This app will get you pregnant, or your money back

Backed by big data and the business nous of PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, Glow is an app that could truly increase the chances of pregnancy, and its creators are confident enough that they will pay for infertility treatment if it doesn't.

Couples having trouble conceiving will know that the App Store is full of peak fertility monitors that may work, or may not. Backed by big data and the business nous of PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, Glow is an app that could truly increase the chances of pregnancy, and its creators are confident enough that they will pay for infertility treatment if it doesn’t.

The founders of Glow believe that many would-be parents fail to get pregnant because they don’t have enough information to track their peak fertility and end up believing they can’t have children. The app lets women track their period, work out their fertile windows and see if they need to be more active in their sex lives. It also helps them to keep on top of the tasks that can help pregnancy, such as stocking up on ovulation kits and sending reminders to partners to avoid warm temperatures that can kill sperm. Through the Glow First scheme, every couple pays USD 50 a month to use the app, and must try to conceive for ten months while using it. If users get pregnant, their money has been well spent. If they’re still struggling after ten months, the money from the community fund is used to pay for treatment at an infertility clinic. Other families can then be happy in the knowledge that their money is being used to help others have a child.

Regular readers of Springwise will have recently seen BleepBleeps — which is also using tech to help couples conceive, as well as raise their child — and Glow is just another option that could bring happiness to childless partners. Could this model be used for other health issues, perhaps?

Spotted by Murray Orange, written by Springwise

This article was amended on 30th October. Max Levchin is a co-founder of PayPal, rather than the sole founder.