Fertifa, a U.K.-based company, has secured £1 million (approximately $1.3 million) in seed funding to enhance its workplace fertility benefits platform. This investment round includes participation from Passion Capital and several undisclosed strategic angel investors.

Established in August 2019, the startup provides customized reproductive health and fertility programs to U.K. businesses for inclusion in their employee benefits packages. These programs leverage technologies such as telehealth to broaden access to fertility assistance and address the increasing need for reproductive healthcare services.

According to the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS), approximately one in seven couples may experience difficulties with conception.

In recent years, fertility-focused startups have attracted growing interest from investors as venture capital firms recognize the expanding market. Employers, particularly within the technology sector, have begun offering fertility benefits to their employees. However, access to these services can be particularly challenging in the U.S. due to the significant costs associated with treatments like IVF.

The situation in the U.K. differs somewhat, as the NHS provides funding for certain fertility treatments, potentially making IVF accessible at no cost to eligible couples. The extent of support available can vary depending on the region, with some NHS trusts offering more IVF cycles than others. Access may also be limited by factors like a woman’s age and the duration of attempts to conceive.

This can result in U.K. couples exhausting their free NHS fertility support before achieving a pregnancy, leading them to consider private treatment options. Fertifa identified this gap in the market and developed a workplace benefits model centered around reproductive health services.

The company onboarded its first corporate clients during the spring and summer and currently serves a portfolio of businesses ranging in employee size from a few hundred to over 10,000. While the specific number of clients is not disclosed, Fertifa states its services are available to approximately 700,000 U.K. employees.

“Our goal at Fertifa is to significantly improve access to fertility services for individuals,” explains founder and CEO Tony Chen. “While the NHS offers some fertility support, eligibility criteria, requirements, and available resources differ across NHS trusts, often creating a “postcode lottery” for patients.”

“We firmly believe that everyone deserves straightforward access to information, resources, education, and services related to fertility—and collaborating with workplaces is a crucial step in achieving this. We aim to normalize conversations about fertility in the workplace, mirroring the open discussion and provision of other health-related benefits.”

Eileen Burbidge, a partner at Passion Capital, will be joining Fertifa’s board alongside Malin Posern from Passion. Burbidge has publicly shared her personal experience with IVF and maintains a strong interest in the fertility sector.

“Despite improvements in success rates and increased patient interest in IVF, NHS funding has been declining in recent years, leading to a decrease in the number of patients utilizing the NHS for their initial cycle,” she stated to TechCrunch.

“This does not diminish the value of the NHS in the U.K., but it highlights the potential for further improvements in accessibility and affordability, particularly given the increasing demand on both NHS and private services coupled with reduced funding.”

Fertifa’s approach focuses on providing direct care and support to employees, rather than functioning as a broker or referral service. The company currently employs two in-house clinicians within a team of 10-15 individuals, while also collaborating with clinicians and clinics throughout the U.K. It does not exclusively rely on in-house resources.

The company offers a comprehensive suite of fertility and gynaecological services, including assisted reproductive technologies like IVF and IUI, fertility preservation options such as egg, sperm, and embryo freezing, and support for donor-assisted and third-party reproduction, including donor eggs, sperm, surrogacy, and adoption.

Its team of doctors, nurses, and “fertility advocates” provide personalized care to patients throughout their fertility journey.

“We utilize technology in various ways and are committed to leveraging it to maintain a competitive edge and deliver an exceptional customer experience,” says Chen, highlighting the development of “a complete end-to-end” app to guide patients through each stage of their fertility process.

“We also provide employers with a dedicated portal containing educational resources, support options, and access to services for HR/People teams to share with their workforce. Furthermore, we employ telehealth to facilitate more efficient, convenient, and immediate consultations with clinicians and nurses, particularly in light of COVID-19 restrictions. We are also refining our machine learning algorithms to support more informed decision-making for both patients and clinicians.”

While currently not implementing AI, Fertifa plans to integrate artificial intelligence into its in-house medical experts’ workflows to aid in decision-making, with the goal of reducing clinic visits, improving the patient experience, and increasing clinical pregnancy rates.

Chen notes that the U.K.’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has made data from over 100,000 couples and their treatment outcomes publicly available, which will serve as a foundation for developing new predictive models for fertility.

“With additional data and insights, we could more accurately predict a patient’s probability of success or identify the most appropriate treatment plan,” he adds.

Currently focused on expansion within the U.K., targeting businesses of all sizes, Fertifa also envisions scaling its operations internationally in the future. However, it anticipates increased competition in the global market, with companies like Y Combinator-backed Carrot already offering global fertility benefits packages.

“Fertility and reproductive health are vital concerns for people worldwide,” says Chen. “Globally, one in four women experience a miscarriage, every LGBT+ individual requires support to become a parent, and everyone should be empowered to take control of their reproductive health through fertility preservation treatments.”