artificial intelligence-based system called Vita Embryo, which will analyze images of embryos taken under a microscope. The company has already received certification in Europe, Singapore and India, and approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in January 2025.
In vitro fertilization, or IVF, involves removing eggs from the ovaries, fertilizing them with sperm, and implanting the resulting embryos into the uterus. Lee notes that high-quality embryos account for 80 percent of pregnancy success, and that’s where Vita Embryo will help. An AI algorithm trained on embryo images and pregnancy outcome data from South Korea and the United States will help select embryos that have a high chance of a successful pregnancy.
"Before an artificially fertilized embryo is implanted into the uterus, AI evaluates the shape of the embryo to select those that can grow well into fetuses later on, which is the core of Vita Embryo," said Li.
Clinical trial results show that Vita Embryo outperforms humans in selecting embryos that are likely to result in a successful pregnancy. While humans have a roughly 30% chance of selecting embryos with a high chance of pregnancy, Kai Health’s AI has a roughly 65% chance.
Kai Health plans to make significant strides in the South Korean market this year, as well as expand its presence in international markets. In addition, the startup intends to continue research and development to not only improve the effectiveness of Vita Embryo, but also to create technologies to improve egg cultivation in infertile women and optimize embryos.
As a reminder, the Tokyo government, which is one of Japan's largest employers, previously allowed employees to work only four days a week. This was also an attempt to combat the country's demographic crisis.