Kindara partners with DNA company to expand fertility insights
BOULDER — Fertility startup Kindara Inc. is partnering with personal genetics company Helix to help women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant have healthier pregnancies by accessing their DNA information.
Boulder-based Kindara is using Helix’s technology to develop an at-home DNA test that will sync with Kindara’s fertility app and provide insights into their nutrition, wellness and fitness based on their genetic information.
For example, said Kindara’s chief operating officer, Tia Newcomer, the genetic testing would be able to tell a woman if she is predisposed to needing more Omega-3 fatty acid, something that is good for the baby and for her, because significant levels are not naturally occurring within her. Kindara can then recommend sources of Omega-3, such as coldwater fish. Other sources of information can be Body Mass Index, which can play a part in infertility, she said. Looking at the genetic traits and health behaviors of a person, Kindara’s tests can be used to help create healthier pregnancies.
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“It’s all about catering to someone’s own personal fertility journey and lifestyle,” Newcomer said.
Kindara is purchasing the rights to use Helix’s personal DNA testing technology, but would not disclose financial terms of the agreement.
To keep up with customer needs, Kindara is adding a premium version of its fertility-tracking app in August for $49.99 a year. Kindara DNA will be an additive that service customers can use, although they have not selected a price point yet, Newcomer said. And a free version of Kindara’s fertility tracking will continue to be available.
Although still in product-development stages — Newcomer said to expect Kindara DNA to be available in the first quarter of 2018 — the service has several goals for its partnership with Helix.
A goal is to expand Kindara’s community, which includes many active users communicating with each other on the Kindara app, to bring in the DNA information and inspire more meaningful conversations about health and fertility.
In addition to helping women chart their wellness and provide fertility insights regarding their DNA, such as a likelihood of gestational diabetes or endometriosis, Newcomer said the hope is that this leads to more published data and research on genetics as it relates to fertility.
“We have an opportunity with Helix as women map their DNA to drive future research in the fertility space,” Newcomer said.
