Women’s health startup pulls in £4.2m in seed funding

A women's health startup has secured multi-million pound investment to "revolutionise" reproductive health.

Hertility Health has raised £4.2m in seed funding in a round led by UK seed investor LocalGlobe, Venrex and some key angel investors, including former Bupa boss Evelyn Bourke, and CEO of Nested and GoCardless Matt Robinson.

The company was founded in 2020 by scientists Dr Helen O’Neill, Dr Natalie Getreu and Deirdre O’Neill -- while on their maternity leave -- during the pandemic. According to them, Hertility Health addresses one of the biggest market segments in which there has been little advancement for many years.

It specialises in reducing diagnosis times for women’s health issues such as endometriosis and polycyctic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

The investment will help Hertility Health expand its current product offering of fertility and hormone testing, menopause, miscarriage, postnatal care, PCOS and endometriosis testing, as well as aid the expansion of its current clinical trials which aim to reduce diagnosis time for conditions and firm up the company's position as a scientific and clinical educational health hub for women.

CEO O’Neill said: “Some of the women spend over ten years on their contraception, never being fully aware that there might be something wrong. On an average, one in five Hertility Health users were found to have a previously undiagnosed reproductive condition which has been revealed as a result of testing with Hertility Health.”

Julia Hawkins from LocalGlobe said: “Together, we’re excited to help Hertility Health become the home for women’s health, building on its  success to date and meeting the clear consumer demand for an accessible, affordable, high-quality solution to reproductive health concerns and curiosity.”

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 the founders will use their expertise to positively change the world.”

So far, the start up has helped over 2,000 women understand their reproductive health and infertility risks, offering fertility counselling to those in need.