Working with <span>Ash Ramachandran </span>to set the standard for male fertility care

Working with Ash Ramachandran to set the standard for male fertility care

Sapyen, Ongoing

Background
Global sperm counts and male fertility health continue to decline, often without detection until they reach critical levels. Despite male factors causing 40–50% of fertility challenges, the conversation remains disproportionately focused on female fertility. Deeply rooted social norms dismiss sperm health as less important, even though it serves as a crucial indicator of overall well-being.

Outdated, expensive, and inconvenient diagnostics prevent men from accessing proper fertility care. Testing protocols, largely unchanged since the 1970s, require labs to analyze samples within an hour of collection, creating logistical and geographical barriers. Stigma around male fertility further discourages men from seeking solutions, leaving this critical public health issue overlooked and under-researched.


Challenge
When Sapyen entered the market, it had identified a breakthrough in male fertility testing—extending sperm survival in vitro from 1 hour to 72 hours. This innovation not only enabled at-home testing but also promised greater accuracy than traditional in-clinic diagnostics. Beyond the technology itself, the challenge lay in transforming this advancement into a scalable, globally competitive business.

To position Sapyen for success, the strategy focused on:

1. Humanizing the experience—allowing men to test their fertility in the privacy of their homes.

2. Enhancing diagnostic accuracy—delivering more reliable results than existing methods.

3. Driving proactive health management—making fertility testing more accessible at earlier stages.

4. Overcoming cultural and logistical barriers—shifting perceptions and addressing system inefficiencies.

5. Scaling globally from day one—ensuring Sapyen could reach its full market potential.

By tackling these challenges head-on, Sapyen aimed to redefine how men engage with their reproductive health while establishing itself as a leader in the evolving fertility landscape.


Solution

At launch, MDMD supported Sapyen’s direct-to-consumer approach. However, early financial modeling revealed the need for deeper industry integration to drive meaningful change. Recognizing this, Sapyen rapidly pivoted to a B2B2C model under Ashwin’s decisive leadership, securing distribution through IVF clinics, primary care networks, and pharmacies. This shift accelerated market adoption and positioned Sapyen for long-term scalability.

 

"Melbourne tech company develops world-first at-home male fertility testing kit," Isabel Quinlan reports; 9News; Oct 29, 2024

Approach
MDMD partnered with Sapyen to navigate key inflection points, accelerate growth, and establish the company as a leader in male fertility diagnostics. By refining market entry strategies, securing investment, and strengthening brand positioning, we ensured Sapyen stayed ahead in a competitive landscape.

Bringing Sapyen’s innovation to market required speed and adaptability. We optimized the go-to-market strategy, helping the company move quickly from validation to commercial traction. At the same time, we worked closely with leadership to recruit top talent across commercial and operational functions, ensuring the right expertise to drive growth and agility in decision-making.

Sapyen was awarded The Australian Financial Review’s 2024 BOSS Most Innovative Companies. From left to right: Joel Ho, Ashwin Ramachandran, and Basim Zaidi.

To sustain traction, we guided Sapyen through capital planning, investor engagement, and fundraising execution. By crafting a compelling investment narrative, we connected Sapyen with investors who aligned with its vision and recognized its market potential.

Our collaboration remains active as we advise on intellectual property strategy, protecting Sapyen’s innovation in a competitive market. Simultaneously, we continue work on its brand identity to balance clinical credibility with consumer accessibility, strengthening engagement with healthcare providers and patients.


Motivation

From the outset, we recognized key founder and venture factors that set Sapyen apart. We were excited to work with Ashwin due to his:

— ‘Zero to one’ mindset

— Relentless work ethic

— Strong commitment to building technical expertise

— Deep domain knowledge

— Sharp commercial acumen

— Openness to unconventional ideas

In addition, Ashwin demonstrated a clear determination to introduce a groundbreaking solution with the potential to transform men’s health on a large scale.

Unprecedented capital raise for Australian device company
$ 0 mm
Outcomes to date:

Establishment of global board of directors

Status as only clinical-grade at-home fertility test internationally

Commitments with some of the world's leading IVF clinics (Incl. HCA Healthcare UK’s Lister Fertility Clinic, Adora Fertility in Australia, and Reach Fertility US).

Test kit compliant with FDA, NYS, TGA, CE, and UKCA
$ 0
Annual revenue in 6 years
$ 0 m
In distribution commitments within 24 weeks of launch
$ 0 m

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“I have been in strategy for several years, managing teams and devising intricate go-to-market strategies. With utmost certainty, I can confirm that MDMD exemplifies exceptional work ethics and a strategic mindset that I have encountered in Australia. This is why I have consistently engaged their services and sought their counsel as a thought partner during building Sapyen, particularly in one of the most challenging periods for HealthTech.”

Ashwin Ramachandran, Founder & CEO of Sapyen

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