Verlinvest acquires controlling stake in Ferty9 Fertility Center, marking its first investment in India’s healthcare sector

Mumbai, April 19, 2023: Verlinvest, an international, family-backed evergreen investment company, announced its entry into India’s healthcare sector today, with the acquisition of a controlling stake in Ferty9 Fertility Center, a premier chain of fertility clinics in the AP/Telangana region that was founded by Dr. C. Jyothi Budi and her partners in 2013.

This investment will enable Ferty9 to expand its reach across India and supports the development of new technologies and medical innovations, further strengthening Ferty9’s position as a leading fertility clinic chain. By investing around USD 50 million in the platform, Verlinvest will focus on scaling Ferty9’s footprint, offering, and positive impact nationally.

Verlinvest has partnered with Mr. Vinesh Gadhia, who will lead Ferty9 as its Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Board to scale Ferty9’s reach and execute its ambition to acquire more fertility assets through this platform. Mr. Gadhia is an industry veteran in India’s fertility sector with over 30 years of experience in building commercial teams and expanding scientific partnerships.

Two senior investors from Verlinvest who led this investment, Shagun Tiwary Shah and Manvitha Janagam, will join Ferty9’s Board of Directors, adding to the ~70% of employees at Ferty9 that are women. Speaking about the announcement, Shagun said: “We are thrilled to partner with Ferty9 to create a trusted platform that will enhance accessibility to treatments for women and men struggling with infertility and offer greater choice and flexibility in terms of timing decisions around becoming parents.” Manvitha added: “We are delighted to be working alongside Vinesh Gadhia, Dr. C. Jyothi Budi and Ferty9’s fantastic team to build and scale a market-leading IVF platform, which offers clinical excellence, quality service and excellent value for its patients.”

“We are thrilled about our partnership with Verlinvest, an investor that shares our vision of providing affordable and accessible fertility treatments. With the Verlinvest team’s passionate support, experience in brand-building, and operational expertise, we can now extend our mission across India and empower women with more choices for their reproductive health.” said Dr. C. Jyothi Budi, Medical Director, Ferty9 Fertility Centre.

Mr. Gadhia said, “The Indian IVF sector is on the cusp of a major growth trajectory, with projections of reaching over $1.5 billion by 2026, growing at an impressive 15% CAGR. To further facilitate this evolution and maturation, consolidation is paramount. That’s why we are delighted to be partnering with Verlinvest to unlock Ferty9’s potential for greater scale, efficiency, and innovation. As always, our commitment to delivering exceptional patient care remains unwavering. We see this moment as the first step towards our ambitious goal of making high-quality fertility treatments more accessible to all.”

Verlinvest’s acquisition of a controlling stake in Ferty9 Fertility Centre marks its first foray into the healthcare sector in India, having spent several decades investing in the healthcare sector in Europe. Verlinvest aims to leverage its expertise in backing market-leading consumer focused brands and apply it to the healthcare industry.

Lincoln International was the advisor on the deal.

 

About Ferty9 Fertility Centre:

Ferty9 is a leading fertility centre in India, established in December 2013 by a team of five doctors in Secunderabad. With seven centres located across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Ferty9 has established itself as a premier provider of fertility solutions based on the principles of Ethics, Technology Adoption, and Transparency. The clinic’s core values are centred around Trust, and its primary mission is to provide affordable and high-quality fertility treatments to help couples achieve their dream of having a healthy baby.

Ferty9 offers a wide range of fertility services, including In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), and Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), among others. The clinic is registered under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act 2021 and The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act 2021, which ensures the highest standards of ethical and legal compliance.

With a proven track record of success, Ferty9 is committed to expanding its footprint across India while continuing to provide excellent fertility services to its patients.

 

Read more in The Economic Times