Each year, Sacramento Business Journal Inno reporter Mark Anderson identifies the top local startups set to make waves in the year ahead. Ravata Solutions Inc. is one of 11 that made the cut in 2024.
Ravata Solutions Inc.
Davis-based Ravata Solutions Inc. is developing assistive reproduction technology that helps clinicians determine the viability of embryos for in vitro fertilization.
The business-to-business company’s technology includes sensor hardware for electrical, mechanical and optical analysis of embryos along with data analysis. It is pursuing the animal market now as it awaits federal regulatory approval for its use in people, said CEO Gurkern Sufi.
The company's sensors and software analyze embryo quality and viability to increase the success rate of in vitro fertilization. “We are hoping to fully automate the IVF process,” Sufi said.
In humans, IVF is still considered an experimental technology, and so it is not covered by insurance. Even as a non-insured technique, IVF is a $9 billion market. “As we bring down the cost, that will make it an even larger market,” he said.
The company has seven team members, and they work at Inventopia, a coworking and maker space with wet labs in Davis. The company had six-figure revenue, Sufi said. The company doesn’t disclose exact figures. It has been profitable for two years, and he anticipates $1 million in annual recurring revenue by the end of 2024, he said.
The company’s profits come from IVF used in the bovine and mouse reproduction efficiency. About 90% of the customers are in the bovine market, but the mouse market is growing. Mouse breeders use Ravata to quickly generate 5,000 nearly identical mice for use in medical testing.
The company has been funded by angel investors and it has received a National Institute of Health Small Business Innovation Research grant.
