How strategic public relations support helped Sprout Family grow its business

The Toronto-based startup reached out to MaRS to raise awareness about its digital health platform.

“More and more Canadians are struggling to build their families,” says COO Suze Mason. “Whether it’s women waiting longer to have children or same sex couples looking to start a family, people are in need of care, including fertility treatments, surrogacy, adoption, egg freezing and sperm donors.”

To make the path to parenthood a little easier, Mason co-founded Sprout Family with CEO Jackie Hanson in 2023. Its digital health platform helps companies support employees through this stage of life by connecting users with fertility specialists and providing family-building coverage through employee benefits packages. The aim is to not only help companies improve workplace mental health, but also help them attract and retain top talent.

It’s still relatively rare for businesses to provide comprehensive reproductive support through workplace benefits in Canada. A 2023 study of 1,000 companies found that while 47 percent of employers across the country offer some fertility benefits, less than 2 percent of them cover both drugs and treatment costs.

“We’re on a mission to fill that gap in care and coverage,” says Mason.

Connecting with business leaders

To scale in a sector dominated by a handful of large insurance companies, it was critical for Sprout’s leaders to build strong partnerships with benefits advisors. Mason knew that sharing real-life stories would help raise awareness about the growing demand for these benefits. Education would also help address the stigma surrounding the subject. “It’s not something people bring to work,” she adds. “They often struggle in silence.”

To hone their messaging, Mason and Hanson reached out to MaRS for strategic public relations support, and they began to work closely with Amanda Whalen, a senior manager of media relations.

Leveraging thought leadership

When the startup raised $1.7 million in its pre-seed round in March 2025, Whalen leveraged the news as an opportunity to raise awareness about the company’s solution. She provided expertise and guidance, polishing Sprout’s press release and created a list of top-tier media outlets to pitch; she also worked with the founders to write an op-ed that would coincide with Canadian Fertility Awareness Week.

“Sprout has great foundational assets and rich storytelling on its website,” says Whalen. “My goal was to really help them unearth those hidden gems and share those compelling stories.”

Getting media buy-in

The strategy paid off. The press release caused Sprout’s web traffic to spike, helping to secure a news article in tech trade outlet Betakit, which drove further activity on LinkedIn and increased email inquiries. The op-ed, which ran on Postmedia’s Healthing.ca, was shared by Toronto Sun and the National Post, garnering more than 7,000 views. Sprout has also been included in several innovation-focused features developed by the MaRS content team in partnership with Toronto Star.

“We appreciate that MaRS is always quick to reach out to us when there’s a story where we could be relevant,” says Mason.

The media coverage has helped Sprout connect with benefits brokers and potential partners while also increasing awareness among Canadian employers. Mason says the results are exactly what she was hoping for. “PR support was one of the most tactical and meaningful things we did.”

What’s next

Sprout is exploring other ways to support Canadians families, including women’s health and family wellness. In the meantime, the startup is focused on expanding its current care model, creating new digital tools and resources. The company recently rebranded its website, and introduced a free online toolkit for advisors featuring case studies and other valuable resources.

“So far 2025 has been a turning point in terms of market traction,” says Mason. “HR leaders are making a move, and this is the area that they want to invest in.”

Sprout Family 

• Founded: 2023
• Program: MaRS IAF
• Services: Public relations

MaRS programming is funded in part by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and by the province of Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Find out how MaRS supports high-potential startups in biotech, medtech and digital health bring their innovative solutions from lab to market.