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Ro is an American telehealth company that
diagnoses Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine "cause and effect". In systems engineer ...
patients, and subsequently prescribes and delivers treatments. The company is headquartered in New York City.


Overview

Ro was launched as Roman in October 2017 by Zachariah Reitano, Saman Rahmanian, and Rob Schutz. Reitano's experience with erectile dysfunction led him to co-found the company. It has both a telemedicine practice and a pharmacy to distribute medications for erectile dysfunction, hair loss, premature ejaculation,
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, and
genital herpes Genital herpes is an infection by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) of the genitals. Most people either have no or mild symptoms and thus do not know they are infected. When symptoms do occur, they typically include small blisters that break open ...
treatments. In September 2018, the company renamed itself Ro and began marketing smoking cessation products, under the brand name Zero. In March 2019, Ro launched women's health products aimed at menopause, such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness, under the brand name Rory. In November 2021, Ro began selling at-home COVID tests, called On/Go, with 10 pharmacy distribution centers in the US. Ro raised $3.1 million in a seed funding round led by General Catalyst and $88 million in a Series A funding round led by FirstMark Capital. In July 2020, Ro raised $200 million in a series C funding round, bringing its funding total to $376 million. 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. Ro placed #2 in Wellness in Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies in 2019.


Platform

The company started out as a telehealth business aimed at men to treat issues such as erectile dysfunction and hair loss, before expanding to include business lines for women's health, smoking cessation, and weight loss. It operates outside of the traditional US health insurance system. Patients fill out a dynamic online visit answering questions about their health, lifestyle, medical history, and symptoms. A physician will review the results and prescribe medication if appropriate. Medications will then be shipped in discreet packaging and the medicines will be refilled monthly or quarterly.


Products

* Roman: A digital health clinic for men. It provides treatment to males for conditions including hair loss, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation, with no in-person doctor's visit needed. * Rory: A digital health clinic for women founded in 2020, with services including skin care and sexual health treatments. * Zero: A virtual, medical smoking cessation program launched in 2018. * Ro Pharmacy: An online pharmacy that distributes generic prescriptions across the United States. * Ro Mind: A mental health clinic treating anxiety and depression, which has since been deprioritized by the company. * Plenity: A weight management product launched in October 2020, created by
Gelesis Gelesis is a biotechnology company located in Boston, Massachusetts that developed the weight loss device Gelesis100 (Plenity) for use in overweight and obesity. The company produces Gelesis100, which is a superabsorbent hydrogel capsule that exp ...
and sold by Ro.


Acquisitions

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


Sponsorships

Ro's Roman brand is the presenting sponsor of the
College Basketball Invitational The College Basketball Invitational (CBI) is a men's college basketball tournament created in 2007 by The Gazelle Group. The inaugural tournament occurred after the conclusion of the 2007–08 men's college basketball regular season. The CBI s ...
tournament, and an official sponsor of Major League Baseball. Roman sponsored
NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971 ...
driver Ryan Newman's No. 6
Roush Fenway Racing Roush is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Politics *Glenn Roush (1934–2020), American politician in Montana * J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), United States Representative for Indiana, namesake of: ** J. Edward Roush Lake, a res ...
car at the
2020 Coca-Cola 600 The 2020 Coca-Cola 600, the 61st running of the event, was a NASCAR Cup Series race held at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, which started on May 24 and concluded in the early hours of May 25, 2020. The seventh race of the 202 ...
.


References

{{reflist 2017 establishments in New York City American companies established in 2017 Companies based in New York City Health care companies based in New York (state) Medical technology companies of the United States Weight loss companies