The founders of Kinderly Georgia, a Tbilisi surrogacy agency, have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of embezzling more than 2 million GEL from clients.
What prosecutors alleged
According to the prosecution, the pair collected payments for surrogate motherhood and IVF services but did not pay surrogates or fulfil contractual obligations. Investigators said most of the affected clients were from China, though the scheme involved payments tied to services arranged in Georgia.
The case was brought after clients reported that promised procedures and payouts were not carried out despite money being transferred to the agency.
Broader context
The sentencing follows a fraud investigation into how Kinderly Georgia handled client funds and contractual commitments. Officials have framed the outcome as a criminal fraud matter rather than a dispute over surrogacy regulation alone.
The case has drawn attention to financial and contractual risks in cross-border surrogacy arrangements, where clients often pay large sums upfront for medical and legal services coordinated through local agencies.
