Zora Health is breaking barriers and changing the fertility game

Fertility is in the spotlight, especially with Singapore’s total fertility rate dropping below one for the first time in 2023. But Anna Haotanto built Zora Health for that reason alone. Another startup wasn’t part of the plan.

After two decades of scaling companies and spearheading investments, it turns out that she was ready for a break. The former managing director of ABZD Capital and co-founder of The New Savvy had built a career on sharp business instincts and an eye for underserved markets. But when she stepped down from her leadership roles, she wasn’t thinking about launching something new — until life intervened.

A personal essay she wrote about her 2018 experience with egg freezing at 34 ignited a response she never expected. “I received over 200 messages in my inbox when I posted about it on Instagram. More than 80 women contacted me directly — many of whom were strangers. They wanted guidance, reassurance and information,” she says. “It was overwhelming but also deeply humbling.”

That wave of outreach revealed a glaring gap in the fertility field — one that Haotanto knew she couldn’t ignore.

Tackling taboos and breaking barriers 

Zora Health, a femtech, was born out of that realisation. The startup aims to change Asia’s fertility, reproductive and family health care. Named after the word for “light” or “dawn,” Zora Health signals a fresh approach to a field often shrouded in stigma and uncertainty.

“Technology has changed how we travel, book hotels, and eat. Yet fertility care has not evolved at the same pace. It hasn’t caught up,” she says. “Southeast Asia has only a handful of fertility tech companies, despite being a US$54 billion ($72.6 billion) global market. It’s underserved, and no one talks about it because of barriers like shame and guilt.”

Haotanto speaks from personal experience. Health challenges — including five surgeries in a single year — had already deepened her interest in healthcare. However, it was her research into perimenopause that made her realise how little reliable information existed. “I started deep-diving into symptoms and solutions, and I couldn’t find a single source of truth or a trusted platform.”

She’s set out to change that with Zora Health. Unlike traditional fertility clinics, Zora is an ecosystem integrating virtual and in-person consultations, corporate wellness programmes, fertility education, and a concierge service that helps users navigate the complexities of reproductive health.

The platform also includes a global database of nearly 900 fertility clinics and 2,700 doctors, making it one of the most extensive resources of its kind. 

Singapore, like many developed nations, is seeing rising fertility concerns. About 15 per cent of women here face fertility issues at some point, yet information and access remain fragmented. Many of Zora Health’s users grapple with the same hurdles: confusion over options, lack of transparency on costs, and uncertainty about regulations in different countries.

“We had a patient from the US looking for a female Muslim doctor in Malaysia. Because we have the largest database of clinics and doctors, we knew exactly how to help them,” she relates. “That level of personalisation is missing in the industry.” 

Since then, the Zora Health team has worked with over 200 women in Singapore alone, helping them with egg freezing and in vitro fertilisation. 

Beyond individuals, Zora Health is making fertility a corporate conversation because “fertility isn’t only a personal issue — it’s a workplace one, too.” The startup collaborates with corporates to introduce fertility-friendly benefits and education programmes.

“Many companies don’t know where to start, so we provide leadership training, fireside chats and support for employee resource groups. It’s about shifting workplace culture.”

Building something that lasts

Adaptability has been Haotanto’s biggest lesson almost two years into Zora Health. “You think you have a plan. But the market moves, people’s needs evolve, and you must adjust,” she says. “We started with direct-to-consumer services, then realised the potential in corporate partnerships. The ability to pivot is what keeps us growing.”

That growth has been swift. Zora Health operates in multiple countries and is headquartered in Singapore and Indonesia. The platform has secured close to 100 clinic partners and serves over 300 customers, 60 per cent of whom are based in Asia and 40 per cent outside the region. It has also raised US$1 million to date and plans to expand its reach further.

Haotanto considers whether Zora Health will be her final venture. “Ideally, yes!” she exclaims. It’s easy to believe her. After all, “this is deeply personal to me. It’s not about proving myself; it’s about solving something I care about.”

If she succeeds, Zora Health will be the shift that reproductive healthcare in Asia has long needed. As Haotanto puts it, “I hope that one day, I can look back and say that, in whatever small way I tried, I changed the world for the better.”