While joking around with a friend about what they would do if they suddenly struck it rich, Thiv Paramsothy had a plan to pay off a loan and have some fun. His friend had a different vision: he wanted to have a child. He said he had to miss some meetings because he was undergoing fertility testing. It turned out he and his wife had been quietly struggling with fertility challenges for two years.
“He and his wife were on a tough journey and didn’t tell anyone. It really got me thinking non-stop,” said Paramsothy. “Why didn’t he tell anyone?”
Paramsothy realized that discussions about fertility often focus on women, while men’s experiences are largely overlooked. Curious about the male experience, he began researching fertility testing for men and found the process confusing and uncomfortable.
“You’re in an awkward clinic, around other people who are also likely there because they’re struggling,” he says. “This should be way better. Why are we putting people through this uncomfortable experience when having a child should be special?”
He founded Hera Fertility to offer men another option for fertility testing with an at-home kit they can use in a private, comfortable space. After receiving the kit, patients can collect their samples at home and send them directly to Hera Fertility’s lab for analysis. Once the results are ready, they’re delivered through Hera Fertility’s app. The testing kit is also paired with personalized treatment plans that could include supplements, medication, and coaching to help optimize fertility.
“So far, we’ve gotten great responses back from both the men and the women,” said Paramsothy. “Men feel more confident on their fertility journeys and women appreciate being informed about what’s going on.”
Paramsothy said women often carry a bigger burden during the fertility journey, especially when it comes to testing and treatments, even though research shows that male factor infertility accounts for almost half of all infertility cases.
According to the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS), about one in six Canadians experience infertility. Statistics Canada reported in 2023 that Canada’s fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.26 children per woman, marking the nation among the “lowest-low” fertility countries. The fertility rate in Canada has been steadily declining since 2009, with the COVID-19 pandemic potentially accelerating this trend, according to Statistics Canada.
“One of the biggest struggles with infertility is the belief that this is supposed to be something natural that everybody can do,” said Paramsothy, who believes the traditional approach to fertility testing often comes with unnecessary barriers.
“In Canada, you have to wait a year for the man to even get tested,” he said. “We’re trying to democratize health care and get more access for something that makes sense to do earlier and be proactive.”
Paramsothy’s entrepreneurial spark came to life during his undergraduate studies at the University of Waterloo, where the startup culture inspired him. Before launching Hera Fertility, he founded Adracare, a telehealth practice management software that provided essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paramsothy still has strong connections to Waterloo Region and credits the supportive tech community within the Toronto-Waterloo Corridor for helping him and Hera Fertility succeed.
“I don’t think Hera would be here without Waterloo Region and the programs that are there,” Paramsothy said.
Hera Fertility is among eight medtech startups selected for the inaugural cohort of the Communitech MedTech Accelerator Program. Launched in September, this program supports founders as they revolutionize health care and scale their companies. Participants benefit from sessions with growth coaches, networking opportunities with health-care professionals and access to personalized action plans and resources.
“It’s important to have strong programs like the Communitech MedTech Accelerator to hopefully bring more innovation,” he said.
Hera Fertility sells its testing kits to fertility clinics, naturopathic clinics, medical clinics and pharmacies. With plans to leverage more support from the tech ecosystem, Paramsothy is focused on fulfilling Hera Fertility’s mission: “We help men become dads.”
