How this woman entrepreneur’s healthtech platform spreads awareness about various infertility treatments
Founded by Snneha Lukaa, Mumbai-based BabyReady offers end-to-end service to guide couples through their infertility treatment journey, including doctor consultations starting at Rs 150.
In the world’s second largest populated country, nearly 27.5 million couples are dealing with infertility, according to the Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction.
Enter Mumbai-based BabyReady, started by Snneha Lukaa, that is now providing end-to-end support to about 7,000 couples undergoing infertility treatment process, right from finding the right doctor and clinics to offering loans and connecting with others going through similar processes.
Before starting up, Snneha was Marketing Head at consumer lending fintech startup Credit Fair, a company that provides loans for fertility treatments. In her role, she met many couples trying to find medical solutions to infertility.
“What I realised was that a significant group of people are misinformed and unaware of the options they have. There is a notion that IVF is the only solution to infertility which is not true. Even in the case of IVF treatment, they don’t know what it involves and for how long,” Snneha tells HerStory.
Making matters worse is the fact that many shy away from having open conversations around infertility.
Founded in November 2020, Snneha says the platform is the “Practo for infertility and other reproductive problems.”
Snneha Lukaa, Co-founder of BabyReady
How does it work?
The startup’s first goal is to provide information on the different kinds of treatment available, such as egg and sperm freezing, hysteroscopy, ICSI, IVF, and IUI.
Couples aged between 21 and 65 are then connected to gynaecologists and infertility specialists, and can also avail financial assistance with no cost EMI loan facility upto Rs 10 lakh.
However, those seeking loans are required to have a monthly income of Rs 15,000, and furnish the last six months’ bank statements. They also need to have a minimum credit score of 600.
Through the startup, people going through infertility also form a community, sharing personal experiences and learnings from different medical approaches.
While doctor consultations are usually priced at an affordable Rs 150, BabyReady is currently offering consultations for free, considering the impact of the pandemic's second wave on the country. It has also tied up with nutritionists, lifestyle coaches, and homeopathic and ayurvedic doctors for assisted natural pregnancy plans.
Users can search, review, and rate the doctors listed on the platform based on their experience.
Beyond the metro cities
For Snneha, the six-month-old venture has shown how technology can be a true enabler in the way it has reached people beyond metro cities, as the startup manages over a 100 calls daily from Tier III and IV cities.
This way, BabyReady is uniquely placed in the doctor's segment as well.
“There are doctors and gynaecologists in most locations but infertility specialists are low in most areas and people often need to travel to nearby cities,” she explains.
Although the startup recommends doctors to patients, it “makes sure not to push them because these are sensitive decisions. We want to be very transparent because it is about couples having a baby.”
Snneha says planning ahead and staying organised have helped them avoid challenges that could have cropped up in starting up a healthtech platform during the pandemic.
Working with her core team of six, Snneha has put in an initial investment of Rs 50 lakh towards team and app development and marketing.
Despite the presence of platforms like Practo that are dominant players in the healthtech market, the entrepreneur sees untapped potential to specialise and focus on the infertility market. In fact, the IVF market alone is expected to reach $1.45 billion by 2026 in India, portraying a growth of 14.7 CAGR from 2019 to 2026.
In the future, it hopes to diversify offerings to aid couples in their journey of pregnancy and parenthood.
Edited by Anju Narayanan