Israel has a long history with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Since the 1980s, the Start-Up Nation (which was more of a Cut-Diamond Nation at the time) has been at the forefront of fertility technology, even becoming the first country to successfully initiate pregnancy from frozen ovary tissue back in 2005.
The latest in a lineage of innovations comes from GoStork, a med-tech start-up that has developed a fertility clinic marketplace platform, which uses modern algorithm-based technology to find the perfect US-based clinic for users seeking an egg donor, sperm donor, gestational carrier or a place to get their eggs frozen.
How it works
Fertility seekers undergo a brief questionnaire, giving information on their age, fertility history and desired fertility treatment, and are then matched with an ideal clinic based on the facility’s experience, costs and success rate data for the individual’s particular age and fertility situation. Users can see each clinic’s treatment package pricing upfront, as well as chat with and book consultation calls with them directly through the platform.
Users can also find helpful data on recommended clinics including services offered, doctors’ bios, accreditations and research, detailed cost breakdowns for each treatment offered at each clinic and cycle volume and live birth rates customized to patients’ personalized fertility journey.
“When a GoStork user books their consultation with a clinic, not only are they a good match but they are entering the conversation from a more informed and empowered standpoint,”
Erin Amir, founder and CEO of GoStork
“When a GoStork user books their consultation with a clinic, not only are they a good match but they are entering the conversation from a more informed and empowered standpoint,” said Eran Amir, founder and CEO of GoStork.
“This is such a unique tool for both fertility patients and clinics because it personalizes the research process by cross-referencing essential patient information with both CDC and Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) data related to partnering fertility clinics,” explained Amir.
Those CDC- and SART-supplied data are used to distill clinic success rates matched with the users’ specific age and needs – a feature currently only available on GoStork’s platform.
“For the first time ever, fertility patients can understand how many other patients like them – in their age group and with similar needs and background – went to, and achieved success at, each clinic,” he said.
The service is currently only available in the US, with GoStork’s marketplace having partnered with clinics representing over 100 locations across the country. Top clinics already on GoStork include San Diego Fertility Center, the Boston IVF Network, Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles, Idaho Center for Reproductive Medicine, New England Fertility, and more.
“For intended parents, researching surrogacy and egg donation and finding a fertility clinic can be exhausting. New England Fertility Institute was excited to join GoStork because the site and content make it so much easier to compare options and connect directly with providers,” its founder and medical director Dr. Gad Lavy said. “Any tool that makes a patient’s fertility journey less stressful is a valuable one.”
The platform currently only operates with US clinics, but users from other countries can still use it to evaluate whether traveling there in order to visit one is the right choice for them.
“Like our clinic, GoStork works with patients all over the world, so it’s a win-win: Intended parents everywhere can quickly and easily find the information they need, and New England Fertility is among the providers they learn about,” Lavy said.
GoStork may pique the interest of Israelis willing to travel to the US in order to receive treatment, but that may be too much of a logistical headache to truly be considered as an option.
R, who requested anonymity, is currently evaluating Israeli fertility clinic options with her wife. She explained that they aren’t planning to jetset to America for conception help any time soon.
“We weren’t thinking of doing it abroad,” she said, noting that some fertility processes require multiple repeat visits over time. “It could take a year, maybe two years, so it would be complicated to fit that into routine life and everything else.”