Ro (company)

Roman Health Ventures Inc., doing business as Ro, is an American telehealth company that diagnoses patients, and subsequently prescribes and delivers treatments and ongoing care.[1][2] The company is headquartered in New York City.[3] Ro has nationwide telehealth, labs, and pharmacy services across the continental United States.[4][5] Ro has been used by at least one patient in every county in the United States and has been utilized in 98% of primary care deserts.[6]

History

Ro was launched as Roman in October 2017 by Zachariah Reitano, Saman Rahmanian, and Rob Schutz.[7] Reitano's personal experience with a heart condition, and his desire to recreate his father, a doctor, out of software, inspired him to co-found the company.[8][9][10] Ro raised $3.1 million in a seed funding round led by General Catalyst and launched with a telemedicine practice, in addition to a pharmacy, to distribute medications.[11] In September 2018, the company renamed itself Ro and expanded its treatment to additional pathologies like hair loss, cold sores, and premature ejaculation.[12][13]

In 2018, Ro raised $88 million in a Series A funding round led by FirstMark Capital, and added Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian as a board director.[14] In 2019, Ro expanded to offer services for women.[15] In January 2020, Ro partnered with Pfizer for the sourcing of Sildenafil.[16] In July 2020, Ro raised $200 million in a series C funding round.[17] In March 2021, Ro raised $500 million in a series D funding round led by General Catalyst, FirstMark Capital, and TQ Ventures, giving the company a $5 billion valuation.[18] Margo Georgiadis, formerly the CEO of Ancestry.com, also joined Ro’s Board of Directors.[19]

In 2021, Ro acquired Modern Fertility and Kit.[20]

In 2024, Ro launched two new compounded erectile dysfunction medications, Daily Rise gummies and Sparks.[21][22][23]

In 2025, a popular advertising campaign with Serena Williams relating to Ro's weight-loss injection program resulted in widespread controversy.[24]

COVID-19 response

In March 2020, Ro launched free COVID-19 telehealth assessments.[25] Ro also partnered with Uber to give free COVID-19 assessments to all Uber drivers.[26] Uber’s Chief Legal Officer, Tony West, later joined Ro’s board in September 2020.[27] In March 2021, Ro partnered with the New York State Department of Health to launch an in-home COVID-19 vaccination program for seniors.[28] In January 2022, Ro was able to supply COVID-19 tests during a shortage while the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant was most prevalent.[29]

Obesity treatment

Ro began treating obesity through supplying Gelesis100.[30] In January 2023, Ro expanded obesity treatment through GLP-1 receptor agonists through its Body Program.[31][32] An ad campaign for Ro’s Body Program on the New York City Subway was criticized for being too "evocative".[33] After the medication gained FDA approval in 2023, Ro began prescribing Zepbound to medically-eligible patients through its Body Program.[34]

In May 2024, in response to continual GLP-1 supply shortages, Ro launched a GLP-1 Supply Tracker to help people crowdsource information about medication supply and availability, receiving tens of thousands of reports from across the country.[35] Later that year, the company also launched a free tool for anyone to learn more about their insurance coverage of GLP-1 receptor agonists.[35]

In December of 2024, Ro announced that they were working with pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly to offer Zepbound vials via the platform through an integration with LillyDirect.[36] Ro later announced an integration with Novo Nordisk to offer Wegovy at a reduced price.[37] In January 2026, Novo Nordisk partnered with Ro, among other telehealth providers to offer the Wegovy pill, the first FDA-approved GLP-1 medication in pill form.[37]

In 2025, Ro announced partnerships with Charles Barkley and Serena Williams for their GLP-1 treatment program.[38][39] During the announcement, Williams told reporters that she partnered with Ro to destigmatize GLP-1s as a treatment for weight management.[40]

Platform

Ro patients fill out a dynamic online visit answering questions about their health, lifestyle, medical history, and symptoms. A physician then reviews the results and prescribes medication if appropriate. Medications are shipped directly to the patient's home.[41] Ro's platform is vertically integrated with labs and pharmacies in the United States.[42][43]

Research

In October 2022, Ro reached an agreement with the National Institute on Aging to create a registry of patients for future Alzheimer's disease research and clinical trials.[44] Ro has published research on a variety of telehealth topics, including comparable rates of side effects found with treatment via asynchronous and synchronous virtual care.[45]

In October 2025, Ro announced that the company had partnered with leading researchers to develop the RAID-FN Inventory, a diagnostic test to help determine if someone had food noise, as well as its severity.[46]

Acquisitions

In December 2020, the company acquired WorkPath, which sends phlebotomists into patient homes to draw blood for diagnostic tests.[18]

On May 19, 2021, the company announced that it had acquired women's reproductive health company Modern Fertility, in a deal reported to be over $225 million.[47]

On June 30, 2021, the company announced the acquisition of Kit, a startup offering at-home diagnostic tests, including finger prick blood tests and weight measurement tools.[48]

Sponsorships

Ro has been the presenting sponsor of the College Basketball Invitational tournament,[49] and an official sponsor of Major League Baseball.[50] Ro sponsored NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Newman's No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing car at the 2020 Coca-Cola 600.[51]

External links