Parla is Revolutionizing How Women Talk About Fertility
Parla is a digital health platform putting data and knowledge back in women’s hands so they can be an informed agent in managing their own bodies proactively and aligning them with their life goals. Parla supports women in 3 main ways:
- It empowers women with knowledge about their bodies through at home tests, predictive data reports and health quizzes
- It makes women feel supported by connecting them with a community of engaged experts and other women in similar reproductive life journeys
- It nurtures women’s minds and emotional well being through audio health guides and mindfulness content
PBW: How did Parla determine a product market fit?
Lina Chan: We worked closely with our first 1,000 users doing regular check-ins and feedback and product iteration to make sure we knew what was working, what needed to be changed and what women most valued on our platform.
PBW: What is Parla’s mission?
Lina Chan: We want to revolutionize how women approach their reproductive health to being proactive, informed and empowering.
PBW: How does the app work?
Lina Chan: Women create an account with us online or by downloading the app. They fill out a quick quiz that helps us create their personalised health profile
They then have immediate access to a library of educational information, the ability to connect with experts and other like minded women and also order at home tests to better understand their fertility
Our content gets refreshed on a weekly basis. We also provide a whole body approach in supporting our women so they will regularly get prompts to improve their physical and emotional well being.
PBW: Where do you see the company in the near term and long term?
Lina Chan: Parla has thousands of users across more than 80 countries. We hope to support millions of women world-wide in the next 5 years.
PBW: VC, Angel or Bootstrap? And why?
Lina Chan: We have raised capital from both VC and angels. I don’t think there is a one “right” path. I think there are “right partners” and they can come in all different forms. We have been very lucky to find great investors in the VC community and angel community in the UK. They have been instrumental in getting us to where we are now and have always been our biggest cheerleaders together with our users.
PBW: Which one thing do you wish you’d done differently?
Lina Chan: Some roles I wished I had brought in house earlier. Particularly around UX/Design. Others I wish I had outsourced earlier. Building the right team is always one of the biggest challenges in start-ups and I am constantly learning what is the right approach.
PBW: Who are your role models or mentors?
Lina Chan: My husband has been a tremendous mentor. I am often the face of the business but he is really integral to what we have built and achieved. He’s a serial entrepreneur and coaches me on a daily basis. I learn a ton from him. Another mentor is our angel investor and advisor Deepali Nangia. She has been there through every turn and given me the best advice — even on what’s the best treatment to get rid of lice in my kids hair!
PBW: When you’re considering partnering with another person or business, what factors are deal-breakers for you?
Lina Chan: You can usually tell early on if the person or partner will align with your personal and company values. If someone or a company doesn’t align with our values I prefer to pass.
PBW: Biggest “win” in your business’s history? Explain what it was, how it came about, and what it meant to your business.
Lina Chan: The testimonials we get from women saying we have changed their lives! Those are the biggest wins for me. It makes every effort, every sweat and tear worthwhile!
PBW: What’s the biggest risk your business ever took?
Lina Chan: Oh gosh.. probably having my 3rd kid while trying to fundraise and grow the business! Haha! It’s been a roller coaster. It’s stretched us beyond belief but we wouldn’t have it any other way. At 3 months of age my youngest must have attended 100s of meetings and a dozen conferences I think. He sure was a good barometer to find the right investors and partners!
Lina Chan: I would scale up our community of health experts to better meet growing demand we are seeing from women and expand the services they can offer through Parla such as 1:1 coaching, consultations and prescriptions
PBW: How are you using technology to further your vision?
Lina Chan: We are using technology to breakdown barrier of access. Technology enable women to access the care they need at home and through their mobiles. We are able to reach women in over 80 countries and provide things for a fraction of the price. This is huge! Particularly during these crazy times with Covid, technology has played a really big part in keeping us connected and getting the support we need.
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