Women's health start-up closes £4.2m seed funding round

Hertility Health, a women’s health start-up specialising in hormone and reproductive health, has closed a £4.2 million seed funding round led by LocalGlobe, Venrex, and some key angel investors including former CEO of Bupa, Evelyn Bourke, CEO of Nested and the unicorn company GoCardless, Matt Robinson.

The funds will help Hertility Health expand its current product offering of fertility and hormone testing, menopause, miscarriage, postnatal care, polycyctic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis testing, as well as aid the expansion of its current clinical trials which aim to reduce the diagnosis time for some of the most common reproductive conditions. This cash injection will also work towards establishing Hertility Health as a leading scientific and clinical educational health hub for women in a sector that’s set to be worth $50 billion by 2025.

Hertility Health has already helped over 2,000 women understand their reproductive health and infertility risks, working with leading world experts to provide personalised care pathways that help with all aspects of women’s health, including symptom management, egg freezing and IVF. In recognising the sensitive nature of these results, Hertility Health also offers fertility counselling to those in need. 

Hertility Health CEO and founder, Dr Helen O’Neill: “We live in a society that expects us to tolerate pain and mask our symptoms. Some women spend over ten years on their contraception, never fully knowing if there might be something wrong.”

On average, 1 in 5 Hertility Health users have been found to have a previously undiagnosed reproductive condition which has been revealed as a result of testing with Hertility Health.

Hertility Health user, Emily Champion, said that her Hertilty Health journey was: “A life-changing experience. Quite literally. The fear of infertility is so very real. Why should we women have to fight so hard to get to the truth of our own bodies?! The answer is... we shouldn’t! Hertility Health has not only provided me with reassurance and hope but also have shown their loyalty by continuing my journey on a secondary care pathway. They too believe that our questions shouldn’t be left unanswered. These personable & inspirational individuals are rocking the boat for the health sector and I feel so privileged to have been a part of it. Through a simple blood test, I now know that I am fortunate enough to have a good egg count, not have PCOS and am on the road to diminishing my bloat! Thank you to the best team of experts!”

Julia Hawkins at LocalGlobe, said: “The world class team of experts, scientists and researchers at Hertility Health are what make it a real game-changer in the industry. Together, we’re excited to help Hertility Health become the home for women’s health, building on its incredible success to date and meeting the clear consumer demand for an accessible, affordable, high-quality solution to reproductive health concerns and curiosity.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in demand for remote and accessible help. The current NHS guidelines stipulate women must prove they have been actively trying for over 12 months before being referred for specialist help (requiring them to be heterosexual), or to have had at least three miscarriages before being investigated. For the 1 in 7 couples who will experience infertility, this is simply not good enough. Of course, there is the option to go private, but this can incur costs of up to £1,800 for a check - not exactly ‘accessible’ or ‘affordable’ - which Hertilty offers for a fraction of this cost.

Mark Esiri of Venrex Investment Management, said: “Venrex tries to find creative entrepreneurs who often have ‘differences of opinion’ with the status quo. This has been a common thread at companies we have been lucky enough to back, including Revolut, Charlotte Tilbury, Mumsnet, NotOnTheHighStreet and Maven Clinic. We are very fortunate to be working with the Hertility Health team who are bringing world class technical expertise, a data-driven approach and relentless energy to address deeply important health issues. We believe that these bright and passionate founders can use their expertise to positively change the world.”

Founded by female scientists who felt passionate about the need for change, they built Hertility Health while on their maternity leave, dedicating themselves and their expertise to the mission. Hertility Health was born out of frustration for the lack of research into women’s health and the lack of support available to women who were curious or worried about their reproductive health.