healthtech

Fertility tech firm chooses Oxford for city’s medtech and digital health cluster

 2 mins | By Gill Oliver
 |  | Dec 20th 2019

Fertility tech company VivoPlex Group has moved its headquarters to Oxford, to take advantage of the city’s medtech and digital health cluster.

The company, spun out from Southampton University four years ago, was previously based on Southampton Science Park.

go deeper
The 15-strong team moved into labs and offices on Milton Park earlier this month.

It plans to recruit more staff across manufacturing, quality systems and regulatory affairs roles during the next 12-18 months.

VivoPlex’s wireless, battery-free sensor monitors temperature, pH and oxygen levels for fertility and uterine health purposes.

The firm expects to be able to start a clinical feasibility study, supported by the UK NIHR’s i4i programme, early next year.

VivoPlex intra-uterine biosensor device. Pic: VivoPlex

It follows the submission of an approval application to the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

A clean room is also being created at Milton Park, ready to start manufacturing the company’s intra-uterine device next year.

The firm has also appointed a new finance director Stuart Webb, who previously worked for primary care organisation Greenbrook Healthcare, InHealth, ORLA Healthcare and Oxford University Press.

Stuart Webb. Pic: VivoPlex

VivoPlex chief executive Joanna Smart said: “Our expansion to Oxford is an important milestone in VivoPlex’s development, bringing us the facilities we need to move our intra-uterine biosensor through the next phases of clinical and commercial development.

“Location in this medtech and digital health cluster also provides access to the talent, expertise and funding which will drive our future growth.”

 

About the Author

Gill Oliver

Gill Oliver is a professionally trained journalist who’s written for The New Statesman, The Bureau for Investigative Journalism, The Daily Mail’s business section This is Money, The Press Association, The Huffington Post plus a host of national magazines, news agencies and trade and industry journals. She’s also spent nine years reporting on the Oxfordshire business and tech scene for The Oxford Times and The Oxford Mail.

Subscribe to our newsletter