Meet Jenny Saft, co-founder of Apryl

My name is Jenny Saft and I’m the CEO and co-founder of Apryl: a platform that makes it easy for employers to offer their employees access to inclusive fertility benefits. Prior to starting Apryl, I worked in project management and Business Development at several different companies, including Adyen and Fyber. I’m also an Angel investor: I invest in some of the most exciting early-stage startups in Europe through the Atomico Angel Programme, which I joined in 2021. I currently live in Berlin, but I’ve also lived and worked in San Francisco and Bonn, in Germany.

There’s always a lightbulb moment before the beginning of a new venture. What was that moment for you?

The idea for Apryl came to me after I decided to freeze my eggs a few years ago. My experience left much to be desired and I didn’t feel like my clinic gave me the information or support I needed to prepare for the process. I didn’t realise how big of an impact the procedure would have on my body, nor how much it would cost after all the added fees for things like medication. I felt that there had to be a way to make fertility treatment more affordable, and to ensure people felt supported throughout the process. This gave me the idea for Apryl: a company that could help modern employers offer inclusive fertility benefits to every employee, from egg freezing to adoption and IVF. Not only to make treatment more accessible and affordable, but also to offer the support, guidance and advice that I had missed out on. I joined forces with my co-founder and friend, Tobias Kaufhold, and together we started the Apryl journey in 2019.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?

Always follow your gut feeling. If you have the feeling that there’s something you need to do and explore, do it. If there’s something that doesn’t fully align with your values, don’t do it. My gut feeling has been responsible for some of the biggest business decisions I’ve ever made, and it has always worked out for the best.

Do you have a morning routine or ritual to get your day started on the right foot?

The image of entrepreneurs that’s often projected is that they’re all getting up at 5am, doing a workout, meditating, having breakfast and then starting the day. Well, for me that’s not the case! The first thing I do in the morning is read emails on my phone. I take my time to get ready but I usually don’t have breakfast. I might have a decaf coffee (I stopped drinking coffee 1.5 years ago) and then I head to the office. 

How did you conquer those moments of doubt that so often affect entrepreneurs or stop many with great ideas – what pushes you through?

I speak to my co-founder, Tobi. He’s an incredibly positive presence in the company and we’ve known each other for years. He always knows the right thing to say to get me out of that funk. One of the very best things about having a co-founder is that on your ‘off’ or doubtful days, there’s someone there beside you who can pick you up and give you the pep talk you need to keep going.

What is your day-to-day role with the company?

My role is incredibly varied. No two days are the same. But generally I’m in charge of all topics that have external touchpoints; so sales, marketing, investor relations. At the moment, a lot of my time is spent between London and Berlin, as we’re building out our team in the UK so I’m spending a lot of time there interviewing candidates, meeting with new and existing clients and meeting investors. 

How do you believe the evolution of tech will impact your industry over the next 10 years?

For years, fertility clinics have offered the same set of treatments. And it can be very difficult for people to get a handle on which clinic is right for them, how much different treatments (and combinations of treatments) will cost and whether they’re choosing the right fertility pathway for them. I think technology will bring us new and better fertility treatments, and we’ll see AI giving people a more accurate steer on efficacy rates and projected costs for certain treatments, based on their health, age and fertility profile.

Technology will also remove a lot of manual work from the tedious lab work. There are already a few startups out there trying to replace some of the embryologist’s tasks i.e. replacing manually choosing the best egg or inserting the sperm into the egg cell with visual AI and robots. This could lead to higher success rates while dramatically reducing costs.

Overall, I think technology will make it easier for people to access treatment and make the best treatment decisions for them.

How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?

Most fertility benefits companies tend to offer fertility services in just one country, whereas we’re proud to offer fertility benefits to companies in countries across Europe. We were founded in Berlin, but we work with organisations in more than 30 countries from Israel to the UK to Portugal. This means we have a unique understanding of the fertility landscape across Europe, which helps us offer the very best advice and guidance to our clients, and gives us a really strong foundation on which to scale.

We also offer the entire spectrum of fertility treatments to make fertility benefits inclusive for everyone. We don’t stop at IVF and egg freezing: we offer support with surrogacy, adoption and other family forming services, too. This is what makes us unique. 

What’s the single most important decision that you made, that contributed to your business?

Extending our fertility offering and rebranding. When we started out we were initially called Oviavo, as our focus was primarily on egg freezing and not the wider fertility ecosystem. But as our ambition and product offering grew, we realised our brand needed to evolve, too. Both the evolution of our offering and the rebrand was a challenge, but one that was definitely worth taking on when we did, so that our company could enter its next chapter.

What keeps you motivated as an entrepreneur when you hit bumps in the road?

Reminding myself of my egg freezing experience - and thinking about the millions of men and women we can help afford and access fertility care on their terms. 

Working with a co-founder can be tricky, so understanding and compromise is important. How have you both found the process of building a business together? What makes it work?

We’re both crystal clear on the roles we each play in the business, and we allow one another to play to our strengths and skill sets. Having clear roles and responsibilities is  really important for a harmonious co-founder relationship. We also have a strong friendship, which means our working relationship is built on trust and mutual respect. But most importantly, we know how to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously. We keep one another grounded.