LDC Top 50 2018
Praful Nargund and Prof. Geeta Nargund
CEO and Founder
Create Fertility
When Geeta Nargund learned that patients could die because of the powerful drugs used for in vitro fertilisation (IVF), she decided to fight back, developing innovative more natural treatments.
She is now a world-renowned IVF expert and CREATE Fertility is the fastest growing IVF company in the world. Together with son Praful, who heads up the business, they are expanding internationally and aim to be the global leader in fertility care.
Q&A
What’s the story behind CREATE Fertility?
Praful: The first IVF baby was born while my mum was still at medical school in India. She was fascinated by the idea that a baby could come from a test tube. When she was working as a gynaecologist in the UK years later, she learned of a woman dying because of IVF treatment, and thought that there must be a more natural way to create life. She’s dedicated her career to making IVF safer.
How has the business evolved?
Praful: My mum re-mortgaged our family home to open the first clinic in Wimbledon. We proved that mild IVF boasts the same success rate as the other kind. Then, in 2013, she decided to grow the company. Since then, we’ve become one of the largest operators in the UK, with eight clinics treating thousands of patients.
What is driving growth?
Geeta: We don’t just offer IVF with less drugs, we’re also passionate about making it affordable. We just launched a programme that is half the price of standard IVF. Our dream to help every woman and couple that needs fertility treatment to access safer, more natural and affordable treatment, is driving growth of 40pc year-on-year.
What next for you?
Praful: I’d like to take this business international, and we’re not far off that. I want CREATE Fertility to compete at a global level, and help reinstate the UK, which invented IVF, as the modern leader in this field.
Fast facts:
- Praful is 27
- CREATE Fertility was founded in 2000
- It is the fastest growing IVF company in the world, with revenues rising 40pc a year
- The business employs 150 people
- It runs eight clinics
The combination of Geeta’s medical experience and Praful’s strategic nous is powerful and will help the business to scale. It is inspiring to see this mother and son team pulling together to achieve their joint vision.”
