Oxford-based Jack Fertility secures £500k led by Fuel Ventures and Oxford Seed Fund
This article covers the pre-seed round on 13 October 2025, Jack Fertility, an Oxford-based men’s healthtech startup founded by Nick Shipley and Lily Elsner. The round raised £500k and was led by Fuel Ventures, with participation from an angel investor from Microsoft.
What does Jack Fertility do?
A postable home semen analysis kit that stabilises samples for laboratory testing. It allows men to collect and post samples to confirm vasectomy success or to check outcomes from home.
Why is Jack Fertility useful?
Problem
People face embarrassment and inconvenience when accessing clinic sperm tests, so many skip vital post-vasectomy checks. Missed checks leave men unsure about procedure success and hinder timely fertility decisions for couples.
Solution
Jack Fertility explains that it sends postal kits so men can collect samples discreetly at home and post them. The kits use a proprietary preservation solution to deliver accurate, clinic-grade results and confirm vasectomy success.
How much did Jack Fertility raise?
Jack Fertility raised £500k in a pre-seed round led by Fuel Ventures (with angel investors from Microsoft), alongside existing backers. This makes it the 30th largest funding round in October 2025 (30 recorded). By size, the round comes in 461st for 2025 (502 recorded) in the Startupmag database, as of 13 October 2025.
For details on how Startupmag compiles its rankings, view our Methodology.
Who invested in Jack Fertility?
Key investors in the company include the following.
- Fuel Ventures: A UK venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology and internet companies.
- Angel investors from Microsoft: A group of angel investors with backgrounds in technology at Microsoft.
- Alma Angels: An angel investment group that backs early-stage startups.
- The Beam Network: An angel network supporting early-stage founders across the UK.
- Moonstone Venture Capital: A UK venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups across various sectors.
- FemTech Lab: An accelerator and investor specialising in female health and femtech startups.
- Founders Factory’s Reckitt Benckiser Accelerator: An accelerator programme partnered with Reckitt Benckiser that supports and invests in early-stage consumer and health-related startups.
- The Oxford Seed Fund: A seed-stage investor that supports early-stage companies linked to Oxford University and the surrounding region.
In the funding announcement, Mark Pearson from Fuel Ventures said:
At Fuel, we back ambitious founders who are addressing real, everyday problems with innovative, scalable solutions, and Jack Fertility is a prime example. Nick and Lily are tackling an often-overlooked issue that affects millions of men and couples across the UK.
The investor added that the funding would be used to develop solutions intended to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, and that Jack Fertility aims to make male reproductive health testing more accessible, private and normalised as it brings its first product to market.
If you're researching potential backers in this space:
- Explore our list of healthtech venture capital firms in the UK
- Browse our directory of healthtech angel investors in the UK
Who founded Jack Fertility?
The founders of Jack Fertility are Nick Shipley and Lily Elsner.
In the funding announcement, Lily Elsner, Co-founder of Jack Fertility, explained:
By using the Royal Mail postbox network and our proprietary tech, it’s like putting a male fertility clinic on every street across the UK. We're empowering men to take control of their reproductive health and get actionable insights about their fertility, all without ever setting foot in a clinic.
In the funding announcement, Nick Shipley, Co-founder of Jack Fertility said:
The stigma around male fertility has meant too many men avoid getting checked. That's why we've put the customer experience at the heart of our mission to make testing accessible.
The company continued that its first product, a postal vasectomy kit, removes traditional barriers and awkwardness of clinic visits, giving men a simple way to engage with their reproductive health and that it aims to help men take control of their sperm health.
Where is Jack Fertility based?
Jack Fertility is based in Oxford, UK.
What sector is Jack Fertility in?
Jack Fertility operates in the healthtech sector. The sector develops technology and products for healthcare and medical testing. It helps people manage health through accessible tests and digital tools.
Key trends and challenges in Healthtech:
Growth of at-home diagnostics
More companies offer home testing like postal kits and wearable sensors, improving access but raising accuracy concerns.
Regulatory and clinical validation
Tests must meet standards like UKCA or FDA, ensuring safety and convincing doctors and insurers to trust results.
Patient engagement and stigma
People avoid sensitive tests, for example male reproductive checks, so firms must improve privacy and clear guidance.
For a deeper look at innovation in this space, see the healthtech startups in the UK.
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