kegg: Connected Fertility Tracker & Kegel Trainer Launches

The market for fertility tracking solutions has experienced significant growth recently. Contributing to this trend, femtech startup Lady Technologies is introducing its dual-purpose device, kegg, across the United States. This innovative product is engineered to assess hormonal variations within a woman’s cervical fluid, assisting her in evaluating her potential for conception on any given day.

This egg-shaped device incorporates a gold-plated steel cap and band around its tip, alongside a silicone tail that houses its Bluetooth connectivity for communication with a corresponding mobile application. It also functions as a connected pelvic floor trainer – mirroring a strategy employed by U.K.-based femtech leader Elvie, with the combination of features representing a novel approach.

Kegg utilizes impedance technology to measure electrolyte concentrations in cervical fluid, enabling it to identify the hormonal transition from estrogen to progesterone dominance that occurs during ovulation. This is achieved through a daily test designed to take approximately two minutes. (Additional time would be required if utilizing the optional Kegel exercise functionality.)

“A specific frequency electrical impulse is transmitted from the gold-plated electrodes of the kegg device, and then received by the other electrode (this process is then reversed). By analyzing changes in impedance, we can identify hormonal shifts and provide users with predictions,” explains Kristina Cahojova, CEO and founder. “Because each woman’s fluids are unique, kegg requires recording at least one fertile window to deliver personalized forecasts.”

“We hold several patents covering the fundamental design of kegg and key operational elements,” she further states.

Kegg was initially presented on the TechCrunch Disrupt SF stage in 2018 as part of the startup battlefield competition (although it was not selected as the winner). Now, two years later, it is officially launching out of its beta phase, making the FDA-registered device available to the U.S. market at a price of $275.

The company is also announcing a $1.5 million seed funding round, with participation from investors including Crescent Ridge Partners, SOSV, Texas Halo Fund, Fermata Fund and MegaForce, in addition to several undisclosed angel investors.

In a statement, Samina Hydery, an advisor to kegg and a women’s health investor, commented: “Interest from investors in femtech and fertility solutions has grown considerably in recent years. While I’ve observed a rise in ovulation prediction kits, at-home blood tests, menstrual tracking applications, and temperature monitors, kegg’s unique benefits became apparent after speaking with women attempting to conceive and with medical professionals in the field. The potential for growth across various applications – from natural family planning to monitoring postpartum or perimenopausal health – is particularly exciting.”

“We are proud that nearly half of our investors are women,” notes Cahojova, whose personal experience with irregular menstrual cycles inspired the creation of kegg.

“I didn’t want to rely on hormonal treatments. When I consulted with fertility specialists, they were primarily interested in my cervical fluid patterns. This is because the fertile window is defined by the presence of fertile cervical fluid, and a positive LH [luteinizing hormone] test, while helpful, doesn’t provide the information needed to regulate cycles. That’s why fertility doctors emphasize tracking cervical fluid, and why many women are advised to do so manually,” she clarifies.

“How can someone objectively track something so important and personal without technological assistance? I felt frustrated and disappointed that every company I contacted lacked a solution or was unwilling to develop one due to concerns about it ‘requiring insertion into the vagina.’ Therefore, I decided to create a product to help myself and other women.”

According to Cahojova, kegg has resonated with U.S. women of reproductive age who are actively trying to conceive, with the startup having cultivated a community of 2,000 fertility-tracking women during the beta testing period.

“Our typical user is a woman within her reproductive years,” she states. “These users are generally in committed relationships or married and have likely been trying to conceive for over three months. Half are attempting to have their first child, while the other half are already mothers.”

“Our customers often have experience with BBT (basal body temperature charting) or LH tests (ovulation tests) and are generally interested in a holistic approach to fertility and wellness, rather than medication. They also appreciate the convenience of kegg compared to methods that require overnight wear or more frequent use.”

“Each woman’s body and cycle are unique,” she adds. “Unlike standard ovulation trackers, kegg helps women understand their fertile window and cyclical fertility, allowing them to monitor their individual patterns. It typically takes women up to six months to learn to interpret cervical fluid patterns. Our customers report that kegg provides them with confidence and a sense of empowerment. Many kegg users have become pregnant after years of trying, thanks to the insights kegg provided beyond simple ovulation detection. Nothing is more rewarding than receiving feedback from customers whose lives have been positively impacted by my work and kegg.” (The company reports that “several” women have achieved successful pregnancies using kegg since the beta launch in 2018.)

The company is also planning international expansion, including to Asia, supported by its investor Fermata, which focuses on the Japanese market. Plans include launching kegg in Singapore in late October, followed by Japan and Canada next year.

While kegg’s primary function is fertility tracking (with a secondary feature as a connected pelvic floor trainer), Cahojova is enthusiastic about the potential for broader applications in women’s health as they gather and analyze more data.

Impedance readings from kegg users are uploaded to the startup’s cloud for analysis, enabling its algorithms to generate personalized fertility predictions. The company’s website also states that it utilizes “anonymized/pseudonymized” data for research into women’s health. (Cahojova emphasizes that users’ personal data is never shared externally. “Any data we provide to researchers is completely anonymized,” she assures.)

When asked about the areas of research she hopes kegg will contribute to, she explains: “Researchers have observed that health conditions can affect typical electrolyte cycles. In numerous internal studies, we’ve seen readings that were ‘atypical’ for individual users, and in many cases, these were linked to underlying health issues, such as infections. Our future goal is to determine how kegg can assist in monitoring overall cervical health.”

Cahojova also notes that the device is being used by fertility instructors and doctors to monitor their patients. “The advantage of kegg is that its user-friendly and modern design encourages women to use it, allowing us to collect data on vaginal fluid changes on a large scale. We also hope that kegg data will help doctors finally answer a critical question – how can they improve the quality of cervical fluid.”

“We are committed to supporting scientific research and are open to collaborations,” she adds. “We provided kegg for an independent, peer-reviewed clinical study conducted by Dr. Gabriela López Armas, MD, PhD, to evaluate kegg and other fertility trackers. All participants completed the study protocols in the summer of 2020, and the findings are expected to be published independently in the near future.”

Currently, kegg’s business model centers on direct hardware sales, but Cahojova indicates that the startup is considering subscription packages in the future. “We aim to offer more value to our users, such as connecting them with specialists for cycle reviews or providing access to additional data layers. Once these enhanced services are available, we will explore transitioning to a subscription model,” she concludes.