In Ovo hatches series A

In Ovo, a Netherlands-based biotechnology spinout of Leiden University, has raised several million (€1m = $1.1m) in series A funding from investors including the university.
The round was co-led by specialty chemicals producer Evonik’s corporate venturing arm Evonik Venture Capital together with VC fund VisVires New Protein.
Founded in 2013, In Ovo has developed technology that makes it possible to determine the gender of chick embryos early on following fertilisation.
Determining the gender before hatching would prevent male chicks from being killed within a day of emerging from the egg as they offer no commercial value to farmers, who need female chicks to lay eggs and put on sufficient flesh to be sold as food.
The process involves collecting a sample through a tiny, easily resealable hole in the egg. The sample is then analysed through mass spectrometry to detect a specific biomarker identified by In Ovo. The spinout is based on research by Wil Stutterheim and Wouter Bruins.
The series A funding will allow In Ovo to develop its technology to commercial scale with a view of deploying it to hatcheries.
Bernhard Mohr, head of venture capital at Evonik, said: “In Ovo has taken on one of the biggest ethical problems in modern poultry farming.
“This investment strengthens Evonik’s position as a partner of choice for the farming industry as we can provide support for ethical food production.”