The latest product taking the £320m fertility sector and femtech industry by storm is coming to the UK, and we’re super excited to be able to talk to the CMO, Lisa Krapinger!

The company, breathe ilo, has already launched in Europe with much success and is now broadening its horizons even further. The actual product looks a bit like a breathalyser, with the idea being that you blow into a hand-held device that monitors C02 levels in your breath, transmits data to the app and tells you when you’re most fertile to increase your likelihood of getting pregnant.

After an extremely successful £4.4M funding round, breathe ilo managed to launch in Austria and Germany in 2019. With a 60% female workforce, we felt it was a must to get an understanding of how breathe ilo was founded. I manage to dig a little deeper into how Lisa came to breathe ilo, what positive and negative things the business has faced and what the future holds for this potentially life-changing product.

What prompted your interest in femtech and specifically in fertility? A few years ago, I had several friends and family members who were having difficulties trying to conceive, so I know how stressful it can be. Also, I’d always been fascinated with the female body and health, so I’d done quite a bit of research into the field. When the opportunity came up to work with breathe ilo and make a difference, it was the perfect timing and opportunity to help shape the future of fertility.

How long did it take and what was your process for getting funding for such a rare product in what is obviously a fast growing industry? breathe ilo started as a small project, but we needed to raise money to get the product to market. The funding process took time, however we got help and support from innovation grants which helped in the beginning. We were then able to engage with several angel investors about the importance of investing in women's health. Our investors have been a key part of our success, and we’re happy to have found them as they personally believe in breathe ilo and are also there on the advisory board if needed.

What advice would you give women trying to start their own business? I live according to the principles of my grandma, who taught me how to start a business. 

1. Do your own business so that you’re never dependent on anyone else.

2. Always listen to your heart.

3. Prosperity alone cannot make you happy. You should not start your business idea because you think you will get rich with it, but from personal conviction and joy.

I think those three principles are especially important if you start a business. Always keep in mind to do what makes you happy. Otherwise you won’t have success, even with the best business plan. 

How has breathe ilo been received in Germany and Austria since its launch in 2019? We started with a beta launch in Austria in the summer of 2019 and rolled it out later on in Germany. Due to the innovative nature of breathe ilo, we immediately received a flurry of media attention. This helped us establish our presence in the market quickly and reach a lot of women. In fact, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far, which fuelled our desire to expand into new markets such as the UK and provide the technology that all women need.

Who is breathe ilo targeted at? Is it women who have tried IVF and it hasn’t worked, women who can’t get pregnant by usual means and haven’t yet tried alternatives such as IVF or adoption? Our main target group is women who have the desire to conceive, however are facing some sort of difficulty. breathe ilo is a non-invasive method that tells when is the right time to conceive. Studies show that you are able to double your chances of getting pregnant when you do accurate cycle tracking; therefore we would recommend trying breathe ilo before you try IVF. Personally, I would suggest IVF as a last resort when nothing else works out or when you have physical issues.

breathe ilo is also used for cycle tracking as it helps women understand their body better and shows how healthy they are in each cycle phase. For example, if you don’t have regular cycles or you have cramps during your period - breathe ilo can help you to understand your body better.

How has your sister's experience getting pregnant during the breathe ilo process, impacted how you view the business and your confidence in your product? When my sister started trying to conceive, I saw the long and desperate journey she faced trying to become pregnant. It was very painful to see how much it affected someone psychologically. After two years of her trying to conceive, I was able to provide her with breathe ilo within a field study before it was officially on the market. It was an absolute game changer because she got pregnant within three months of using breathe ilo. This strengthened my faith in the product as it showed me how much it could help others. That was one of my biggest successes. 

Also, since I started working at the company, a lot of my friends and family have started speaking with me about “taboo topics” such as conceiving a child and any struggles they are having.

Are you worried about backlash that can sometimes be associated with femtech due to a reliance on technology that can sometimes be faulty? E.g. backlash faced by Natural Cycles app which was used as a contraceptive method but resulted in numerous unwanted pregnancies. As mentioned, the main use of our product is for women trying to conceive. For women using it purely for cycle tracking, in particular natural cycling tracking, we cannot guarantee that users will not get pregnant. This is because every woman’s body is different, and sperm can live up to 5 days, in exceptions even longer. We advise women to use the product more to understand their body, like when their periods are due and to track their moods and other physical changes, rather than as a way to stop getting pregnant. It is important for female health to understand and know your body better. In each phase of your cycle you have different needs. These also affect your performance at work, in sports and in terms of nutrition.

Where can customers be able to get their hands on breathe ilo in the UK? On our website - www.breatheilo.com