Jody Serrano
Editor in chiefEditor in Chief at Xataka On. Before joining Webedia, I was a tech reporter at Gizmodo and The Messenger. While I've covered all sorts of things related to technology, I'm specialized in writing about social media, Internet culture, Twitch, and streamers.
The world’s first sperm race will take place before a live audience of more than 1,000 in Los Angeles next week. Ironically, even though thousands of spectators are expected for the match-up, they won’t be able to actually see the participants without a microscope.
The world’s first sperm race. It’s just what it sounds like: a race between sperm. Over on its website, Sperm Racing—the name of the startup organizing the sperm races—explains that it’s built a special microscopic racetrack to face off two sperm samples.
What makes the racetrack unique is that it mimics the reproductive system, copying “chemical symbols, fluid dynamics, [and] synchronized starts."
Importantly, you won’t be able to actually see the sperm in the race without a microscope, since they’re really small. Not to worry, though Sperm Racing says it’ll be tracking each sperm’s movement with high-resolution cameras to track their microscopic moves.
The winner of the race will be the first sperm to cross the finish line.
A rough draft of the Sperm Racing racetrack, I assume.
A spectacle. Of course, it wouldn’t exactly be a noteworthy event if there wasn’t some spectacle, and that’s exactly what the startup promises to offer.
“We're turning it into a spectacle. Think press conferences. Weigh-ins. Live-streamed races with play-by-play commentary,” Eric Zhu, one of the startup’s founders, writes in its manifesto. “[A]nd, of course, betting.”
The hype will be experienced in person, too. The startup says that the world’s first sperm race will be held in front of a live audience at the Hollywood Palladium on April 25. More than 1,000 seats are available and the event is expected to sell out, though whether it actually does is still up in the air.
A $1 million investment. If you thought this was a huge joke, you’re not alone. I also thought the founders of Sperm Racing were just out to troll us all.
However, according to Traded, an outlet that publishes news about venture capital and other investments, the startup recently raised $1 million for its sperm race. The round was led by Karatage with participation from Figment Capital and Karman.
A matter of health. While Sperm Racing does place a lot of emphasis on the race itself, the startup says the project is about something much bigger: male fertility.
In its company's manifesto, Zhu cites that male fertility is declining, adding that “nobody’s really talking about it.” He's not wrong about the declining part. A 2022 study found that human sperm count had fallen by more than 50% around the world over the last 50 years, sparking controversy and alarm among male fertility experts.
“I think one of the fundamental functions of any species is reproduction. So, I think if there is a signal that reproduction is in decline, I think that’s a very important finding,” Dr. Michael Eisenberg, a urologist and professor at Stanford who was not involved in the study, told CNN at the time.
Not all experts were convinced by the study, though. They explained that it’s not possible to compare data over time because the methods of counting sperm have changed.
What do sperm races have to do with health? According to Sperm Racing, the gimmicky event could get people to care about their sperm and work on improving its motility, or how fast the sperm moves. Motility is just one of various factors important in male fertility. Others include sperm count and sperm morphology.
Low sperm motility can have many causes, some of which are easy to change. For instance, one of the most common causes is lifestyle, according to Cryos International, a sperm bank. Factors such as smoking, an unhealthy diet, stress, and alcohol can affect sperm motility negatively. However, changes to diet and exercise can increase sperm motility.
Those changes are exactly what Sperm Racing wants to encourage.
“Sperm racing isn't just about racing sperm (although, let's be honest, that's hilarious),” Zhu wrote. “It's about turning health into a competition. It's about making male fertility something people actually want to talk about, track, and improve.”
Bottom line. One of the best ways to get people to care about something is to turn it into a competition. So, who knows, Sperm Racing might actually be onto something. Considering that they’ve got Garrett Niconienko, an ex-member of the MrBeast team, on board, there’s definitely potential for it to be highly entertaining.
First, though, we’ll have to see if it pans out.
Images | Grok (edited)
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