When I first heard about Cofertility, I knew it was more than just another fertility startup. It’s rewriting the narrative around egg donation and egg freezing—a topic that’s often shrouded in taboos, high costs, and confusion.
Why Egg Freezing Remains Financially Out of Reach for Many Women
As someone deeply engaged in the health tech space, I’ve watched how societal shifts like career prioritization and later-life marriages are influencing more women to consider fertility preservation. But let’s be real—egg freezing isn’t cheap. One round can cost anywhere between $10,000 to $15,000, not including ongoing storage fees.
Those prices simply don’t work for most women during their prime fertility years—typically their 20s and early 30s.
Cofertility’s Game-Changing Model: Freezing Eggs at No Cost
That’s exactly the gap Cofertility is aiming to close. The company, co-founded by former Uber exec Lauren Makler and angel investor Halle Tecco, recently raised $7.25 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Next Ventures and Offline Ventures, with support from Initialized, Gaingels, and others. Cofertility’s total funding now stands at $16 million.
What makes this startup different is its “Split” program. It allows women to freeze their eggs for free if they agree to donate half of the retrieved eggs to a family that’s struggling with infertility. The intended parents cover all the medical expenses and Cofertility’s coordination fee—cutting down the costs for both sides of the equation.
A Personal Story Sparked a Powerful Solution
Makler’s vision for Cofertility was born out of her own fertility scare. Back in 2018, she was diagnosed with a rare abdominal condition that required multiple surgeries. Doctors warned she could lose her ovaries, but egg freezing wasn’t an option at the time.
That crisis pushed her to dive into the world of egg donation. What she found shocked her—the costs were exorbitant, especially if she wanted a donor who matched her background or had an elite education. It felt disturbingly like surge pricing in the fertility world.
Thankfully, she went on to conceive naturally. But the experience stayed with her—and ultimately inspired the launch of Cofertility.
What Sets Cofertility Apart from Other Fertility Platforms
While egg-sharing isn’t a brand-new concept, what’s unique about Cofertility is the scale and structure. Most fertility clinics have a small pool of donors, making matching difficult. But according to Makler, Cofertility has hundreds of active donors at any given time.
And we’re not talking about just any donors. Roughly 55% of them have graduate degrees, and they come from a wide variety of racial and cultural backgrounds. That diversity is crucial for intended parents seeking a meaningful match.
Although Cofertility doesn’t brand itself as a marketplace, it functions like one. It facilitates matches, oversees the logistics, and breaks down barriers—financial and emotional—that often deter people from pursuing egg donation or freezing.
Breaking the Taboo Around Egg Donation
What resonates most with me—and likely with many others—is the company’s mission to normalize all paths to parenthood. As Makler put it, “There is zero shame in however you become a parent.” That includes doing it with the help of someone who’s also looking to preserve their own fertility future.
It’s an elegant win-win model: donors freeze their eggs for free, and families get a better shot at having children—without the often staggering costs.
What This Means for the Future of Fertility Tech
With this new round of funding, Cofertility is poised to scale its operations and make fertility preservation accessible for even more women. It's also likely to push other startups in the space to rethink their business models.
I’m excited to see how this approach could reshape conversations around fertility, autonomy, and reproductive choices. More transparency. More empowerment. And, most importantly, more options.
Cofertility isn’t just a company; it’s a catalyst for a new way of thinking about reproductive health.
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