illumicell AI is a company that is transforming how clinicians analyze the most fundamental unit of health: the cell in fluid. Pulse 2.0 interviewed illumicell AI co-founder and CSO Jeyla Sadikova to learn more about the company.
Jeyla Sadikova’s Background
What is Jeyla Sadikova’s background? Jeyla Sadikova, an alumna of Imperial College London, began her career at BP and McKinsey & Company, advising global energy and financial institutions on economic strategy, digital transformation and operational efficiency. And in 2021, she co-founded Testasy, a telemedicine-enabled COVID-19 testing company, with Michel Bielecki. That collaboration ultimately led to the founding of illumicell AI.
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Sadikova said:
“The idea for illumicell AI came together through a combination of firsthand experience and a series of fortunate events. During COVID-19, Michel and I built a telemedicine platform called Testasy, focused on simplifying testing logistics for doctors, patients, and providers. That experience opened our eyes to how outdated, manual, and inaccessible many diagnostic workflows still are.”
“At first, we had a broad vision: to build an integrated diagnostics platform that could streamline everything from blood tests to more specialized analyses. But I quickly realized that trying to be everything to everyone was too scattered. That’s when I zeroed in on semen analysis. It was clear to me that this was a massively overlooked space, ripe for disruption … and a billion-dollar idea. At the time, no one was really focused on developing scalable technology specifically for male fertility diagnostics.”
“That clarity helped us focus the company’s direction, and it’s also when things started to click. Michel had long been interested in modernizing the outdated manual processes in analyzing cells in fluid – specifically, through semen analysis. Sperm are some of the smallest, most difficult cells to analyze under a microscope, especially given their speed. Just like blood, when analyzed correctly, semen holds insights into metabolic health and longevity that currently are not taken into account, though the current pace of analysis means that these insights have been difficult to unlock at scale. At-home male fertility kits have made a powerful impact in raising awareness and simplifying sample collection. On the clinical side, however, the core diagnostic bottleneck still remained – particularly as lab-based analyses continue to be manual, slow, and prone to error/variability.”
“That’s when Loup Cordey joined the founding team. Loup is our resident rocket scientist, with a background in systems engineering and leadership experience developing space missions at EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. His work in designing imaging systems to scan and map distant stars actually laid the technical foundation for what would eventually power illumicell AI’s real-time cellular imaging platform.”
“Together, we realized we didn’t just want to digitize semen analysis — we wanted to fundamentally rethink it. illumicell AI was born from that ambition: to create the first real-time, AI-powered imaging platform that makes systemic health insights from fluid-based cells accessible: unlocking new possibilities for fertility care, metabolic health, and longevity diagnostics.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Sadikova reflected:
“When we first started out – three wide-eyed, enthusiastic young entrepreneurs with just an idea in Switzerland – we were eager to validate it with clinics in the US. We sent out countless emails to those clinics. No one replied.”
“So we did the only logical thing: packed our bags and booked flights to New York, determined to show up in person if that’s what it took.”
“At the gate, we had to go through extra security for US-bound flights: full checks, bag searches, even explosive residue testing. That’s when things took a turn.”
“Suddenly, bomb police appeared and took Loup away. Apparently, traces of explosives were all over him. The plane was delayed. Passengers were panicking. We had no idea what was going on.”
“After what felt like forever, they brought him back—and we finally learned the reason: Loup is, quite literally, a rocket scientist. He had worn the same boots he used during his last rocket launch, and the residue triggered the alarms.”
“He had to explain and prove his background, call up his professors and show photos just to be let back on the plane.”
“It was both terrifying and hilarious, and an unforgettable beginning to our journey building illumicell AI.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Sadikova explained:
“illumicell AI delivers AI-powered fluid analysis at the point-of-care – which means cellular scans can be performed at any doctor’s office, and not just specialized labs.”
“While we can scan any cells in fluid, our first application in sperm analysis offers 98% accuracy, 50x faster results and 20x lower cost than today’s standard solutions.”
“This is a game-changer because sperm testing is still mostly manual: technicians count and assess by eye, making this a very subjective test. On top of that, few clinics have the equipment and expertise, so patients often wait weeks just to get tested and sometimes longer for results. As a result, fertility diagnostics and treatments remain out of reach for most patients.”
“At the core is our proprietary ‘cell scanner,’ a high-resolution imaging module that captures cellular detail in real time and creates a 3D visualization of it. Paired with our AI, it enables precise, contextual analysis at unprecedented speed and scale.”
“This technology is central to unlocking future applications in semen analysis. Research shows that sperm health is linked to certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes risk, pregnancy outcomes – and even longevity.”
“Yet today, these insights are largely ignored. Not because they don’t matter, but because the technology hasn’t existed to access them.”
“With our platform, we envision a future where sperm becomes a routine biomarker – one simple sample offering a window into overall health, enabling continuous tracking and empowering men and couples to live healthier, longer lives.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Sadikova and the team faced while building the company? Sadikova acknowledged:
“In a highly regulated industry led by seasoned executives and clinicians, it can be tough for younger founders to earn credibility. We had no track record in bringing medical products to market – and we felt that gap.”
“So I took a step back and put on my investor hat: What would I need to see to believe in this team? What real inflection points would build conviction?”
“That shift helped us stop taking the skepticism personally and start tackling it strategically: by focusing on de-risking the fundamentals: technology, clinical validation and market traction. We took great care to hire a team of the brightest and most experienced individuals who aligned strongly with our vision and were able to build out working prototypes from scratch.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since its launch? Sadikova noted:
“In the early days, we tested our imaging system across a variety of cell types – and for the most part, it worked well. But sperm turned out to be a different beast. You have to understand: sperm cells are the smallest cells in the human body, and they don’t sit still. They move – fast (hopefully!).”
“What followed was a long stretch of frustration. Our team could generate great static images, but tracking active, fast-moving tiny sperm seemed almost impossible. The mood in the technical team dipped. We knew we were close, but not close enough.”
“Everything changed when our Chief AI Engineer proposed a radically different approach – one that reimagined how we handled cellular motion and context in the imaging pipeline. The results were immediate and remarkable. “
“It was a major technical milestone – and honestly, a huge collective sigh of relief. For the first time, the tech didn’t just work. It performed.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Sadikova cited:
“We started with a simple premise: this piece of hardware worked in space – could it work in cellular analysis too? At first, it was all hypothesis, especially when dealing with challenging cells like sperm: tiny, fast-moving cells that demand high precision.”
“One major milestone was steadily improving imaging performance – an effort that, thanks to our brilliant optics and AI engineers, ended up exceeding our expectations. Turns out we can see 13x more than a standard microscope, at multiple depths, with automated focusing – which is a game changer for capturing complex cellular behavior in real time.”
“The second breakthrough came when we tested our system on real patient samples. Both we and our partner clinic were thrilled to see our device match the current manual standard of care.”
“In that moment, the hypothesis (and all the hard work!) became reality! For the first time, we felt the weight of what this could mean: better diagnoses, faster answers and a real shot at changing lives. “
Funding
When asking Sadikova about the company’s funding details, she revealed:
“We raised $2 million in our Pre-Seed round and will be announcing our Seed round later this year.”
“I’m especially proud that a significant portion of this funding comes directly from future customers: leading urologists, fertility experts, and Key Opinion Leaders. Their backing is a major validation of both our technology and market need.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Sadikova assessed:
“Our ‘fluids portfolio’ spans multiple diagnostic markets, representing a cumulative global opportunity of over $250 billion.”
“For our first indication, male fertility diagnostics, we estimate a total addressable market of $5B in the U.S. alone. Today, that market is capped at around $300M, limited by access and infrastructure – but it is growing at 13% driven by the surge in demand for fertility treatments. illumicell AI is set to change that, unlocking access to diagnostic testing that has so far only been available in a lab setting.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Sadikova affirmed:
“Our three proprietary technologies are fundamentally different from anything currently on the market. They enable a new class of high-precision imaging, paired with AI algorithms that do more than just analyze biological data. Every sample analyzed and every data point captured feeds into our datasets, delivering critical clinical context to support radically better decision-making.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Sadikova concluded:
“Our immediate focus is bringing the product to market and delivering on the promise we’ve made to our customers, many of whom are also our investors. We’re committed to setting a new standard in male fertility analysis.”
“We believe that better diagnostic accuracy can lead to more targeted, effective fertility treatments – especially for female partners, who too often endure the brunt of the process: the hormones, the surgeries, the emotional toll. Yet in nearly half of infertility cases, male factors are involved.”
“Our greatest achievement would be proving that in practice: that better data can lead to more accessible care and more personalized, better fertility journeys.”
