Startup launches corporate benefits for fertility care

Fertably wants to reduce costs and democratize access to procedures such as IVF and egg freezing

Corporate benefits focused on employee health have become common practice in the job market. Some companies already offer access to gyms, dental insurance, health plans, therapy sessions, meditation vouchers, massages, and even brigadeiros. But there are still several segments to explore.

With an eye to this potential, Aleksandra Jarocka of Poland has created Fertably, a business benefits startup that provides fertility care and family planning assistance. The company aims to reduce healthcare costs and democratize access to procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI) and egg freezing.

The company connects employees to a network of human reproductive clinics and offers a team of specialized doctors to support the patient on this journey. The startup takes care of financial administration and benefits, bringing together reimbursement management, registration, engagement and cost reporting in a single platform.

The seed for the business began to be planted when Aleksandra was still working as a health plan contract negotiator at startup Deel, an HR platform focused on global teams. “I have noticed that no plan covers reproductive health and fertility. And, more often than not, these treatments are very expensive anywhere in the world,” says Aleksandra, in an interview with startups. After studying the market in depth, she decided to start in Brazil, where she moved about a year ago after marrying Igor Marinelli, co-founder of Tractian.

expanding market

According to Aleksandra, offering corporate benefits aimed at fertility is something common, even if not mainstream, in large companies abroad. “There is a fertility benefit vertical in the United States, and nearly 20 percent of companies with more than 500 employees offer egg freezing coverage,” she says.

Big tech is leading the way, paying for a portion or 100% of employee fertility treatments. In 2014 the apple and the Facebook launched programs to cover up to $20,000 worth of egg freezing procedures per employee. Last year the Microsoft Brazil expanded health plan coverage to include fertility, cancer treatment and bariatric surgery, as well as gender transition for transgender employees and treatment for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The number of global companies offering some type of family planning benefit increased by 60% from 2019 to 2021, reaching 758 companies, according to the startup FertilityIQ. In Brazil, the market is still quite incipient: only 3% of companies cover IVF or artificial insemination, and only 1% cover egg freezing, according to a 2021 survey conducted by Benefits of Mercer Marsh.

In the world of startups, companies specializing in human reproduction have earned the name of fertility technicians. In 2021, according to PitchBook, they raised over $800 million in global investments. As of April 2022, the number has reached nearly $200 million. In the US, the segment even has unicorns. This is the case of Maven, a fertility and family planning services platform that serves more than 500 customers such as Microsoft and L’Oréaland Kindbody, a network of human reproduction clinics serving employees of companies like Tesla.

transform culture

According to Aleksandra, the big challenge of Fertibly is to educate the Brazilian market on the issue of fertility and corporate benefits in the industry. “Brazilians have major fertility problems,” says the entrepreneur. Marital infertility affects 10 to 15 percent of couples of reproductive age worldwide, and eight million people around here could be infertile, according to 2019 data from the Brazilian Association of Assisted Reproduction published by Agência Brasil.

“Brazil is in the group where women get pregnant later, which affects people’s fertility and health,” adds Aleksandra. Brazilian women prioritize pregnancy after age 30, according to civil registry statistics, released in 2019 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). In addition to supporting couples who do not want to become parents any time soon or who are diagnosed with infertility, access to reproductive health is also important for single people who want to have children or LGBTQIA+ couples.

The demand exists, but it is necessary to connect society with doctors, clinics and technologies. More than impacting people, the Fertibly You have to conquer companies. And, according to Aleksandra, companies still don’t understand the benefits of offering fertility benefits. “It’s hard for them to see that this can reduce costs and retain employees. If someone does safe, quality IVF, health problems for the mother and children can be avoided, and the person can go back to work more easily.” “, she explains.

The company plans to invest heavily in market education and platform development. For this he is structuring an investment round, the first after having raised funds with angel investors. Aleksandra can’t give many details yet, but she says she’s already planning the fundraiser.

For 2023, the startup plans to increase the number of lives served by 20% per month, which today is in the order of 6,000 employees. The expectation is to reach 20,000 users by June and 3 million in the next 5 years. As a scaling strategy, the entrepreneur is betting on the network she has built over the years and is looking for companies that have already shown that they care about the health and well-being of their employees. A Fertibly it also has partnerships with human reproduction clinics, including Get pregnant.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.