In recent years, increasing career aspirations and the trend towards later marriages have prompted many women to consider preserving their fertility by freezing their eggs. However, the considerable financial barrier, typically ranging between $10,000 and $15,000 per procedure, puts egg freezing out of reach for many who would otherwise seriously explore the option during their most fertile years—often the twenties and early thirties.
Recognizing this hurdle, Cofertility, a startup founded by former Uber executive Lauren Makler and experienced health-tech investor Halle Tecco, has devised a unique model. The startup allows women to freeze their eggs at no cost—on the condition that they donate half of the retrieved eggs to individuals or couples unable to conceive.
This concept recently attracted investor attention, securing Cofertility a $7.25 million Series A funding round. This latest financing, spearheaded by Next Ventures and Offline Ventures, along with participation from Initialized and Gaingels among others, brings Cofertility’s total funding to approximately $16 million.
Makler launched Cofertility inspired by personal experience. Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare abdominal illness, she underwent multiple surgeries that threatened her reproductive health. Facing potential fertility issues without the possibility of egg freezing at the time, she began to extensively research egg donation. Makler discovered a costly market, where donor eggs were priced variably—higher costs applied to eggs from women of specific backgrounds and educational levels, a practice she likened unfavorably to Uber’s controversial surge pricing.
Although Makler ultimately conceived naturally, her brush with the complexities and costs of fertility services motivated her to create Cofertility, aiming to address what she identified as a significant structural problem in reproductive healthcare.
While egg-sharing programs have existed previously, Makler states that Cofertility is uniquely positioned to match donors and intended parents at scale through its “Split” program. Most fertility clinics can only connect intended parents to a limited number of available donors, often making matches difficult. Cofertility, however, maintains access to hundreds of egg donors at any given moment, facilitating greater possibilities for matching based on specific criteria. According to Makler, approximately 55% of the company’s donors hold advanced graduate degrees, and the pool aims to reflect diverse backgrounds.
Cofertility’s model also benefits intended parents financially. Egg recipients cover the egg retrieval fees and the company’s coordination costs but do not compensate donors directly—substantially reducing their costs in obtaining donor eggs.
Makler emphasizes that one of the larger objectives of Cofertility is to remove stigmas associated with egg donation entirely. “There is absolutely no shame in the route one takes to parenthood,” she said. “Being supported by a donor who is simultaneously addressing her own fertility preservation needs is an empowering and appealing option for everyone involved.”
