(Bloomberg) -- This is the third episode of the Prognosis: Misconception podcast series.
Listen to the first episode here, and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.Fertility is big business in the US. Venture capital and private equity poured into the space in the last five years. It hit a fever pitch in 2023, a record year for such VC deals, with $874 million in investments in fertility startups, according to Pitchbook.But the boom comes with a downside: pressure to maximize earnings. When the patient is also the profit center, incentives can change. And it’s not just money. The surge in business is shining a light on the once-intimate industry, bringing an awareness of mistakes and mishaps that can occur in the course of treatment. Some critics say such incidents may be happening more often as clinics focus on growing the bottom line. More and more headlines recount stories of faulty IVF supplies or lab mix-ups. And when it comes to fertility medicine, the stakes are high: errors can cost someone their chance at a family. In episode three of Prognosis: Misconception, I continue the journey to freeze my embryos. First up, trying to figure out where to do it. I also explore one hot fertility start-up that’s been getting a lot of attention on social media. Through it all, I’ll look at whether the explosion in the industry that has brought money and attention has ultimately been beneficial for patients.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
