Life sciences startup PS-Fertility Inc. will invest $1.4 million to build out a headquarters and laboratory in Albemarle County, the office of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday.
PS-Fertility is aiming to commercialize a male fertility diagnostic that was originally developed at the University of Virginia. The company will lease 4,000 square feet at 3030 Vision Lane, just south of Charlottesville’s city limits, for its headquarters and lab as well as a test kit assembly operation, according to the announcement. PS-Fertility said it plans to create 31 new jobs with the project.
The company’s diagnostic tests for the presence of a biomarker on sperm cells necessary for fertilization, which can offer information on male fertility. PS-Fertility plans to use an at-home collection model, where samples are mailed to the new lab from across the country.
CEO Kevin Combs said in a statement his company planned to launch “in the very near future.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership said it worked with Albemarle County to secure the project for the state. Its Virginia Jobs Investment Program will support PS-Fertility’s hiring efforts by providing consultative services and funding to support recruitment and training.
“Virginia is the birthplace of innovations, and PS-Fertility’s groundbreaking discovery demonstrates the importance of our entrepreneurial ecosystems that lead to new technologies and products, ultimately resulting in new jobs,” Caren Merrick, Virginia’s secretary of commerce and trade, said in a statement.
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