Haoyun Assistant Files IPO Prospectus: Leveraging Over 20 Years of Multinational Pharma Experience to Revolutionize Maternal-Child Healthcare with Tiered Fertility Services

Another strong contender has entered the arena of internet entrepreneurs tackling infertility.

In August 2016, Zhang Jun resigned from his position at a multinational pharmaceutical company, abandoning his prestigious executive title to join the internet startup sector focused on infertility and reproductive challenges.

With over 20 years of professional experience in multinational pharmaceutical companies, Zhang Jun possesses a deep understanding of the current asymmetry between supply and demand from both infertility patients and healthcare institutions, viewed through a market lens.

Therefore, he hopes to leverage his years of accumulated expertise in pharmaceutical marketing to build a bridge between patients and physicians. So, what exactly are the respective needs and pain points of patients and hospitals?

Before founding Haoyun Assistant, Zhang Jun worked at Merck Serono, a company that provides top-tier pharmaceutical products to reproductive centers. In his daily work, he observed that due to information asymmetry, most patients struggling with infertility were left uncertain about where to seek help or what steps to take.

For patients experiencing infertility or subfertility, accredited general hospitals or specialized obstetrics and gynecology hospitals are the optimal choice for initial consultation. Through basic and necessary diagnostic tests, the underlying causes of infertility can be identified, and some patients can receive appropriate specialized treatment at these facilities. If patients meet the criteria for in vitro fertilization (IVF), they should promptly seek care at a reproductive medicine center to conceive through assisted reproductive technologies, thereby maximizing the likelihood of a successful pregnancy.

However, in reality, the overwhelming volume of information from various channels makes it difficult for patients with infertility or subfertility to make informed judgments. Many patients resort to indiscriminate medical consultations or place undue trust in unproven folk remedies, ultimately risking both the loss of the optimal window for conception and significant financial burden on their journey to pregnancy.

For reproductive centers, two extremes have emerged. The first extreme is that many patients are unaware of which medical institutions are nationally approved and qualified to provide assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. As a result, some patients who should undergo IVF do not seek care at reproductive centers. The second extreme is that patients visit reproductive centers for any instance of infertility, leading to an overwhelming outpatient volume. Given the limited availability of physicians, this excessive patient load results in a poor overall healthcare experience.

During his three years at Merck, Zhang Jun witnessed countless patients desperately seeking medical help and overcrowded reproductive centers. This led him to ponder: Could a solution be developed in the form of a product to address the pain points faced by patients, hospitals, and reproductive centers? Specifically, this product would target the niche market of preconception care, particularly for individuals experiencing infertility or subfertility and those requiring in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. It would provide services delivered by professional obstetricians, gynecologists, and reproductive specialists, including but not limited to popularizing scientific knowledge, facilitating disease self-management, offering consultation on diagnostic and treatment pathways, and providing related medical services, thereby helping couples conceive healthy babies as soon as possible.

The image shows Zhang Jun, founder of Haoyun Assistant.

It is not enough for entrepreneurs to have only simple ideas. Zhang Jun, who has spent more than 20 years navigating the pharmaceutical industry, graduated from the Department of Clinical Medicine at China Medical University. Although he previously held positions at Pfizer, Bayer, and Merck Serono and possesses extensive experience in market operations and management, transforming a promising project from concept to implementation requires the support of a team driven by passion and vision, with deep industry expertise.

Therefore, he shared his entrepreneurial vision with friends. Within two months, the company’s core management team was successfully established, and the project was named “Good Pregnancy Assistant.” Leveraging internet-based thinking, the platform aims to provide professional, one-stop, tiered diagnostic and consulting services for preconception care, with the goal of helping more women prepare for pregnancy.

The first to join the team was Cao Yan, a co-founder of the company who graduated with a degree in Clinical Medicine from Capital Medical University and possesses over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry.

Subsequently, Wen Tianjiang joined the team as General Manager of IT Technology. He graduated from the University of Science and Technology Beijing with a master’s degree in Computer Science and Technology. With extensive experience in internet product research, development, and management, he has previously held positions at prominent internet companies including Yahoo China, Alibaba, Myspace China, and Sohu.

Relevant data indicate that more than 50 million women in China experience difficulties with conception and childbearing, while the number of women preparing for pregnancy exceeds 300 million. With the relaxation of the two-child policy, the population of women preparing for pregnancy in China continues to grow. Meanwhile, approximately 250,000 individuals undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment each year.

To address the distinct needs of these three groups of women, Haoyun Assistant has developed a suite of products and services, including: popular science education on pregnancy- and childbirth-related diseases, preconception checkups, expert consultations, maternal and infant products, hospital information services, self-management tools, patient community forums, live online classes with physicians, pregnancy reminders, and baby growth tracking.

Category 1: Women planning for pregnancy, primarily providing popular science information on healthy preconception care.

Category 2: Women with difficulty conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term, primarily providing science popularization on related diseases, consultation, and communication services to facilitate patients’ access to accurate and professional guidance.

Category 3: For women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, this category expands upon the provision of popular science education on infertility-related diseases, consultation, and communication services by adding offline clinical visits and services related to patient self-monitoring and disease management.

The product serves merely as a platform through which Haoyun Assistant delivers its corresponding services, while fertility centers and hospitals are the true core providers of medical services.

HaoYun Assistant has actively engaged with relevant medical institutions and has established a partnership with Chengdu Jinjiang Reproductive Center. This collaboration enables services such as consultations, appointment registration, online payment, test result inquiries, and examination scheduling, significantly enhancing patients’ healthcare experience and convenience.

“This is merely the first step for the Good Pregnancy Assistant. As more medical institutions continue to join the platform, users will be able to select services based on their geographic location and individual needs, and identify suitable hospitals for corresponding diagnosis and treatment. Of course, only doctors, hospitals, and reproductive centers that are nationally recognized and properly qualified are permitted to list on the platform.”

Regarding the revenue model of HaoYun Assistant, Zhang Jun has initially envisioned the following aspects.

First, paid lightweight consultation platforms: These primarily feature message-based and text-and-image consultations. Given the substantial demand for medical advice among patients with infertility and reproductive challenges, physicians can leverage these platforms to provide more professional consultations and services such as interpreting examination and test reports.

Second, paid preconception counseling platforms: For patients with infertility or subfertility, specialists can provide personalized, end-to-end preconception knowledge, guidance, and recommendations.

Third, an online booking and offline testing platform: When local medical institutions are unable to perform certain specific tests, Haoyun Assistant collaborates with third-party laboratory platforms to enable patients to schedule appointments online and complete blood draw and testing services offline.

Fourth, paid online live-streaming platforms featuring renowned physicians: operating on a pay-per-subscription model, their success hinges on content quality; users are willing to pay if the content is compelling.

In the preconception care market, Haoyun Zhushou is not the first startup. However, within just two months from project preparation to the present, it has taken a solid first step. To accelerate growth and provide better, more professional services to couples trying to conceive—ultimately helping them realize their dream of becoming parents—Haoyun Zhushou has simultaneously launched a financing round aimed at expanding its team and market presence. The company also welcomes and encourages more talented individuals to join.