The pursuit of parenthood has witnessed remarkable transformations in recent years. The global fertility treatment market, valued at $45 billion, is poised to nearly double its worth by 2027, reflecting the increasing prevalence of infertility and the growing reliance on assisted reproduction methods by aspiring parents.
In 1978, the birth of the world’s first in vitro fertilisation (IVF) baby marked a groundbreaking moment in the history of reproductive science. Since then, over 8 million individuals have come into this world through IVF. While IVF success rates have steadily improved over the years, the reality remains that only around one-third of patients experience the joy of a successful live birth.
Today, advancements in technology provide a path to demystify one’s fertility potential much earlier in the family planning journey. At-home fertility tests have emerged as a remarkable means of gaining insight into the factors that influence one’s ability to conceive. These tests offer invaluable information about hormonal profiles affecting fertility, sperm health, and ovulation.
Boosting this shift, venture capital investments surge into femtech startups, aiming to make fertility solutions more accessible. Companies like Levy Health, Kindbody, and Apryl, among others, have successfully attracted funding, paving the way for greater innovation in the field.
In this comprehensive exploration, we embark on a journey to uncover the top 10 pioneering startups in Europe that are revolutionising the fertility check landscape through the development of at-home kits. These startups are at the forefront of a new era in reproductive health.
Béa Fertility (UK)
Founder/s: David O’Rourke, Tess Cosad, George Thomas
Founded year: 2020
Total funding: $4.2M
London-headquartered fertility tech startup, Béa Fertility makes clinical-grade fertility care available at home. Its aim is to take the pain, confusion, and cost out of fertility care, and build accessible, affordable at-home treatments that work for everyone based on a monthly subscription. The company revolutionises an effective fertility treatment called Intracervical Insemination (ICI). It is a proven, clinical-grade fertility treatment that can help people conceive.
A few months back, the London startup netted £2.5 million led by Octopus Ventures alongside JamJar and Forward Partners with additional participation from existing investors Calm/Storm and Q Ventures. The company released its first groundbreaking at-home Béa Treatment Kits to early adopters in the UK with the funds.
Ava (Switzerland)
Founder/s: Lea von Bidder, Pascal Koenig, Peter Stein, Philipp Tholen
Founded year: 2014
Total funding: $45.3M
Zurich-based Ava, a femtech startup makes a fertility monitoring bracelet. Worn during sleep, the Ava bracelet collects data to determine a woman’s most fertile days. While users sleep, Ava collects data on nine physiological indicators that are impacted by levels of the hormones estradiol and progesterone. Last year, FemTec Health, a Texan health and beauty company, acquired Ava, which makes the first FDA-cleared fertility tracking wearable.
Hertility Health (UK)
Founder/s: Deirdre O’Neill, Dr Helen O’Neill, Dr Natalie Getreu
Founded year: 2019
Total funding: $15M
Yet another femtech startup is Hertility Health, which is built by women, for women. It is shaping the future of reproductive healthcare by pioneering unique diagnostic testing. Its tech provides data-driven and advanced insights into reproductive health, fertility decline, and the onset of menopause. What’s more, it provides expert advice, education, and access to care, all from the comfort of users’ homes.
Back in 2021, Hertility Health closed a £4.2 million seed funding round. It was led by LocalGlobe, Venrex, and some key angel investors.
Gaia (UK)
Founder/s: Nader AlSalim
Founded year: 2019
Total funding: $23M
Working with the mission of enabling more people to become parents, Gaia introduced an IVF insurance product that is underpinned by clinically validated datasets in combination with machine learning techniques. It is used to predict how many rounds of IVF might be needed. Gaia takes the risk effectively out of the whole process of IVF fertility treatment, using personalised insurance and payment plans.
Last year, Gaia closed a $20 million Series A funding round led by London’s Atomico. It was joined by Kindred Capital, Seedcamp, and Clocktower Technology Ventures.
Vitrolife (Sweden)
CEO: Bronwyn Brophy
Founded year: 1994
Total funding: $330k
Sweden-headquartered Vitrolife, a provider of medical devices and genetic testing services, is dedicated to IVF. It aims to deliver products and services for the entire fertility journey. Vitrolife intends to be the preferred partner to fertility clinics by providing superior products and services. The company also develops various media that enable researchers and cell therapy companies to use cells for therapeutic purposes.
In 2021, Vitrolife acquired Igenomix, a leader in reproductive genetic testing services primarily for IVF clinics. Currently, its products and services are available in over 110 countries.
Flo (UK)
Founder/s: Dmitry Gurski, Andrew Kovzel
Founded year: 2016
Total funding: $76.4M
Flo is one of the world’s renowned one-stop health apps for women during their entire reproductive life cycle, from first periods to menopause, from pregnancy to young moms. Flo aims to reshape the industry by democratising access to trusted and relevant health information from a secure community of experts. It uses AI to deliver the most personalised cycle predictions available for each individual.
Back in 2021, Flo, which is the brainchild of Belarusian co-founders secured a $50 million Series B funding round from Target Global and VNV Global.
Parla (UK)
Founder/s: Lina Chan, Rhona Eskander, Rose Acton, Tyler Christie
Founded year: 2018
Total funding: $330k
Parla (formerly Adia Health) works with the mission to revolutionises women’s reproductive health, by making support easily accessible, personal, and proactive. Its digital product enables women to buy at-home fertility blood tests, perform them in their homes, and access educational information and expert support on their journey.
Apricity (UK)
Founder/s: Caroline Noublanche
Founded year: 2019
Total funding: $25.3M
Being the world’s first virtual fertility clinic, Apricity disrupts the fertility treatment experience and improves chances for women and couples who have difficulties conceiving using data and AI. The service assists with every fertility treatment journey and provides continuous, personalised support through its app. It has developed the first-of-its-kind AI algorithms that identify the most suitable fertility treatment for patients and determine the best embryo for selection through 3D reconstruction.
In 2022, Apricity raised €17 million in a Series B round led by MTIP with participation from Barcelona-based specialist consumer fund Iris Ventures. The funds were used to accelerate its growth in the UK, expand to Spain, Germany, and Italy, and further develop its technology.
Clue (Germany)
Founder/s: Hans Raffauf, Ida Tin, Mike Lavigne, Moritz von Buttlar
Founded year: 2013
Total funding: $64.3M
Berlin-based femtech companion Clue helps women better understand their menstrual cycle patterns and learn about their reproductive health. It supports, educates, and empowers people with personalised health insights to support them from their first period to their last. While it offers basic period tracking features for free, the premium subscription called Clue Plus offers subscribers additional evidence-based features and advanced insights. Subscribers can access modes like Clue Conceive, a CE-marked Clue feature to accompany users on their conception journey.
Earlier this year, Clue set a new record for female investor participation in a crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube. The campaign surpassed its target of €1 million ahead of schedule. This follows the €7 million funding round led by Balderton Capital and Union Square Ventures used to scale its innovative digital family planning offering and expand the product portfolio.
Woom Fertility (Spain)
Founder/s: Clelia Morales, Laurence Fontinoy
Founded year: 2015
Total funding: $4.5M
Woom Fertility, which started at Google for Startups in Madrid with the help and mentoring of accelerator programmes SeedRocket, Google Campus Residency, and TheVentureCity. The company helps women understand themselves better via the application which offers a personalised experience. The goal is to help women to conceive as soon as possible or make the decision to consult a fertility specialist quickly if necessary.
After raising €2 million in 2020 from BrightCap Ventures and Begin Capital, Woom Fertility was acquired by Apricity in 2022.
