The Max Planck start-up aims to significantly improve IVF success rates
Start-up power at Ovo Labs (from left): Dr. Oleksandr Yagensky, Dr. Agata Zielinska, and Prof. Dr. Melina Schuh
© Irene Böttcher-Gajewski / Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences
To the point:
- When scientific insight leads to the founding of a company: This year's Max Planck Start-up Award of the Stifterverband honours the work of Ovo Labs. Founded in 2025 as a spin-off from the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, the young biotech company develops novel therapeutics designed to improve the quality of human oocytes (egg cells).
- Innovation in reproductive medicine: The active compounds in its products EmbryoProtect 1, 2 and 3 are intended to help women remain fertile for longer and could increase the chances of a successful pregnancy through assisted reproduction.
- A particular societal impact: The prize, endowed with 30,000 euros, will be awarded on 16 June 2026 in Frankfurt.
The jury was impressed by the company's ambition to address one of the major societal challenges of our time: the age-related decline in female fertility. In Germany, women now have their first child at an average age exceeding 30, a trend that continues to rise. At the same time, the quality of human oocytes declines steadily with age and drops markedly from around 35 onwards, as reflected in sharply reduced success rates for in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
"Ovo Labs has the potential to become a pioneering force in women's health," says Max Planck President Patrick Cramer. "The start-up aims to bridge a critical gap in reproductive medicine - one that persists despite its profound societal relevance. With the support of the Max Planck Society and based on its groundbreaking research, Ovo Labs could help more families fulfil their wish for children."
A focus on women's health
More than 70 percent of IVF cycles in Germany do not result in the birth of a child. For many couples, the desire to have children remains unfulfilled despite physically and financially demanding treatment attempts.
A central societal promise of Ovo Labs is to expand women's reproductive autonomy. In a reality where education, career planning, and personal development often lead to a conscious postponement in starting a family, many women will encounter biological limits.
Ovo Labs' EmbryoProtect therapeutic approach seeks to alleviate this pressure by medically extending the effective reproductive window by up to five years. This would mean true decision-making autonomy and greater flexibility for individual life paths. At the same time, the company's technology could enable couples who previously had little realistic chance of a successful pregnancy to realise their dream of parenthood. Based on existing proof-of-concept data, targeted improvements in egg quality may increase success rates per IVF cycle. If successfully translated into clinical practice, this could prospectively mean fewer treatment cycles, reduced physical and emotional strain, lower costs, and a higher likelihood of giving birth to a healthy child. Parenthood becomes an attainable reality again, not a medical exception.
The technology could also make a meaningful demographic contribution. Germany faces a dual challenge: an ageing population and declining birth rates. Each additional birth made possible is not only a source of personal fulfilment but can also contribute measurably to stabilising demographic structures - with long-term effects ranging from easing pressure on social security systems to strengthening the skilled workforce and supporting the country's capacity for innovation.
Decades of research
The foundations were laid when biochemist Melina Schuh and her team - including Agata Zielinska - uncovered why genetic errors increase particularly in older egg cells. Building on these findings, the young biotech company is working to improve the chances of pregnancy through its innovative fertility solutions, with the aim of making a tangible difference in people's lives.
The team led by Schuh, Director at the Max Planck Institute and co-founder of Ovo Labs, together with co-founder Agata Zielinska and founder Oleksandr Yagensky, is developing therapeutics that improve egg quality and thereby extend the period during which the likelihood of conception remains high. The approach has the potential to significantly increase IVF success rates - particularly among women over the age of 35, where current rates could potentially rise several-fold.
If realised, this would represent one of the most significant advances in fertility treatment since the introduction of in vitro fertilisation in 1978.
Innovation made by MPG
The spin-off has been closely supported by Max Planck Innovation GmbH (MI), the technology transfer organisation of the Max Planck Society.
"Ovo Labs exemplifies successful technology transfer. Its technology platform is based on fundamental research conducted within the MPG, and the company is now translating these insights into concrete solutions for patients. At Max Planck Innovation, we are pleased to support spin-offs such as Ovo Labs and many others emerging from the Max Planck Society," says Christoph Hüls, one of MI's Managing Directors and responsible for licences and patents.
At the time of its founding, Ovo Labs signed a comprehensive licence agreement granting the company exclusive worldwide rights to three patents. "We maintain a close and productive collaboration with Max Planck Innovation - not only in the area of intellectual property, but also in strategic exchange and mentoring. Our goal is to act as a reliable long-term partner of the Max Planck Society - scientifically, economically and culturally," says co-founder Oleksandr Yagensky.
An ongoing cooperation agreement with the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences provides for continued collaboration in the field of egg cell biology. Fundamental research in Prof. Schuh's department enables continuous new insights, which Ovo Labs can subsequently translate into therapeutic development - a strong example of effective translation between academic excellence and application-oriented innovation.
Ovo Labs also strengthens Germany as a biotech location. "Since our founding, we have created seven full-time positions, with more to follow. We have been able to attract leading scientists from the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands to work in Germany," says Zielinska.
About the Prize
Since 2022, the Max Planck Start-up Award of the Stifterverband has been awarded every two years to a successful start-up of the Max Planck Society distinguished by its particular societal impact. A broadly composed jury chaired by Claudia Felser, Vice President of the Max Planck Society, selects the winning team.
Ovo Labs creates improved conditions for reproductive health, strengthens women's individual freedom of choice, and promotes fairer access to innovative fertility medicine. The start-up therefore stands for scientifically grounded, socially relevant and economically sustainable innovation 'Made in Germany'," explains Michael Kaschke, President of the Stifterverband, in outlining the jury's decision.
Prior to Ovo Labs, the start-up Batene received the award for developing batteries that become more powerful and more cost-efficient to manufacture through fleeces made of fine metal wires (batene fleece™). The first recipients of the prize, Meshcapade from Tübingen, built a successful start-up journey based on AI avatars that attracted the attention of the US game developer Epic Games. This serves as a positive signal for innovations 'made by Max Planck' and motivation for all Max Planck researchers interested in founding a company of their own to persevere with their projects.
