Jack Fertility: scrapping the stigma of men’s fertility health
When Lily Elsner moved from the US to Oxford for business school, she had no intention of launching a men’s health startup. With a background in biology, law, and banking, she was hoping to explore fintech, but then the pandemic hit, and the world locked down.
Having to stay in the UK, Elsner found herself increasingly surrounded by scientists and biotech entrepreneurs.
“I got to know some really cool innovators, and it helped me rediscover my scientific roots,” she said. “I’d gone to a STEM high school and was pre-med – I really wanted to go into medicine. But after working in Washington, DC, I realised how chaotic healthcare can be, and being a doctor wasn’t what I thought it would be.”
Instead, she explored the corporate world. But her passion for science and public health never left.
Why men’s health matters
On the very first day of lockdown, her classmate and now co-founder, Nick Shipley, had his first child. Shipley had previously mentioned to Elsner that he’d had fertility issues, and that he wanted to get tested. It was at this point that the taboo around male fertility grabbed her attention.
“It was such an amazing thing to hear – this vulnerable, responsible thing for a man to do. It’s so treatable on the male side, yet there’s so much stigma. Over 30% of cases of infertility are due to the male factor,” she said.
From that conversation, the idea for Jack Fertility grew, and Elsner had the perfect blended background to be co-founder.
“I’d always been interested in gender inequality in healthcare, but usually from the women’s side. This time, I realised how overlooked men’s fertility is, and how much suffering comes from a simple lack of information.”
Even the name – Jack Fertility – is meant to make the issue more approachable.
“We wanted to make people laugh a little. It’s literally a Jack-in-the-box – a discreet black kit through the post.”
A Jack in the Box
Why was men’s health such a sticking point? Elsner and Shipley kept coming back to the same question, “what would get men to test?”
Thousands of conversations and survey’s with potential users later, the answer was privacy, simplicity, and accuracy, and with that, the home test kit was developed.
The kit includes a sample tube, a funnel, and a preservation fluid. Once the sample is collected and the kit registered online, it’s sealed up and returned using Royal Mail tracked post.
However, one of the biggest hurdles with male fertility testing is that sperm motility quickly decreases after leaving the body. To combat this, the team developed a laboratory ageing algorithm at company’s in-house research facility, by applying the algorithm the team are able to assess what the motility would have been at source.
“We’ve built a test that works within the clinical standard – and makes it easier than ever for men to get information about their fertility,” Elsner said.
A shift in the conversation
Jack Fertility’s aim is to help men start the conversation earlier.
“We want to meet people wherever they are in their fertility journey. Some people are trying to conceive. Some are just curious. Others are years away from wanting children but still want to know.
“The men we spoke to were curious – they just didn’t know where to begin. Some told us, ‘I think I have sperm, but I don’t know anything about it’. That’s exactly the sort of gap we want to fill.”
The test offers a benchmark, and because sperm regenerates every 70 days, men can re-test and track improvement or decline over time. “It’s incredibly dynamic. You can make lifestyle changes and see meaningful results. And yes, some men get competitive about it!” Elsner jokes.
UK policy
For Elsner, the accessibility of Jack’s service highlights bigger issues in national healthcare.
“It’s shocking how far some people live from a fertility clinic. And even then, waitlists are long, or the services are only offered to certain demographics.”
She believes male fertility should be a core part of the UK’s emerging Men’s Health Strategy.
“Fertility links into so many other aspects – mental health, even public health planning. But it’s not being prioritised. And yet, men have the right to know about their reproductive health, just as women do.”
Ready to launch
After three years of development and a challenging fundraising environment, Jack Fertility is preparing for public launch later this year. The startup was first supported by an Innovate UK grant and participated in the FemTech Lab accelerator. But raising funds hasn’t been easy.
“We were told no by hundreds of funds. There’s a huge market here, and we have patentable technology – but people really struggled with the fact that it’s a consumer product.”
Some of the biggest resistance came from investors who simply couldn’t relate.
“The most surprising rejections came from investors who admitted they’d never worried about their own fertility so couldn’t see why anyone else would either – which was quite shocking to hear.”
Despite the pushback, Elsner remained positive. “It helped us figure out who we wanted to take money from – people who really understood the mission.”
Highs and lows
Among the highs has been the emotional impact of the product. One Jack Fertility user who had experienced recurrent miscarriages was able to identify a hidden infection through his Jack Fertility results. After being advised to speak to a doctor and get proper treatment, he and his partner went on to have a healthy baby.
“That gave me chills. That’s what keeps me going on the late nights,” Elsner said.
Other highs included features in British GQ and Men’s Health, and even a shout-out from the Prime Minister. But the lows have been difficult too.
“Rejection after rejection, missing personal events, and realising this wasn’t going to be an overnight success – all of that has been tough. It’s not just about grit, it’s about letting go of your original timeline.”
Biggest lessons learned
Two of the biggest lessons Elsner has learned along her journey are to trust herself and to get to grips with her personal finances.
“As women, we’re often told to manage risk, analyse everything. And I’ve done that. But what I’ve learned is to trust my gut. And also, understand your personal finances. As a single woman starting a company, knowing how to manage cash flow, credit, and expenses has been vital.”
Expansion plans
Elsner’s vision for Jack Fertility goes beyond sperm analysis. Alongside its launch kit, the company is preparing a vasectomy test kit, and longer-term, it wants to offer sperm freezing services. Not only this, the company also has global ambitions.
“Europe is next. Especially in countries with ageing populations and declining birth rates – there’s a real need.”
The goal is to build a whole ecosystem around male reproductive health.
“People should have a choice. But to make choices, they need information.”
As attitudes slowly change, Elsner believes Jack is helping to open doors for better conversations.
“It’s all about balance – combining serious science with a bit of humour and humanity … And making sure men feel empowered to take control of their health.”
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of Startups Magazine. Click here to subscribe
