Mission-minded Spotlight: PherDal
By Liza Vilnits | Founder & CEO
Welcome to the first 2025 edition of ✨“Mission-minded: Building for Tomorrow" ✨
.............
Many couples and individuals in the U.S. struggle to conceive naturally; in fact, 42% of adults have either used fertility treatments or know someone who has. But the financial investment – rarely covered by insurance – makes treatment inaccessible to many. PherDal, the only FDA-cleared 100% sterile at-home insemination kit, is on a mission to change that.
😱 1) Why care? The average age of women in the U.S. who first give birth is continuing to rise, and 1 in 10 women ages 15 to 44 have received fertility services. The costs are also continuing to rise when it comes to fertility treatment. Dr. Jenn Hintzsche, Ph.D., founder of PherDal, was told in 2017 when she received her unexplained infertility diagnosis that a $10,000 loan was the only way she was going to become a mother.
🔥 2) What makes the co. credible? PherDal is helping families conceive babies all over the U.S. After Dr. Jenn successfully conceived her child using the kit she created, she put together 200 proof of concept kits which sold out in 90 days, resulting in 34 babies entering the world. Compared to an average IUI which averages $10,000 per month, The PherDal At-Home Insemination Kit is $199 per month, can be used at home in a non-invasive environment, and averages success after 3 attempts per cycle. They partnered with the FDA and raised $630K in capital and by December 2023, The PherDal At-Home Insemination Kit became the first FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit. PherDal has been named one of TIME’s 2024 Best Inventions, an annual list that features 200 inventions changing the world.
💓 3) What I love about their story? Dr. Jenn’s diagnosis of unexplained fertility did not hold her back from trying to conceive. She utilized her Ph.D. in Bioinformatics along with her engineer husband to build a medical device that led to the successful conception of her daughter - just in the second month of use. She’s been a finalist for the SXSW Pitch and Femtech World Leader of the Year Award, and was selected to the 23-24 Femovate Cohort. “I think everyone deserves something they can try first, and it shouldn't take $10,000 just to [have the chance] to become a mother," Dr. Jenn told Fox News.
Because of Dr. Jenn’s persistence and inspiration, she’s changing the lives of many, making motherhood and parenthood now feel possible. As a mother myself, I can understand how she is making dreams come and her commitment to developing an affordable and easily accessible fertility solution is beyond admirable.