82 Male fertility startups

Male fertility startups

Biotech startups are now targeting fertility solutions at men.

For a long time, women have been the focus of failing fertility. Now biotech startups are starting to target men, offering sperm analysis and freezing— services designed for those delaying having children for career reasons, as well as those who simply want to freeze their sperm as insurance against injury or waning fertility.

Boston-based startup Legacy sells home kits for sperm analysis, and partners with sperm-freezing centers. It has raised $20 million in funding from backers such as Y Combinator and Bain Capital Ventures. Founder Khaled Kteily said he got the idea after he spilled hot tea on his lap in a car, suffering second-degree burns and causing him to fear for his future fertility. Kteily envisions a wide range of candidates for sperm freezing, including soldiers about to be deployed; same-sex couples who plan to use a surrogate; and transgender people who want to preserve their fertility before they transition. “We see this as something that every man might do as they go off to college, and investors see that big picture,” Kteily told TechCrunch.

Dadi, launched in 2019 in Brooklyn, boasts a temperature-controlled kit to transport sperm from home to lab and has raised $10 million in venture capital. Others, such as Los Angeles-based Yo and London-based ExSeed Health, use devices attached to smartphones to analyze sperm at home.

Why it’s interesting Employers who have been covering egg freezing for female employees might similarly start looking at sperm freezing as a health benefit. Low male fertility is also considered a canary in the coal mine, and early sperm analysis may also offer clues about overall health.

Biotech startups are starting to target men, offering sperm analysis and freezing.