Joy of Life

What Joy of Life does

Joy of Life Corp. is a privately held surrogacy agency founded in 2017 by fertility clinician Joy Millan and headquartered in Ontario, California. The company provides full-service gestational surrogacy coordination, including surrogate screening and matching, case management, legal and insurance coordination, and emotional support across the pregnancy journey and postpartum period. Its core technology is a case-coordination platform paired with in-person service delivery through four US offices in Ontario, Pasadena, San Francisco, and New York, supported by a multilingual website in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.

The company generates revenue primarily through quote-based professional service fees for agency coordination on each surrogacy journey, supplemented by add-on offerings including the Joy of Life CARES coaching program, the Joy Multiplier affiliate referral program (paying up to $1,000 per qualified surrogate referral), and a China-exclusive postpartum retreat branded Joyful Beginnings. Go-to-market combines a community-led motion (events, blog content, social media) with a field-sales approach anchored by free in-person consultations and partnerships with organizations including Resolve, Men Having Babies, Miracle Babies, and Seeds. Customer segments span LGBTQ+ intended parents, international parents from eight countries (Canada, China, Greece, India, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan), single intended parents, heterosexual couples facing infertility, and compensated surrogate mothers.

Joy of Life holds a registered trademark on its brand and maintains BBB accreditation and SurrogacyNetwork Verified Provider status. The agency reports 250+ families served, 250 successful births, a 70% surrogate return rate, and 42 families returning for sibling journeys, indicating a sticky two-sided community. In 2021, founder and CEO Joy Millan stepped back from daily operations to undergo cancer treatment while retaining strategic guidance, with the management team absorbing day-to-day leadership.

Name

Joy of Life

Legal name

Joy of Life Corp.

Website

https://joyoflife.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Joy of Life is a Southern California-based surrogacy agency providing surrogate matching and coordination services for intended parents, including LGBTQ+ families, international clients from eight countries, and couples facing infertility, across four US offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ontario

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Agency Service Fees: Joy of Life charges fees for comprehensive surrogacy agency services including surrogate matching, case coordination, support throughout the pregnancy journey, and legal coordination assistance. The service is consultation-based with pricing available upon request.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Joy of Life is a full-service surrogacy agency that matches intended parents with screened gestational surrogates and manages the entire journey from initial consultation through delivery. Services include surrogate screening and matching, case coordination, legal referrals, insurance coordination, emotional support, and postpartum care. The agency also offers specialized programs including Joy of Life CARES coaching, international parent services, and LGBTQ+ family-building support in multiple languages.

Product overview

Joy of Life is a full-service surrogacy agency based in Southern California offering a comprehensive suite of services connecting intended parents with gestational surrogates. The core offering centers on surrogacy agency services and surrogate matching coordination, supported by supplementary programs including Joy of Life CARES coaching for parental preparation, the Joy Multiplier Affiliate Program for surrogate referrals, and specialized International Parent Services for families from eight countries. The company also provides LGBTQ+-focused family-building services and postpartum retreat services (China only). The portfolio includes support across the entire surrogacy journey from initial consultation through delivery and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Surrogacy Agency Services Comprehensive end-to-end coordination service for intended parents and gestational surrogates, including surrogate screening, matching, case coordination, legal coordination, insurance coordination, emotional support throughout pregnancy, and postpartum assistance. For individuals and couples seeking to build families through surrogacy.
• Surrogate Matching & Coordination Matching service that pairs intended parents with pre-screened surrogate mothers and manages journey coordination from first consultation through delivery.
• International Parent Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 250+ families helped
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Miracle BabiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Miracle Babies organization to provide additional support resources and awareness for families using surrogacy services.
• Resolve: The National Infertility AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partnership with Resolve, the national infertility association, demonstrating commitment to industry standards and advocacy for family building options including surrogacy.
• Men Having Babies (MHB)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Men Having Babies, an organization specifically supporting gay men in their journey to parenthood through surrogacy and IVF.
• SeedsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Seeds organization for additional support services and resources for intended parents.
• Fertility Clinics and Medical PartnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationThe agency coordinates with fertility clinics for IVF procedures, embryo creation, and medical screening throughout the surrogacy journey.
• Reproductive AttorneyscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe agency connects intended parents with qualified reproductive attorneys for surrogacy contracts, parentage planning, and legal protection throughout the journey.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Circle Surrogacy: Long-established, full-service surrogacy agency with strong international focus and similar LGBTQ+ and international parent positioning. Comparable in service breadth and target segments.
• West Coast Surrogacy: California-based surrogacy agency operating in the same regional market as Joy of Life with overlapping services for intended parents and surrogates in California.
• ConceiveAbilities: Full-service surrogacy and egg donation agency with comprehensive case management services and marketing emphasis on surrogate matching, mirroring Joy of Life's core offering.
• Growing Generations: Surrogacy and egg donation agency with deep expertise serving diverse family types including LGBTQ+ intended parents and international clients, directly overlapping Joy of Life's core segments.
• Family Source Consultants: Mid-size surrogacy and egg donation agency offering matching, coordination, and case management comparable to Joy of Life's service portfolio.
• Simple Surrogacy: Texas-headquartered surrogacy agency with similar full-service model and comparable positioning on affordability and intended parent support.

Regional players

• Northwest Surrogacy Center: Pacific Northwest surrogacy agency offering comparable case management and matching services but focused on Oregon/Washington rather than California markets.

Emerging players

• Global Fertility & Genetics: International surrogacy and IVF coordination agency serving cross-border intended parents, with overlaps to Joy of Life's international program.
• SurrogateFirst: California-based surrogacy agency with overlapping intended parent services and similar regional presence, but smaller scale than Joy of Life.

Others

• Men Having Babies: Nonprofit advisory organization rather than a competing agency; included because it acts as a referral source that influences intended parents' agency selection, including choices that affect Joy of Life's pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JoyofLifeSurrogacy0808
• Instagraminstagram.com/joyoflifesurrogacy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joy-of-life-surrogacy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Joy of Life