Home fertility firm ‘goes for growth’ with track record advisor

Darren Goode, who previously led health tech company Elvie to become a $26m global brand, will now turn his efforts to innovative, home fertility femtech firm, Béa Fertility…

A former global chief marketing officer at Elvie has been appointed as a leading advisor at femtech startup Béa Fertility – where he plans to help the team bring its “hotly anticipated” fertility device to market.

Darren, whose first child was born through IVF, will help steer Béa’s marketing and growth strategies, with the aim of making the Béa device a category leader. 

He will support the creation of a winning commercial infrastructure to support both UK and international growth, working with the CEO on brand strategy, positioning, growth and fundraising.

“Transformational step” in fertility treatment 

Set to launch in 2023, the Béa device will be a new, transformational step in the fertility treatment pathway. 

The first device will enable people struggling to conceive to carry out a simple fertility treatment called Intracervical Insemination (ICI) safely at home, before costly clinical treatment options are explored. 

ICI has been shown to have efficacy of 50% over 6 cycles of treatment, and was recently included in the NICE clinical guidelines as a recommended approach to fertility treatment. Béa Fertility’s ICI Treatment Kit will launch next summer.

Home fertility treatment 

The femtech company is developing the world’s first clinical-grade at-home fertility treatment. Co-founded by femtech expert Tess Cosad, medical doctor Dr Louise Rix and product engineer George Thomas, the company is creating a new, accessible and affordable first step on the fertility journey for people who are struggling to conceive. 

Béa Fertility raised $1m in pre-seed funding last year to expand their team and bring their pioneering fertility solution to market. The round was led by Q Ventures and Calm/Storm VC.

About Darren 

Darren brings over twenty-five years’ global marketing and commercial experience to Béa Fertility, from the likes of Apple, L’Oreal, P&G, Paramount Pictures, Elvie and Babylon Health.

He was most recently chief marketing officer at Zumper: the largest privately-owned rental platform in North America, with more than 178 million site visits per year.

He told Health Tech World: “My first child was born through IVF, so I’m acutely aware of the complex challenges surrounding fertility. 

“Currently, there’s really nothing available between trying (and struggling) to conceive and going to a fertility clinic. 

“This is what drew me to Béa.

“This is the first time I’ve seen fertility innovation that isn’t just offering advice or a new route into clinics, but is getting to the very heart of the problem and offering a totally new treatment solution. 

“My role will be equal parts operational, practical, philosophical and pastoral. Tess is an inspiring founder and I can’t wait to see where we can take this.”

“I’m really excited to be joining Tess and the wider Béa team at this critical stage in their journey.”

Tess Cosad, CEO and co-founder at Béa Fertility added: “I’ve been working with Darren since the inception of Béa, and at every step of the journey his advice has been invaluable. 

“I couldn’t think of a better leader and advocate to have in our corner, and look forward to seeing where we can take the company with Darren on board.”

The CEO of Bea Fertility previously made the “Incredible women of health tech 2022” longlist.

Read the full story below:

Incredible women in health tech | the 2022 longlist