After a $6 million round of Series A funding in February, Perelel has built upon its bestselling Conception Support Pack with the launch of Fertility+ Support, an antioxidant boost for those in the early stages of their fertility journey.
The new product, which launched on the brand’s e-commerce site on April 26, is a supplement that consumers can buy without a subscription, at around $46 for a 30-day supply. Alternatively, they can receive a 30-day supply for $39.50 a month.
“Two reproductive endocrinologists [on our panel of medical experts], who are also fertility doctors, said their patients kept [reporting] inflammation,” said co-founder Victoria Thain Gioia. According to research from Harvard, inflammation affects up to one in five people in the U.S. who are trying to become pregnant. In women, inflammation can disrupt the menstrual cycle and cause implantation failure and endometriosis. Meanwhile, in men, inflammation can negatively impact sperm quality.
Perelel’s target consumers are women in their late 20s to late 40s who are at varying stages of their fertility journey from conception to postpartum. Alongside the company’s board of fertility doctors and researchers, Perelel created Fertility+ Support with a focus on three key ingredients: acai berry powder, Acetyl-L-Carnitine and CoQ10, all of which may support egg health and are full of antioxidants that can prevent and lessen inflammation.
The fertility market was valued at $1.90 billion in 2022, according to market research firm Grand Market Insights — it is expected to reach $4.4 billion by 2032. New-to-market competitors including Bird&Be, Beli and Natalist have launched products with similar claims to Perelel’s.
“To [create this product], we didn’t specifically say, ‘How do we improve fertility?’ Instead, we said, ‘What are some of the issues connected to fertility?’ One was inflammation,” Gioia said. “This product was designed around the link between inflammation and infertility and how we can go after that inflammation concern.”
Though plans are underway to expand the product to Perelel’s wider consumer base through its retail partnerships, Gioia said Fertility+ Support will only be available on Perelel’s e-commerce site for roughly six to 12 weeks, initially — the timeframe mirrors the amount of time that people should start seeing benefits from the supplement. The Perelel team will rely on the data and insights from the first phase of sales to build a broader campaign. The brand is 90% DTC and also sells through Revolve, Free People, Erewhon and 250 doctors’ offices.
Gioia called 2024 a pivotal year for 4-year-old Perelel. In total, the brand has raised $12.1 million and has plans to use the capital to expand the team and fund clinical studies to inform further product and category expansion. The brand is also focused on building brand awareness through top-funnel marketing initiatives and deepening its consumer relationships through education and prenatal and postnatal support, Gioia said. To connect with consumers, Perelel uses platforms including Geneva.
Gioia declined to share Perelel’s revenue but said the brand is very close to profitability. In the first quarter of 2024, Perelel grew 30% quarter-over-quarter and 100% year-over-year.
