Future fertility: the startups shortening the pathway to parenthood without IVF
Proov, Maven, Plan Your Baby and Béa Fertility are some of the start-ups leading the way
Last week, 90s pop culture icons Nelly and Ashanti announced that they are investing in the future of fertility as co-owners of start-up Proov.
Proov’s focus is on helping people avoid the need for IVF.
It offers at-home diagnostics and affordable treatments and supplements, as well as the ‘Proov Path to Pregnancy’ program launched in February.
Founder Dr Amy Beckley’s story is symbolic of the problem being solved. She suffered miscarriage after miscarriage attempting to conceive and ultimately turned to IVF to have her son. Later, she uncovered the source of her troubles - a problem with ovulation - and was able to successfully conceive using a simple, inexpensive supplement.
And Proov isn’t the only start-up challenging IVF as the go-to fertility option.
Maven doubles down on ‘natural conception’
Last week, Maven announced they are doubling down on support for ‘natural conception’ with enhanced one-on-one coaching, educational resources, and robust support for those trying to conceive.
This shift comes as new figures show that in the US IVF-assisted pregnancies constitute 2.5% of all births in 2022, and the World Health Organisation estimates that 1 in 6 people globally are affected by infertility.
It’s clear we need more accessible and affordable fertility options.
IVF is not only a physically, emotionally, and financially demanding process, but also out of reach for many.
And not everyone needs to jump straight into such an invasive option. There’s evidence of that already from within Maven Fertility & Family Building program, where 30% of members achieve pregnancy without the need for assisted reproductive technology.
"Maven is making sure every family can access the shortest pathway to having a healthy baby," said Maven Clinic CEO and founder Kate Ryder.
"We have constructed a unique model that, for the first time, aligns incentives among the stakeholders in healthcare to support people who are trying to conceive."
Stakeholder incentive is another important point there. Because when there is VC funding in fertility start-ups it can sometimes feel like financial targets might incentivise extended and more expensive treatment options.
The UK’s non-IVF options
Here in the UK, there are also signs of traction for more non-IVF options.
Marika Skujina’s Plan Your Baby helps parents conceive in a holistic way with nutritional, psychological and mental support alongside, or instead of, the clinical and medical options.
And within the NHS, although IVF and IUI are currently the main treatments offered, there is an ongoing small trial for an at-home intracervical insemination (ICI) kit from Béa Fertility within the NHS in London. It’s also available privately for purchase too.
With the current postcode lottery for the NHS these sorts of options might be more affordable for the NHS to provide and also give couples on waiting lists alternatives to try in the meantime. If successful, they may free up NHS IVF for those who are most in need as well as single people and same sex couples where a donor sperm or egg is required.
So, while it’s still essential we optimise IVF and improve success rates, these innovations are a reminder of what the future of fertility is really about: shortening the path to a successful pregnancy and making parenthood accessible to more people in more ways.