Why we invested in Béa Fertility
We met Tess and David in the autumn of 2020.
Tess is a marketing pro, having run her own agency for years, while David is a senior clinical embryologist. He has worked for some of the UK’s leading fertility clinics and pharmaceutical companies, including Merck Group.
The two of them are on a mission to democratise fertility treatments across Europe and the United States. They realised there’s a significant gap in the market for couples at the beginning of their “trying to conceive” (TTC) journey. While women face an abundance of choices for different cycle trackers or digital companions to help boost the chances of conceiving, actual treatment options remain limited.
How the fertility market looks today
Typically, fertility clinics offer either Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) or In-Vitro-Fertilization (IVF). These treatments are expensive. IVF prices, for example, can reach up to £10 ,000 per round. And while IVF offers the highest efficacy, it is also stressful and invasive; patients have to undergo months of hormonal treatments and in-clinic procedures.
There is not enough clinical capacity to meet demand. Most private fertility clinics in London now have long patient waitlists and treatment backlogs in the wake of Covid-19 lockdowns. Public health care systems fare worse — those lucky enough to be eligible for fertility treatment in the NHS will often wait 18 months to receive it.
Because of these barriers, it can take years before many women and men seek medical advice around fertility issues. At the same time, pre-clinical treatment options (options designed for home use) are unregulated, unproven or even dangerous.
The solution
This is where Béa Fertility comes in. Béa has developed a medical device to bring safe and effective fertility treatments to people’s homes. It relies on Intracervical Insemination (ICI), a proven technology prevalent in the 1970s but abandoned by fertility clinics that favour the more profitable IUI and IVF treatments.
The treatment works by placing a small cervical cup containing sperm next to the cervix. Women can wear the cup for several hours while going about their daily routine.
Sperm concentration is 3x higher in the cervix as compared with regular intercourse, and the prolonged period of time it stays there further increases the likelihood of conception.
Once Béa receives regulatory approval (CE mark and FDA approval), customers will be able to order the ICI device online and get it shipped to their doorstep. The treatment can then be easily administered in the privacy and comfort of their own home, at prices much lower than in-clinic alternatives.
In cases where this method is not successful, individuals will be referred to a suitable partner clinic.
Our Thesis
We have built our thesis on a unique product based on proven technology. Tess and David are the perfect fit to target the large and dynamic fertility market that is experiencing an ongoing trend of consumerisation.
We share the founders’ vision of building a “virtual fertility clinic” where patients are met early in their journey and treated like customers — not invalids — along a continuum of virtual and at-home care.
We believe Béa Fertility is uniquely positioned to achieve this vision. They will connect with users very early on in their fertility journey and build the trusted relationships needed to grow their business and brand.
