Six revenue streams.
Heme is a media business that makes money in six ways. The mix changes as we scale; year one is affiliate-heavy by design.
| Stream | What it is | Year-1 share |
|---|---|---|
| Affiliate commissions | When you click an affiliate link to a partner (lab test, supplement, telehealth) and purchase, we earn a commission. No extra cost to you. | 60% |
| Sponsored reviews | A brand pays us to be reviewed against the Heme framework. Clearly labelled "Sponsored review." Score is whatever the framework produces. | 15% |
| Lead generation | For partner telehealth platforms, fertility clinics, perimenopause clinics. The Heme Quiz routes readers to providers where geographically and clinically relevant. Per-lead payment. | 10% |
| Newsletter sponsorships | One sponsor per edition of The Depletion Report. Editorial-style sponsor section, clearly labelled. | 8% |
| Heme Reviewed badge | Brands that meet the framework pay an annual licence to display the Heme Reviewed badge. Re-assessed yearly. Badge revocable. | 5% |
| Paid Heme Report | Year-2 launch. A paid tool that explains a user's biomarker results in plain English. Educational only, non-diagnostic. | 2% |
The editorial firewall.
The thing that makes the rest of Heme possible.
Editorial coverage is independent of commission rate. When two products are functionally similar, we don't break ties by commission. When a low-paying product wins on the framework, it gets the editor's pick. When a high-paying product fails on the framework, we say "skip."
A brand can pay to be reviewed. They cannot pay for the score. Sponsored reviews go through the same seven-criterion framework. Brands see a draft for factual fact-check only — they cannot negotiate the verdict. If they don't like the score, the sponsored review still publishes (we offer a buy-back option in rare cases, but the brand pays the full fee regardless).
"Best of" round-ups are never sponsored. Sponsored content is sponsored. Round-ups are independent.
If we ever break the firewall.
We publish what happened, at the top of the affected page, with the date. Two-person rule on any score change after publication. Corrections public. Reputation is the asset; we don't burn it.
Affiliate partners.
The brands we have affiliate relationships with, as of the current date. This list updates monthly.
| Category | Partners |
|---|---|
| At-home blood tests | LetsGetChecked, Everlywell, imaware, Walk-In Lab |
| Comprehensive testing | Function Health, InsideTracker, SiPhox |
| Fertility / cycle tracking | Modern Fertility, Mira, Inito, Proov |
| Perimenopause telehealth | Midi Health, Alloy, Evernow |
| Supplements | Thorne, Needed, FullWell, Perelel, Ritual |
| Direct-pay labs | Quest Direct, Labcorp OnDemand, Ulta Lab Tests |
If a partner is listed above and they appear in a comparison, the affiliate link is disclosed. If a brand is reviewed without an affiliate relationship, the absence of an affiliate link is also disclosed at the top of the review.
What we don't do.
- Take payment to remove a negative review.
- Take payment to edit a published score.
- Run native advertising disguised as editorial.
- Award the Heme Reviewed badge below criteria threshold.
- Use medical-claim language under commercial pressure.
- Sell reader data to anyone. Email addresses captured by the Heme Quiz or newsletter are never sold or shared with affiliate partners.
What you can do if you see something off.
Email corrections@heme.co. Every email is read by a senior editor. If we got something wrong, we correct it publicly at the top of the affected page with the date.
The reason this page exists is that women's health content is mostly written by people who would rather not show their work. We'd rather show ours. If anything on this page is unclear, ask.
— Hannah Reilly, Reviews Editor