Innovation Victoria CEO, Rod BristowGonGlobal is a great example of how the right support at the right time can help a groundbreaking idea become not just a globally competitive business, but one that has substantial positive impact. It’s also a great example of a startup that received early support from both Breakthrough Victoria and LaunchVic – now Innovation Victoria. ”
Investment Update: GonGlobal is developing IVF without the needles
A Victorian biotechnology company developing an inhaled alternative to IVF treatment has secured a $1 million investment from RMIT University and Innovation Victoria.
Co-Founder and CEO, Ellen Gonda
GonGlobal
Innovation Victoria and RMIT University will each invest $500,000 in GonGlobal through the University Innovation Platform (UIP), accelerating the development of Ovulair™, a potential breakthrough in IVF treatment delivery.
The funding will help advance an inhaled drug delivery system designed to replace repeated IVF injections with a simpler, less invasive alternative. It is also the first investment made under Innovation Victoria since the organisation was established on July 1.
About GonGlobal
GonGlobal is a Victorian biotechnology company co-founded by father and daughter team, Ellen Gonda and Dr Igor Gonda.
The company's flagship technology, Ovulair™, was inspired by Ellen's own experience undergoing five rounds of IVF and the physical and emotional toll that journey can take. Together with researchers at RMIT University led by Distinguished Professor Leslie Yeo, the team is developing an inhaled alternative to IVF injections that could make fertility treatment easier, less invasive, more precise and more accessible for patients.
It's a compelling example of what can happen when founder ambition is combined with world-class Victorian research.
GonGlobal's North Star
To radically improve the IVF patient experience
For Ellen, GonGlobal didn't start with a business plan. It started with a personal experience and a determination to make things better for other patients.
After years navigating IVF treatment, she knew firsthand the physical, emotional and practical challenges many patients face. That experience became the catalyst for building a company focused on improving one of the most important journeys in people's lives. Igor’s non-invasive drug delivery expertise meant this idea could be explored as a reality.
Today, GonGlobal's north star is simple: to radically improve the IVF patient experience.
The company is developing formulations and technology that aims to make treatment less painful, less invasive and easier to manage. But the bigger ambition is helping more people access fertility treatment with greater confidence, dignity and hope and, most importantly, to improve the probability of live birth cycle.
Timeline
An Idea Born from Experience
After experiencing five rounds of IVF, Ellen asked her father—a non-invasive drug delivery specialist—a simple question: could there be a better way for patients to receive fertility treatments?
Founder Support (2024)
The idea first gained momentum through JumpStart Studio's Press Play Program, a LaunchVic (now Innovation Victoria) funded pre-accelerator supporting women founders. The program helped transform a personal challenge into a venture with the potential to improve the lives of millions of people.
JumpStart Studio (Innovation Victoria-funded)
Early Investment (2025)
As the company continued to grow, GonGlobal secured investment from the Alice Anderson Fund, helping close its pre-seed round and advance product development.
Innovation Victoria’s Alice Anderson Fund
Research Commercialisation (2026)
Building on that early support, Innovation Victoria and RMIT University are now jointly investing $1m through the UIP, helping accelerate a technology that combines entrepreneurial drive with university research capability. GonGlobal becomes the first company invested in under the Innovation Victoria entity, connecting the founder journey from early-stage support through to research commercialisation and investment.
University Innovation Platform
Victorian Impact
GonGlobal is more than a promising biotechnology company. It is a proof point for why Innovation Victoria exists.
The company's journey spans the full innovation pathway:
Founder support through a LaunchVic-funded program.
Early investment through the Alice Anderson Fund.
Collaboration with researchers at RMIT University.
Commercialisation funding through the University Innovation Platform.
At every stage, a different part of Victoria's innovation ecosystem helped move the idea forward.
The result is a Victorian company developing technology with the potential to improve IVF treatment globally while creating jobs, attracting investment and strengthening Victoria's position as a leader in health innovation.
GonGlobal shows that Victoria already has the ideas, the talent and the research capability. The opportunity is to connect those strengths more effectively so more great ideas become successful companies.
That's exactly what Innovation Victoria was created to do.
What they’re saying about it
GonGlobal Co-Founder and CEO, Ellen GondaI know firsthand for patients experiencing infertility and navigating IVF that the physical, emotional, logistical and financial tolls can be overwhelming. Our mission is simple – to radically improve the IVF patient experience and success rates by making treatments less painful, more precise and far more joyful. ”
Minister for Economic Development, Anthony CarbinesThis innovation shows what Victoria can do – taking world-class research and turning it into a global breakthrough that can change lives. We're backing Victoria's brightest innovators to scale faster, attract global investment and prove that the world's best ideas come from right here in Melbourne. ”
RMIT University Distinguished Professor, Leslie YeoIVF has changed millions of lives, but the treatment itself can be incredibly demanding. We're excited to work with GonGlobal to develop technology that could replace injections with inhaled medicines and make IVF significantly easier for patients. By combining RMIT's engineering expertise with GonGlobal's knowledge of fertility treatment, we're developing a solution that has the potential to change the IVF experience around the world. ”
RMIT University Deputy VC Research and Innovation, Distinguished Professor Calum DrummondTransformative research doesn’t happen in isolation - it happens when universities, industry and government bring their complementary strengths together. This partnership with GonGlobal, backed by Innovation Victoria, is a powerful example of how we can move breakthrough technologies out of the lab & into the clinic, where they have the potential to deliver significant benefits for patients and strengthen Victoria’s medical innovation ecosystem. ”