Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Goldman Sachs has lost Black women from its executive ranks, women-led venture capital funds have already raised more funding than in 2021, and the startup Tia enters the fertility category with a thesis about mental health.
– Holistic health. Fertility treatments, such as egg-freezing and IVF, can be emotionally, physically, and mentally taxing; from the physical toll of hormone injections to the disappointment and anxiety that often accompany a failed IVF round.
The patient experience was front of mind for Felicity Yost and Carolyn Witte, cofounders of the 5-year-old venture-backed women’s health clinic Tia, when debating whether to enter the fertility space. The company, Fortune reports exclusively, is now entering the fertility category for the first time—with a strong focus on mental health.
The startup is maintaining its longstanding focus on preventative care, instead of diving into egg-freezing or IVF (patients will receive referrals to specialists for the latter services). Tia plans to offer fertility testing and assessments; treatment for conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome; and therapy and support groups tailored to patients dealing with infertility. Since its 2017 founding, the 400-person startup has raised almost $130 million in venture capital with a focus on primary care, mental health, and preventative care for women. It has clinics in four markets—Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, and San Francisco—and plans to enter six more cities this year. (Witte, the company’s CEO, says she wanted to start a women’s health business with “use cases besides pregnancy” because the rush of investor interest in fertility startups seemed to “reduce women to egg count.”)
Tia cofounders Felicity Yost and Carolyn Witte.Courtesy of Tia Tia’s approach relies on traditional mental health services, with a fertility bent. “How do we integrate talk therapy to help patients as they’re going through the trying-to-conceive journey?” asks Witte. “How do we leverage our therapists to help women decide if they want to become a mom?”
Of course, mental health challenges don’t end with a successful pregnancy. Tia is also thinking about patients who experience postpartum depression and anxiety and women’s mental health issues at various other points in their lives—especially against the backdrop of the likely fall of Roe v. Wade.
“Women’s fertility choices have taken on a whole new meaning,” Witte says of the Supreme Court’s expected decision, adding, “Mental health is women’s health, women’s health is mental health, and you can’t separate them.”
Emma Hinchliffe
[email protected]
@_emmahinchliffe
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Blackstone's Approach Blackstone is investing in the companies and visionary leaders shaping the future. This means backing businesses like Bumble that are transforming how we use technology to connect. Learn more. Learn More
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