Fertifa, named after its mission of providing “Fertility For All”, today announces it has secured £1 million in financing from venture capital firm, Passion Capital, and strategic angel investors to reinforce its leadership position as the UK’s leading reproductive healthcare and fertility benefits provider. The Company already collaborates with market-leading partners bringing its services to more than 700,000 UK employees.
The new round of funding will accelerate Fertifa’s growth in the UK and Europe while enhancing the Company’s tech-enabled platform – a digital portal for patients to access innovative, telehealth solutions designed to offer holistic, patient-centric care.
The global fertility services market is expected to rise from its initial estimated value of $20 million in 2018 to an estimated value of $41 million by 20261. Employer funded fertility treatment is increasingly commonplace in the US while the UK is lagging behind, Fertifa provides a timely solution.
“Today marks the beginning of National Fertility Awareness week – an opportune moment to reflect on the impact that fertility challenges are having on people worldwide,” comments Tony Chen, Founder and CEO of Fertifa. “Fertility challenges affect one in six couples in the UK. That’s 3.5 million people2. Furthermore, one in four women experience a miscarriage3, every LGBT+ employees requires support to become a parent and women are increasingly empowered to take control of the reproductive health through fertility preservation treatment.”
2020 has been a challenging year, and the pandemic has exacerbated an already stressful situation for the thousands of employees across the UK that are undergoing fertility treatment.
The latest ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) study shows that the virus has had a negative impact on fertility treatment for the majority (92%) of patients, specifically because of treatment delays, where 81.6% of tests or treatments were postponed4. Four in five participants felt uncertainty over their treatments and the unknown impacts of the pandemic, such as on pregnancy outcomes and gynaecology services.
“The issue of fertility health is sadly neglected in the workplace in the UK – despite the fact that, in general, people say that having children is the most important decision of their lives. Improving the nation’s knowledge of fertility and reproductive health is essential, and Fertifa and Fertility Network UK provide some great tools to enable this in the workplace,” added Gwenda Burns, Chief Executive of Fertility Network UK
Employee wellbeing has risen to the top of the corporate agenda – and no existing health benefit suitably covers fertility and reproductive health. Given the impact on every pillar of wellbeing (financial, mental and physical), a comprehensive fertility benefit really is the missing piece of the employee health and wellbeing puzzle. Fertifa exists to break down the taboo, providing a holistic corporate solution to fill this gap in.
As a digital, next-generation fertility clinic, Fertifa’s mission is to provide accessible and affordable treatment that focuses on quality patient-centric care, clinical excellence and maximising clinical pregnancy rates.
Through working closely with clinics across the UK, the Company is able to provide direct care and support to employees – rather than simply being a broker or part of the referral system. For companies, Fertifa provides education, empowerment and the opportunity for employers to fund fertility treatment – such as IVF or egg freezing – for their employees. Every aspect of the benefits package maximises employee wellbeing and provides family-friendly support.
Employees have access to a suite of tech-enabled, digital health solutions. Through Fertifa, employees get a dedicated fertility advisor that they can message at any time, video consultations, at-home hormone and sperm testing kits, and drug delivery solutions. Over time, Fertifa’s in-house medical experts also continue to develop the utilisation of Artificial Intelligence to make seamless and relevant clinical decisions – all designed to reduce clinic visits, enhance the patient experience and encourage better clinical pregnancy rates.
“Even before the pandemic, employers of all sizes have been seeking flexible and focused wellbeing solutions responsive to their business needs. Fertifa’s benefits programme is an ideal platform and solution that meets this,” said Eileen Burbidge, Partner at Passion Capital, who has been public about her own personal experiences with IVF and reproductive health. She and Passion Capital Partner Malin Posern both join the company board in support of the company and its ambitions. Together they continued, “We’re thrilled to support the Fertifa team as it further develops its telehealth proposition and continues to provide a benefit that allows any employee access to affordable and accessible fertility care.”
About Fertifa
Fertifa is the UK’s leading fertility benefits provider for employers, offering solutions designed to improve employee wellbeing and corporate social responsibility whilst breaking the fertility taboo. Through innovative, patient-centric benefits, the Company offers solutions to improve productivity, employee retention and meet the needs of various working groups – such as Women at Work and LGBT+ employees.
Fertifa provides quality, patient-centric care, excellent success rates and mentorship throughout every fertility journey – all delivered through a digital platform designed to reduce stress and maximise support.
