Hunter College Center for Health Technology | Samantha Denefrio PhD
March 26, 2019

What the company does?

Kindbody is a female-lead, NYC-based, startup that provides an alternative to traditional fertility clinics. They offer an initial fertility assessment, egg freezing, IVF, and mental health support all within a spa-like setting. You can attend information sessions with sparkling wine and visit mobile fertility testing vans.

The Market

Gina Bartasi, CEO, has twenty years of experience in digital healthcare and has previously founded two companies focused on meeting the changing fertility concerns of modern women. She is also the mom of twin boys as a result of IVF (Well Insiders). The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Lynn Westphal, is a reproductive endocrinologist with an extensive background in fertility preservation. Armed with knowledge and knowhow, Kindbody is joining a growing interest for venture capitalists in women’s reproductive health. Recently, Fast Company reported research by Technavio estimating that the international fertility market will reach $21 billion dollars by 2020.

What problem does it solve?

They put “the women in women’s health” (Kindbody). The goal of this company is to educate women about fertility options and to make accessing fertility treatments like IVF less intimidating. The model also helps to bring like-minded women together to build community and encourage social support.

Why it’s innovative and/or disruptive?

Kindbody is offering egg freezing and IVF services at a fraction of the cost typically paid in medical settings such as clinics and hospitals. They are able to offer these services at a lower cost by taking advantage of technology through online scheduling and staffing general obstetrician-gynecologists rather than reproductive endocrinologists (Inc.).  They also use social media as a platform to reach communities of women who are already blogging and posting on these issues.

With a particular focus on millennial women, they offer new and unique approaches to education about all available options for preserving fertility and starting a family so that women feel empowered at a younger age. In the future, they hope to partner with companies who want to offer these services to their employees as a health benefit.

The entire process is not an easy one and requires time and careful consideration. Egg retrieval alone requires a series of medications to mature eggs and then sedation for the actual procedure. IVF is much more complex and techniques will vary. Good guidance is needed by medical professionals to review the health risks and benefits that are associated with both egg retrieval and IVF. In addition, safety considerations will vary greatly for each individual woman. Infertility can be caused by a range of health conditions such as cancer, uterine fibroids or endometriosis that will require unique treatments and can greatly impact both egg freezing and IVF success (Mayo Clinic). Emotional as well as physical components are also involved. So, although technology is making the entire process easier to talk about, learn about, and pursue, the decision should never be made lightly.

Mission

“Our mission at Kindbody is to reinvent women’s healthcare, but what does that mean? It means a few things to us:

  • Reimagined: beautiful retail locations where today’s woman lives and works
  • Tech-enabled: seamless access to your results & online booking on the KindPortal, and data-driven and efficient decision making by our providers.
  • Democratized: decreased costs and total transparency.
  • Holistic: gynecology, fertility, and wellness, under one roof

Not to mention, we’re women’s healthcare, designed by women.”

How much does it cost?

Fertility Assessment: $ 250 (cost is credited towards egg freezing or IVF if you move forward)

Mental Health Visit: $200

Egg Freezing: $6,000 (with financing options)

IVF: $ 10,000

They will provide you with an itemized bill to submit to your health insurance if you have out-of-network coverage for fertility treatments.

To learn more about pricing and options: https://kindbody.com/pricing/

Advantages

  • They offer a personalized approach while tackling the stigma attached to fertility challenges.
  • You will benefit from being part of a community of other women with similar needs and goals.

Disadvantages

  • Each service is still pricey averaging around $200.
  • It is important to consider how safety may be comprised.
  • Kindbody is not accredited by a medical organization.
  • There is always a concern about the longevity of a new company.
  • The boutique model may undermine the complexity of the IVF process.

Learn more

https://kindbody.com/

Fact Sheet and Details

Funding (According to Crunchbase)

Total Funding: $6.3M

  1. Aug 2018 Seed Round $4.2M
  1. Feb 2018 Pre Seed Round $2.1M