Healthcare · Profile from Healthcare Research Companion
Ro (Roman Health Ventures Inc.)
The New York direct-to-consumer telehealth and pharmacy company founded in 2017 by Zachariah Reitano, Rob Schutz and Saman Rahmanian, which launched as Roman (erectile dysfunction treatment for men), became Ro in 2018, added smoking cessation (Zero), women's health (Rory), at-home blood draws (Workpath) and fertility testing (Modern Fertility), and reached a reported ~$7bn private valuation in February 2022. Since 2023 its growth engine has been Ro Body, a GLP-1 weight-loss program that, unlike Hims & Hers, leaned toward branded drugs and close partnerships with Eli Lilly (LillyDirect, from December 2024) and Novo Nordisk (Wegovy from April 2025; the Wegovy pill from January 2026). Its Serena Williams campaign, launched in August 2025 and culminating in a Super Bowl LX ad in February 2026, made it the best-known branded GLP-1 telehealth brand. Ro is private and does not publish financial statements.
At a glance
- Founded
- 2017, New York City; Roman launched October 2017
- Founders
- Zachariah (Zach) Reitano (CEO), Rob Schutz (Chief Growth Officer at founding) and Saman Rahmanian (Chief Product Officer at founding)
- Headquarters
- New York, New York
- Ownership / structure
- Private, venture-backed (General Catalyst, FirstMark Capital, TQ Ventures, Torch Capital, Initialized Capital, SignalFire, Slow Ventures and others, reported). Clinical care is delivered by affiliated professional corporations under management agreements (corporate practice of medicine structure; see 20); pharmacy fulfilment through Ro-affiliated and partner pharmacies and, for branded GLP-1s, manufacturers' direct channels
- Leadership (2026)
- Zach Reitano, co-founder and CEO; Rob Schutz, co-founder; Saman Rahmanian left an operating role earlier (reported; verify); board includes Alexis Ohanian (reported)
- Segment and buyer
- Digital health / DTC telehealth and pharmacy. The buyer is the consumer paying cash (with insurance used for some branded GLP-1s where coverage exists). Categories: weight loss (Ro Body), sexual health and hair loss (Roman), women's health (Rory, historically), smoking cessation (Zero, historically), fertility testing (Modern Fertility), at-home diagnostics
- Scale
- Not disclosed. Ro has said it served millions of patients cumulatively (verify). Third-party estimates (Sacra, not company data) put annualised revenue at ~$360m (2023) and ~$598m (2024), with GLP-1s the largest driver; treat as unverified
- Capital raised / valuation
- ~$1.0–1.1bn raised in total (reported): seed ~$3.1m (General Catalyst); Series A ~$88m (FirstMark, 2018); Series B ~$85m (2019, verify); Series C ~$200m (July 2020); Series D ~$500m at ~$5bn (March 2021); ~$150m at ~$7bn (February 2022) (reported). Secondary-market estimates in 2026 are far lower (~$2bn in one tracker, May 2026; low confidence)
- Signature moves (incl. failures)
- Roman launch and vertical model (2017); rebrand to Ro with Zero and Rory (2018–19); Workpath and the home-care network (2020); $500m raise and Modern Fertility (2021); $7bn valuation and layoffs (2022); Ro Body GLP-1 program (2023); manufacturer partnerships with Lilly and Novo (2024–26); Serena Williams campaign and Super Bowl ad (2025–26)
8 strategic moves analysed
Each one gets a full strategy file in the companion: context, the decision, the financing, what happened, and the lesson.
2017
Roman Launch and Vertical Model
Founding / launch
2018
Rebrand to Ro Zero and Rory
Rebrand / launch / expansion
2020
Workpath and Home Care Network
Acquisition
2021
Series D and Modern Fertility
Funding round / acquisition
2022
Seven Billion Valuation and Layoffs
Funding round / restructuring
2023
Ro Body GLP1 Program
Launch
2024
Manufacturer Partnerships LillyDirect and Novo
Partnership
2025
Serena Williams Campaign and Super Bowl
Marketing campaign