Is egg freezing ready for a high-tech upgrade?

For all the social stigma surrounding infertility, you may expect it to be more of a rarity, yet the latest WHO data shows 17.5% of adults report challenges in conception.

As infertility awareness grows, so too has the number of women undergoing egg-freezing procedures, doubling between 2015 and 2020, per The Washington Post. Embryo freezing similarly rose ~60%.

And wherever there’s a trend, there’s often ravenous tech startups ready to modernize the way it’s done.

Enter TMRW Life Sciences

TMRW’s flagship product, CryoRobot Select, was built to improve upon the error-prone storage drums that have long housed frozen eggs and embryos.

The automated cryostorage device — cleared by the FDA — offers high-tech solutions to archaic systems:

• Radio-chip labeling allows for a full digital chain of custody.
• Manual handling is replaced with a robotic management system.
• TMRW provides 24/7 real-time monitoring and grants patients access to their data via app.

Increased transparency and safety in this ever-sensitive industry are welcomed, but while consumers long for both, the pressing question is…

… Can they afford it?

Prices have skyrocketed — preservation costs increased ~40% YoY, according to The Washington Post. TMRW storage starts at ~$600 per year.

Coverage for egg freezing remains rare — just 15% of US employers offered the benefit in 2021 — and fertility businesses say insurance rates, inflation, and supply chain issues are forcing them to raise prices.

• Also, you know, money always wins: The fertility industry projects a $41B worth by 2026, VC money in the space has doubled since 2019, and consumer demand is up.