Start-up in the picture: Odyssey Fertility

Jenifer King- Founder of Odyssey Fertility.

Odyssey Fertility was created because of the frustration at the lack of fertility education and the need for a proactive approach to reproductive health and fertility. Jenifer decided to do something about this and founded Odyssey Fertility.

ODYSSEY FERTILITY PROVIDES PERSONALIZED FERTILITY EDUCATION

When did you start with your start-up?

Odyssey was officially incorporated in August 2021 but has been an idea in development since 2019.

What motivated you to start your own business?

Frustrated at the lack of fertility education and the need for a proactive approach to reproductive health and fertility. Ultimately, I want women to be educated about their own bodies so they can advocate for themselves and have open, clear communication with their physicians.

-Why is it that we don’t talk about fertility until we encounter problems in our own fertility journey?

-Why do we feel alone in our journeys when in reality, fertility issues are much more common than we think?

-Why are women dismissed when they seek more information from their doctors (“You don’t need to know….”)

"ULTIMATELY, I WANT WOMEN TO BE EDUCATED ABOUT THEIR OWN BODIES."

What is the elevator pitch of your start-up?

We spend most of our adult lives trying not to get pregnant, only to find out that getting pregnant isn’t so easy after all. Why?Because the information we know about our reproductive health and fertility came from sexual education class, where we were taught how NOT to get pregnant.

Odyssey is on a mission to change this, providing personalized fertility education to adults when they need it most - in their reproductive years.

We open the door to the educational journey through an at-home hormone test, allowing women to check in on their fertility hormones from home, to gain a deeper understanding of how these hormones work and how they relate to their fertility.

How did the idea for your solution grow?

Networking and connections – each new conversation opened up new doors and possibilities allowing this idea to develop and grow over time.

What are your biggest challenges as an entrepreneur when starting your business?

Funding – it is so challenging to find financial support in the early stages of a startup – everyone I have approached has said that I need to have x, y, and z in place before I can seek funding – but how do you fund x, y, and z?

"BHIC HELPED TO NARROW THE SCOPE AND PROVIDED ME WITH THE CONFIDENCE."

What stage is your start-up at now and what is on the agenda in the future?

We just launched our beta-testing program, which is open until early May. Following the feedback we receive from this, we hope to have a full launch in summer ’22.

What advice would you like to give to entrepreneurs-to-be?

Surround yourself with people that believe in you and your vision. You will encounter plenty of opposition and challenges in your journey that will make you question everything – your ability, your purpose, etc. Your entourage will rescue you from these dark places and give you the strength, motivation, and courage to continue onwards.

How does BHIC provide you with concrete added value in realizing your ambitions?

I entered the BHIC program with a head full of ideas and unsure of where and how to start.  BHIC helped to narrow the scope and provided me with the confidence and background knowledge to begin to bring this vision to life.  I was also able to connect with some great partners through BHIC (hello Ooho!!)

"SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE IN YOU AND YOUR VISION."

Are you still looking for someone to join your team?

Yes!  I am still looking to grow my founding team (a wide range of profiles are considered).

I’m also looking for healthcare practitioners (nurses, midwives, psychologists, etc) who would like to be part of a broader support network with the goal of creating better fertility journeys.  We want to develop care pathways for men and women at various stages of their fertility journey and are in need of healthcare practitioners to support this. 

Odyssey Fertility is still looking for more beta-testers! The beta-testing program closes on the  6th of May. Contact Jenifer King directly via jenifer@odysseyfertility.com if you want to get involved!