What Surrogate Alternatives does

Surrogate Alternatives, Inc. (SAI) is a private, founder-led gestational surrogacy and egg donation agency founded in 1998 in Chula Vista, California, by Diana Olmeda, a former two-time gestational surrogate and five-time egg donor. The agency connects intended parents with gestational surrogates and coordinates the full surrogacy journey including matching, medical and psychological screening, legal coordination, case management, and post-birth parentage support. Over 4,000 babies have been born through SAI's programs, and the firm reports a 4.8/5 Google Reviews rating, a 5% surrogate acceptance rate, and an average match time of approximately three weeks with no waiting lists. The team of 11-50 is composed largely of current or former surrogates and a former intended parent, which is central to the agency's positioning.

SAI operates a fixed agency fee model layered on top of independent third-party escrow (SeedTrust), with typical total journey costs of $150,000-$200,000 paid across multiple stages over a 12-18 month journey. Surrogate compensation ranges from approximately $85,000 to $120,000+, with base compensation varying by state (roughly $54,000+ out-of-state and $63,000+ in California). The agency serves U.S. intended parents nationwide, with explicit service lines for LGBTQ+ families and international intended parents, the latter supported through 100% remote matching via video and messaging tools. GTM is sales-led and relationship-driven, beginning with free consultations and proceeding through online applications and structured matching.

The product surface is service-heavy rather than technology-heavy. SAI has no proprietary software platform; the technology stack consists of standard communications tools (Zoom, WhatsApp, WeChat) and an escrow partnership. Supporting assets include a comprehensive blog (Knowledge Hub), The Surrogate Buzz podcast, and a founder-authored book (The Surrogacy Blueprint), which together function as content-led demand generation. The firm is family-owned with no institutional funding, no parent company, and no disclosed M&A history; Diana Olmeda remains CEO and is hands-on in matching and complex cases.

Name

Surrogate Alternatives

Legal name

Surrogate Alternatives, Inc.

Website

https://surrogatealternatives.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Surrogate Alternatives is a private, founder-led U.S. gestational surrogacy and egg donation agency founded in 1998, matching intended parents with vetted surrogates and coordinating the full journey from screening through birth.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chula Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Agency Coordination & Case Management Fees: SAI charges fixed agency fees for coordination and case management services throughout the surrogacy journey. This covers surrogate matching, screening, journey coordination through birth, communication management between parties, and psychological evaluation coordination.
2. Surrogate Compensation Management: Surrogate compensation is managed through independent third-party escrow (SeedTrust). SAI facilitates the arrangement but does not hold or control escrowed funds. Funds are disbursed according to milestone-based schedules outlined in legal agreements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Surrogate Alternatives is a full-service gestational surrogacy agency that recruits, screens, and matches gestational surrogates with intended parents, then manages the entire journey from initial consultation through birth and parentage. The agency charges fixed coordination and case management fees and uses an independent third-party escrow (SeedTrust) to hold and disburse client funds. Additional specialized programs serve LGBTQ+ intended parents and international clients with 100% remote matching.

Product overview

Surrogate Alternatives operates as a full-service surrogacy agency built around a core platform of gestational surrogacy services connecting intended parents with surrogates. The company offers a unified service model combining surrogate matching, case management, financial escrow protection through SeedTrust, legal coordination, and emotional support. Additional products include educational resources (The Surrogacy Blueprint book, The Surrogate Buzz podcast, Knowledge Hub blog), specialized services for LGBTQ+ and international families, and surrogate compensation management. The company is founder-led and has been operating since 1998.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Surrogate Buzz: The company's podcast hosting honest conversations about surrogacy, fertility, and family building, hosted by Rebecca Deegan.

Products and services

• Intended Parent Surrogacy Program Comprehensive surrogacy services for intended parents including initial consultation, surrogate matching without waiting lists, medical and legal coordination, case management throughout pregnancy, and support through birth and parentage completion. Priced as a typical $150,000 to $200,000 journey excluding IVF clinic services.
• Gestational Surrogate Program Recruitment, qualification review, application processing, and matching services for women seeking to serve as gestational surrogates. Includes compensation package guidance (typically $85,000 to $120,000+ total for first-time surrogates), onboarding, and ongoing case management through birth.
• LGBTQ+ Family Building Services Surrogacy services tailored for LGBTQ+ intended parents, including LGBTQ+-affirming language and paperwork, coordination with LGBTQ+-experienced clinics and attorneys, and legal support for parentage orders.
• International Intended Parent Services Remote surrogacy coordination for intended parents based outside the United States, including time-zone friendly scheduling via Zoom, WhatsApp, and WeChat, legal guidance for cross-border documentation, and newborn insurance planning.
• Independent Escrow Management (SeedTrust) Escrow-based fund management for surrogacy journeys where SeedTrust holds surrogate compensation and related expenses, with milestone-based disbursements per the legal agreement. SAI facilitates the arrangement but does not hold or control escrowed funds.
• The Surrogacy Blueprint (Book)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 babies born through SAI programs since 1998
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ConceiveAbilities: U.S. surrogacy and egg donation agency offering matching, case management, and legal coordination. Direct peer to SAI in service scope, target customer (intended parents and surrogates), and business model.
• Growing Generations: Long-established U.S. surrogacy and egg donation agency founded in 1996, with strong LGBTQ+ family-building focus. Direct competitor to SAI in the same service category with similar pricing tier, intended parent segments, and surrogate screening approach.
• Family Source Consultants: Illinois-based surrogacy and egg donation agency with comparable full-service offering, including surrogate matching, journey coordination, and case management. Overlaps SAI on national reach and LGBTQ+ family-building support.
• International Surrogacy Center: Surrogacy agency with explicit international intended parent focus, comparable to SAI's international segment. Offers similar coordination, legal, and remote matching services for cross-border journeys.
• Beverly Hills Egg Donation: Egg donation and surrogacy agency based in California with a national and international network. Direct peer to SAI in the third-party reproduction coordination category, with overlap on California-based intended parent services.
• Circle Surrogacy: One of the largest and most established U.S. surrogacy agencies, founded in 1995. Comparable to SAI as a full-service gestational surrogacy agency serving intended parents nationwide and internationally, with similar surrogate matching, case management, and legal coordination services.
• Canadian Fertility Consultants: Canadian surrogacy agency with comparable full-service gestational surrogacy coordination. Direct peer to SAI in service category, with partial geographic differentiation (Canada vs. U.S.) but overlapping intended parent and surrogate segments.

Broad incumbents

• Carrot Fertility: Technology-enabled fertility benefits platform serving employers and employees, including surrogacy benefits administration. Adjacent rather than directly competitive with SAI, but increasingly a channel/partner for surrogacy agency selection and a potential disruptor to traditional agency models.

Others

• La Jolla IVF: San Diego-area fertility clinic led by Dr. David Smotrich, who has publicly endorsed SAI founder Diana Olmeda's book. Comparable through the fertility service ecosystem — clinics like La Jolla IVF are core referral and coordination partners for SAI's surrogacy journeys.
• SeedTrust: Independent third-party escrow provider used by SAI and several other surrogacy agencies to hold client funds. Comparable through ecosystem partnership — provides the financial protection infrastructure that SAI markets as a differentiator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SurrogateAlternatives
• Xx.com/saicorp
• Facebookfacebook.com/SAICorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surrogate-alternatives-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Surrogate Alternatives