Frame - Fertility & Family Building

# Frame Fertility: High-Level Overview

Frame Fertility is an evidence-based digital health platform that provides personalized fertility coaching, care navigation, and family-building support to individuals and couples.[1][2] Founded in 2020 and headquartered in San Francisco, the company addresses a critical gap in reproductive healthcare by shifting from reactive, one-size-fits-all fertility models to proactive, tailored guidance backed by clinical expertise.[1][3] Frame serves individuals, couples, employers, and health plans, offering virtual care, fertility coaching, and concierge support designed to help users make informed family-building decisions early and navigate their journeys with confidence and expert guidance.[2][4]

The company has raised approximately $2.8 million in seed funding and operates with fewer than 25 employees.[1] Frame's business model positions it at the intersection of employee benefits expansion and reproductive health innovation—a space where employers increasingly recognize fertility support as a critical component of comprehensive healthcare coverage.[2]

# Origin Story

Frame was founded in 2020 by Jessica Bell van der Wal and her husband Corey, who drew inspiration from their own challenging fertility journey.[3][4] Rather than accepting the limited options and hurdles they encountered, the founders resolved to create a better experience for others navigating similar paths. Over several years, they listened to other patients, learned from clinical experts, tested different product approaches, and refined their vision before launching Frame publicly in April 2022.[5]

This personal origin story—rooted in lived experience rather than purely clinical or commercial motivation—shaped Frame's foundational philosophy: to "inspire confidence today for peace of mind tomorrow" and ensure that people feel supported and less alone throughout their family-building journey.[5]

# Core Differentiators

• Evidence-based clinical foundation: Frame was developed with clinical experts and emphasizes early risk detection and proactive care navigation, distinguishing it from reactive fertility models.[1][3]

• Inclusive, personalized approach: The platform explicitly serves individuals and couples of all gender identities, sexual orientations, races, and ethnicities—recognizing that different populations face distinct fertility challenges and barriers.[5] Frame also supports secondary infertility (approximately half of all infertility cases), not just first-time family building.[5]

• Dedicated human support paired with technology: Rather than offering purely algorithmic solutions, Frame pairs users with dedicated fertility coaches and provides 24/7 digital tools, combining empathetic human guidance with accessible technology.[5]

• Employer and payer integration: Frame targets employers and health plans seeking to expand employee benefits, positioning fertility support as a preventive health intervention that reduces downstream costs for patients, employers, and payers.[1][3]

• Philanthropic commitment: Frame launched the Frame Foundation in November 2022 to improve access and outcomes for underserved populations, including partnerships with organizations like Black Women's Health Imperative to address health disparities.[3]

# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Frame operates within a broader transformation of employee benefits and reproductive health technology. The fertility benefits space has expanded significantly over the past decade, moving beyond traditional insurance coverage to include personalized coaching, medication management, and family-building support.[2] This shift reflects both employer recognition of fertility as a critical health issue and growing consumer demand for comprehensive, compassionate reproductive healthcare.

Frame's timing aligns with several converging trends: rising infertility rates, delayed childbearing, increased awareness of reproductive health equity gaps, and employer competition for talent through expanded benefits. The company's emphasis on early detection and proactive care navigation positions it to influence how healthcare systems and employers approach family-building—shifting from crisis management to preventive support.

By combining clinical rigor with inclusive design and philanthropic commitment, Frame is helping reshape the standard of care in reproductive health, particularly for populations historically underserved by traditional fertility medicine.

# Quick Take & Future Outlook

Frame is well-positioned to scale within the growing fertility benefits market, particularly as employers increasingly recognize family-building support as essential to competitive benefits packages. The company's clinical credibility, founder authenticity, and commitment to health equity differentiate it in a space where many competitors focus narrowly on medication access or financial solutions.

Looking ahead, Frame's growth will likely depend on expanding employer and health plan partnerships, deepening clinical evidence around its coaching model, and continuing to address disparities in reproductive health access. As the fertility tech ecosystem matures, companies that combine personalized human support with scalable technology—while maintaining genuine commitment to underserved communities—will likely emerge as category leaders. Frame's trajectory suggests it understands this dynamic and is building accordingly.