Men's health
Fertility apps and sexual wellbeing products find a new customer segment: men
Last updated: 10 Nov 2022
Market 101
Welcome to the age of male self-care. Once upon a time, men’s health, sexual wellbeing and grooming routines were either non-existent or restricted to treatments that were practical, fast and efficient. But a growing number of startups are now trying to convince men that they, too, deserve a slice of the holistic wellness trend first brought to women by the likes of Goop and Glossier.
Whether they’re addressing conditions like erectile dysfunction and weak sperm — or developing male-focused skincare regimens — startups are trying to chip away at the male inclination to suffer in silence when something is wrong. And with higher chances of serious health conditions like cancer, heart disease and obesity, half the population may be in need of a health glow-up — but they’ll still require a lot of convincing.
Early stage market map
Key facts
75%-85%
increased likelihood of women to use digital health tools compared to men1
⅓
proportion of men suffering from erectile dysfunction2
¾
proportion of men who do not go to a clinic when something is wrong3
Trends to watch
More sperm counters
With sperm concentration in the western world having plunged 52% in 40 years, there is increasing awareness around just how poorly understood male fertility is.
Startups are stepping in to help men test their sperm more conveniently and cheaply, and improve sperm analysis itself.
Do startups have proper safeguards?
In the quest to break taboos and get more men to confront delicate sexual health problems, startups need to think carefully about the possible unintended consequences of their approach.
Encouraging people to turn to companies, rather than doctors, for help may result in people incorrectly understanding their bodies — like men mistaking the root of their erectile dysfunction as physical rather than psychological — or avoiding a professional assessment and embracing ineffective or inappropriate treatments.
Beware bogus products
Many startups use a particular focus area such as erectile dysfunction to attract men to their digital support platforms before expanding to other services.
Not all of this diversification is created equal. Customers need to be wary of brands that add supplements or cosmetics lines and elevate them to the same status as pharmaceutical products.
Targeting older men
Many startups are targeting younger audiences with their digital services, but the conditions they’re addressing are prevalent primarily in middle-aged or older men.
In the long term, startups’ success may well be down to how successful they are in capturing these less digitally savvy consumers to widen their user base beyond the usual suspects.
Startups tracked by Sifted
Sifted take
For now, the main competition for men’s health startups is not other companies as much as a culture in which their target group continues to shun doctor visits or “self-care”. With time, we’ll see just how much of a dent this emerging sector can make on deep-rooted behaviours.
Rising stars
Backed by the likes of Octopus Ventures and Monzo’s Tom Blomfield, Mojo provides a medication-free treatment for erectile dysfunction using videos, exercises and podcasts. Cofounder Xander Gilbert previously cofounded insurance startup Cuvva, which employs 100+ people.
Round
Seed
Valuation
Undisclosed
Date
2021
Size
€3,250,000
Offers teleconsultations for specialised treatments targeting sexual health, sleep and hair. Its investors include Speedinvest and Kurma Partners.
Round
Seed
Valuation
Undisclosed
Date
2021
Size
€7,000,000
Provides at-home fertility tests for men and recommends the best treatments for improving their sperm health.
Round
Seed
Valuation
Undisclosed
Date
2022
Size
€2,900,000
Early stage startups to watch
Beducated
Sexual wellness
€900k
€400k
€6.2m
Charles Digital Clinic
Various treatments
€7m
€7m
-
ExSeed Health
Fertility
€5.8m
€2.9m
-
Fertilly
Fertility
€1.8m
€1.8m
-
Mojo
Erectile dysfunction & premature ejaculation
€3.3m
€3.3m
-
MYHIXEL
Erectile dysfunction & premature ejaculation
€1.5m
€1m
-
Thomas Clipper
Personal care & beauty
€150k
€110k
€450k
Wolf Project
Personal care & beauty
€3m
€2.5m
-
ZAVA
Various treatments
€45m
€15m
-
Sources
News articles
Sperm-tech startups tackling the male infertility crisis | April 2019 | Sifted
2, 3 ‘Viagra of digital therapy’ startup Kranus Health raises $6.5m Series A | June 2022 | Sifted
1 Mentech startup Numan raises €11m to help more men tackle their health issues | October 2020 | Sifted
The booming male wellness industry has an unhealthy dark side | August 2019 | Wired
Mojo, a men’s sexual health startup that’s pushing therapy not pills, gets $4.4M seed | September 2021 | TechCrunch
Remojo is building tools to combat digital addiction, starting with porn | November 2021 | TechCrunch
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