FemTech founder Caroline Mitterdorfer on her fertility algorithm, feedback and why she took a coach from the start:

"I hope we will have the first LEVY babies soon".?

You can listen to the full podcast interview here. (German)

Fertility by Algorithm? The FemTech start-up "LEVY" makes it possible.?

The biggest hurdle the tech company has had to overcome so far has been fundraising. That's because, unfortunately, women are still not taken as seriously as men by investors:?

"As three female founders, we got a lot of attention, but we already had the subliminal feeling that we weren't quite trusted. CE certification helped take the wind out of the sails of criticism, but we were still lucky to find such great angels who invested in just one piece of paper in the beginning."

She advises other female founders not to take a lack of outside confidence too personally,

"You can't please everyone."

She herself has not been intimidated by criticism:?

"We female founders have a very close relationship and support each other. We know we can work it out."?

That said, she advises young founding teams to use rejections and criticism as opportunities to improve:

"We didn't let the superficial feedback [from investors] deter us. Instead, we probed and then received very constructive feedback. We saw rejections as opportunities to pitch better."?

It works like this: The so-called "LEVY Fertility Code" evaluates your answers to a medical questionnaire with the help of 30 algorithms and then sends you for a blood sample. As soon as the results are in, you receive an online appointment with a fertility doctor, who explains the results and therapy recommendations to you in detail. Afterwards, LEVY supports you with an individualized therapy plan to increase your fertility.?Because in over 60% of cases, even small changes in lifestyle contribute to a significant increase in fertility.?

"Our target group is women over 35 who have been unable to get pregnant for 12 months and women of any age who have been unable to get pregnant for 6 months. These are the conditions under which one is considered infertile," explains founder Caroline Mitterdorfer.

In 2020, the businesswoman founded LEVY together with Silvia Hecher and Theresa Vilsmaier to support women who want to have children. They launched the diagnostic tool just under a month ago.Although she can imagine expanding into the B2B sector at a later date, the focus is clearly on B2C at the moment:?

"[Our focus] is on the woman. [We want] her to save time in her childbearing phase," says the entrepreneur, summarizing the company's mission.?The advantage over the traditional route through a gynecologist and fertility clinic lies primarily in the time saved.?Thanks to the cooperation between the doctor and the algorithm, better and faster diagnoses can be made. Another aspect that is important to Caroline Mitterdorfer is the holistic customer care and long-term support of the woman on her journey to the desired child:?

"It makes me proud that all the work we put in helps people. I hope we have the first LEVY babies soon."

Although she has no medical background, she became deeply involved with the topic for personal reasons. "It was shocking how little I knew about my own female cycle," the career changer recalls of her first immersion in reproductive medicine. In the meantime, she has immersed herself in the subject. Thanks to her two medically savvy co-founders, her lack of medical expertise is not a problem.?

She herself brought a focus on the guest experience from her hotel industry background. That's because LEVY not only helps women solve their fertility problems, but also makes the patient's journey as pleasant and uncluttered as possible in the process.?

Although Caroline Mitterdorfer is not a medical professional, she has quickly gained the trust and support of the industry. The entrepreneur explains it this way:?

"I brought a fertility loan to the market in a short time, so directly something that adds value [for everyone]."?

To "get even better," the founding trio also brought in a coach from the start.?

"Get a coach quickly and start reflecting. [In our case] it was worth every penny,"

is another piece of advice from the young entrepreneur. In general, don't be afraid to ask for help:?

"Networking is super important. It just saves you an extreme amount of time and worry. In the end, it's also a help in getting investors. I myself wouldn't be where I am without my network. So, ask questions and show people that you're starting something. Because there are a lot of helpful people out there."?

Caroline Mitterdorfer is also happy to answer other founders' questions.?She herself doesn't regret the decision at all to trade in her five-star jet-set life for the hurdle-filled path of founding a startup:?

"It's ultra fun,"

is how the entrepreneur sums up her job in one sentence. Because if you have the right sense of humor and a good team, you can solve most problems and difficulties.?

If you want to learn more about the ups and downs of a FemTech start-up and benefit from further advice from the founder, then listen in to the podcast...

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