Many are concerned about global falling birthrates. This diverse stock has solutions

Many are concerned about global falling birthrates. This diverse stock has solutions

Jonathon Davidson

The Market Online, Australia

Outside of U.S. politics, there is one issue that’s been popping up more and more across social media and other forums of commentary in 2025 – declining global birthrates.

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In fact, the United Nations this month published the latest iteration of its yearly State of the World Population report for 2025. While it focused mainly on India, the report confirmed many well-established truths.

It was only a year ago that The Lancet, a globally respected peak health journal,published a landmark study that found 155 countries on the planet, by 2050, won’t have high enough fertility rates to sustain population size over time.

Scientists have been calling for action on this front for decades, now – take a look at this study from 2009 to understand how little the conversation has changed. And still, fertility rates continue to fall.

The reasons why global birth rates are declining are messy, interconnected, and eclectic to say the least.

But we do know there’s at least one large factor at play: A global decline in male fertility.

Declining male fertility

Science tells us that over the last 50 years, male sperm counts have halved.

Actually consider that statement – men have lost 50% of their spermatozoa in the last 50 years. We haven’t seen anything like it in history. The reasons why are, once again, messy, often culturally charged, and too expansive for this article.

The big takeaway is if these current trends for male sperm count continue, it doesn’t take a Doctorate’s degree to figure out the future of humanity is facing some issues.

It’s also basic maths.

If it takes a man and a woman to make a child, which it does, then it’s obvious declining global fertility is set to see more downward pressure if sperm counts continue to drop in tandem.

But there’s one company on the ASX that could play a part in a global comeback story.

Enter Memphasys Ltd (ASX:MEM)

Here, then, one can’t afford to miss perusing what ASX-listed fertility tech healthcare smallcap Memphasys Ltd (ASX:MEM) can offer the world.

Memphasys are, in a sentence, working to improve medical science to allow for the better collection of viable, high-quality spermatozoa from men whose fertility issues require in-vitro fertilisation (IVF)therapy.

(That’s the same technology behind the awfully outdated phrase “test tube baby.&CloseCurlyDoubleQuote

HotCopper has before covered Memphasys Ltd’s unique offering to ASX investors, particularly with a focus on its Felix technology, which in 2023 was used successfully in India for the first time to conceive a pregnancy.

In late 2024, the company also shipped a Felix unit to Dubai, and earlier this year, it was confirmed as a best-in-class IVF solution.

So, how does it work?

Without getting too bogged down in the jargon of separation, the tech system ultimately separates sperm from semen. Individual sperm are the agents of reproduction, while semen is the liquid in which they are delivered – but in cases of poor male fertility, securing sufficient numbers of high-quality spermatozoa to achieve a viable pregnancy can be a challenge – and that’s where Felix comes in.

“Felix is involved in the treatment of infertility more than the diagnosis of infertility,” Memphasys Scientific Director Prof. John Aitken told HotCopper.

“So what happens with many infertile males is that their sperm suffer from structural defects … they often have high levels of DNA damage. What the field needs is a better method … so what Felix is, is a novel patented way of isolating sperm cells very rapidly that are free from those structural and genetic defects.”

“Since IVF was invented, we’ve always used the same technique to isolate sperm cells [in a way that puts] stresses on the cells … with Felix, we don’t do that, we isolate the cells directly from semen.”

This, according to Aitken, has shown the company multiple times that its Felix system leads to a high chance of collected sperm fertilising eggs.

But it isn’t just Felix anymore. The company has a new tech it’s bringing to market: The novel RoXsta system.

Say hello to RoXsta, diversifying value

While we’ve focused on human fertility for this article, with best-in-class status now confirmed for its Felix tech, the company’s new RoXsta product addresses fertility in both man and animals.

The big takeaway for investors is Memphasys has proven it can successfully deliver a product for boosting human fertility.

And with that feather added, why not expand?

In short, the company has pivoted into offering an agritech innovation with RoXsta – a novel device that is capable of offering in-field assessments of oxidative stress – a condition that affects fertility in all species from shellfish to show ponies, from African lions to Angus bulls.

Despite appearing on the surface to be a far-left pivot, upon closer inspection, the company’s expansion into this field doesn’t really come as a surprise.

Now spearheading a study with 120 bulls bankrolled by a global veterinary technology provider, the company is looking at oxidative stress in the body – a phenomenon closely linked in animal studies to lower fertility outcomes.

With the Felix’s sperm separation system for humans and animals not likely to become irrelevant anytime soon, and with the company now expanding into a brave new world, it’s worth giving the stock the time it takes to make up your own mind.

Disclaimer: HotCopper had a commercial relationship with Memphasys at the time this article was crafted and published.

The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. Viewers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a certified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. For full disclaimer information, please clickhere.

Jonathon Davidson

The Market Online, Australia

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