Suffering from a debilitating health condition inspired Anna Vanessa Haotanto to kick-start Zora Health, a business helping others facing the same issues
Talk about making lemonades when life hands you lemons. Saddled with health issues all her life, including a recent complication with her ability to conceive, Anna Vanessa Haotanto sensed an opportunity to start a business serving the very market she found herself in.
In May this year, Haotanto launched Zora Health, a platform that helps women with fertility issues find solutions. “We match patients with the right doctors globally and provide complimentary benefits such as a consultation concierge and expert support,” she explains. The platform’s initial offerings include egg freezing, in-vitro fertilisation, fertility testing and consultation services. Her end goal is to build a comprehensive ecosystem that integrates digital health services, expert consultations, and corporate fertility education support.
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A former banker, Haotanto founded the financial advice platform The New Savvy in 2015 to help Asian women become financially astute. She then went on to co-found Gourmet Food Holdings and ABZD Capital in 2018, growing the business to four brands almost 30 outlets and 120 employees before stepping down in 2022. She turned her attention to fertility after spotting a gap in the market.
“The global fertility market, estimated at US$54 billion (S$73 billion) is significantly underserved. This high-growth segment faces minimal competition in Southeast Asia, with only three fertility tech companies operating in hardware or direct-to-consumer e-commerce.” A societal shift also gave Haotanto the confidence to establish Zora Health. “In the past, talking about fertility care was often considered taboo due to feelings of shame and guilt attached to it. But things are changing. More people are now openly discussing their fertility struggles and challenges.”
In her own words, she traces her career trajectory from financial whiz to health-tech hero.