From Telehealth to Employer Benefits

This was the move that turned Maven from a video visit app into an employer budget line. By packaging maternity first, then fertility, Maven shifted from one off consumer visits to recurring contracts with HR and health plan teams, where the buyer cared about fewer expensive births, fewer unnecessary IVF cycles, and better return to work after pregnancy. That created a much larger, stickier revenue base than direct to consumer telehealth.1 2 3 4

• Maternity was the wedge because employers already felt the pain. Maternity is often one of the biggest claims categories for self insured companies, and Maven built an app where employees could see OB GYNs, doulas, lactation consultants, and care advocates in one place, with benefits access routed through the employer plan instead of out of pocket payment.2 3 4
• Fertility made the model much more valuable because the dollars per case are higher and the workflow is messier. Maven could help employees navigate clinic choice, medication, and reimbursement, then sell employers on avoided waste, including lower intensity treatment before IVF. That pushed Maven closer to benefits administration, not just telehealth.1 2 5
• This also set up Maven against two different competitors. Progyny built a utilization driven fertility benefit for large employers and launched that product in 2016, while Kindbody paired employer benefits with its own clinics. Maven stayed asset light, using a broad provider network and software layer instead of owning clinics, which helped it expand globally to 175 countries.1 2 6

The next step is deeper control over the employer health dollar. As family health benefits keep broadening from fertility and pregnancy into pediatrics, menopause, and leave navigation, the winners will look less like point telehealth apps and more like specialized health plans for a defined life stage, with Maven pushing in that direction already.1 2 5