twoplus Fertility: twoplus Sperm Guide an effective, at-home fertility treatment
Please introduce yourself and your startup two plus Fertility to our readers!
I am Dr Benjamin Tee, co-founder of fertility tech startup twoplus Fertility. twoplus Fertility has developed the twoplus Sperm Guide – an effective, at-home fertility treatment to help increase the chances of natural conception by aiding more sperm cells to reach the egg.
How did you get the idea of twoplus Fertility / why did you decide to start it?
My wife and I faced our own problems conceiving. We were excited to start a family together after spending time on our careers. However, the longer the process took, the more frustrated we became. Fertility doctors eventually diagnosed unexplained infertility. I decided to channel my frustrations into understanding fertility and conception. I was surprised by the lack of a simple and effective home-based solution for couples that also preserved the privacy of the process. Most of the fertility products out there are focused on fertility tracking or incremental product improvements. None have concentrated on providing new, ground-breaking solutions to improve sperm transport to the egg.
What is the vision behind twoplus Fertility?
First and foremost, we wanted to ensure that couples have alternative options to achieve successful natural conception before or whilst seeking medical intervention. Sperm count among men has halved in the last 40 years while couples still struggle to get accessible fertility care. In other words, fertility health is declining among the adult population but the solution landscape has not changed much for the past decade. Focusing on solutions that make fertility care more accessible, frequent and affordable will help to unlock tremendous value for couples. This is a huge, relatively untapped, market opportunity.
The twoplus Sperm Guide is an effective, at-home fertility treatment to help increase the chances of natural conception by aiding more sperm cells to reach the egg. The small, comfortable device is used during sex to help sperm get to the right place. The device mimics cervical cap insemination, preventing leakage of sperm after sex, while also increasing the amount of sperm which reaches the cervical mucus. Without intervention, less than 1% of sperm reach the egg. The twoplus Sperm Guide has been shown in in-vitro testing to increase the effective sperm count by approximately eight times.
How difficult was the start and which challenges you had to overcome?
twoplus fertility started mid pandemic and our main sales channel has been via our e-commerce store. There was a lot of engagement as couples decided to take the opportunity to start a family during the pandemic. When we started twoplus one of the aims was to reduce the barrier to quality fertility care. Even prior to the pandemic, getting access to fertility help was a challenge for most people around the world. The pandemic accelerated this further. We therefore had to carefully manage supply and demand at a time when people were searching for alternative solutions more than ever before.
Who is your target audience?
Our target audience is couples who have been trying to conceive for more than 6 months without success. The Sperm Guide can be used before, or whilst seeking, medical intervention.
What is the USP of your startup?
Our USP is providing an affordable option for couples to improve their chances of natural conception at-home by ensuring that more sperm reaches the egg during sex, as well as preventing sperm leakage afterwards.
Can you describe your typical workday ?
In a start-up your schedule tends to change a lot so we end up having to deal with a lot of spontaneous tasks that are time bound. Our days are usually packed with internal meetings and meetings with shareholders. No two days are the same and there is always something new to look forward to. We also try to make time to talk to our users and of course invest lots of energy in to new product development based on what are customers tell us they want or need.
Where do you see yourself and your startup twoplus Fertility in five years?
We are currently developing new products that will soon be ready for launch. There is no shortage of opportunities in the fertility space! Our longer-term aim is to become a one-stop hub for fertility solutions. We have big ambitions: we want to help 1 million couples conceive over the next 10 years.
What 3 tips would you give to founders?
Try to maintain a healthy work life balance. Spend some quality time with your family and friends which will help keep you rejuvenated and mentally healthy.
Always ask for feedback and maintain healthy discussions. It will help you understand different angles to a problem you are facing/solution you are developing.
Don’t stop trying and don’t be afraid of failures. One of the most common obstacles we face is coming up with revolutionary ideas that don’t always pan out. Each failure presents you with a new learning opportunity and gives you the path towards success
Thank you Dr Benjamin Tee for the Interview
Statements of the author and the interviewee do not necessarily represent the editors and the publisher opinion again.
