Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Hims & Hers: Reimagining Healthcare and a New Model for Startup Growth

21/01/2021

By Jules Maltz and Alex Lim

Today, we are thrilled to congratulate Andrew Dudum, Jack Abraham, Hilary Coles, Joe Spector, and the entire team at Hims & Hers on a successful public listing. Hims & Hers is a multi-speciality telehealth platform that connects consumers to licensed healthcare professionals and has built up a healthy online business with 100%+ compounded annual revenue growth over the last two years and a valuation over $3 billion. They are using technology to eliminate decades-old stigmas and improve the daily lives of women and men seeking access to quality healthcare and in the process have developed a vision to rethink patient engagement and modern medicine.

IVP first invested in Hims & Hers in January 2018, less than three months after its public launch, and then led a $50 million Series B in June of 2018. At the time, the company was among the first businesses applying the direct-to-consumer playbook to healthcare with incredible early growth and ambitious intentions of building a full-service service for a variety of chronic conditions.

When we first met Andrew, Jack, and Hilary at the Atomic offices three years ago, we were so impressed that we literally didn't want to leave the meeting. We paced around their building in the Presidio trying to figure out how we could invest in this amazing company and team, and called Andrew back later that day to express our interest. We're so thankful that we were able to partner with our friends and earlier-backers at Redpoint and Forerunner to join them on the journey to help and support such an innovative business.

While Hims & Hers has pioneered a new model within the larger healthcare market, we also love that it has challenged assumptions on how startups should grow. Here are three things that Hims & Hers did differently that have helped them get to where they are today.

Hire Early for Massive Scale

IVP is used to helping companies go public, but it's not often that it happens just over three years from launch (the average tech company takes twelve years!). As Andrew shared in a recent Business Insider article, Hims & Hers was intentional about building a public-ready company from the beginning. Andrew hired amazing, senior executives early on including Melissa Baird, Soleil Boughton, Spencer Lee, Patrick Carroll, and many others, who had experience scaling companies to hundreds of millions in revenues. Andrew, Jack, Hilary, and Joe also were committed to building a true healthcare platform for men and women, and launched new products faster than we've ever seen. This focus on hiring for scale and product expansion resulted in a financial profile that had not only high growth, but also strong margins and unit economics that set the company up for long-term success.

The Studio Advantage

Hims & Hers got their start within the walls of Atomic, a venture studio headquartered in the same San Francisco Presidio complex as Lucasfilm and Industry Light and Magic. Atomic founds and funds companies at the earliest stages who are on a mission to solve some of the world's biggest problems and provides them with shared back-office infrastructure to help them focus on the core drivers of growth. The studio model provided Hims & Hers with the advantage of being able to rapidly test and iterate its service, setting the company up for a phenomenal public launch. The company also learned important lessons about marketing, product, and sales from other Atomic startups that helped make the business even more successful.

A SPAC-tacular Debut

Hims & Hers went public through a reverse merger with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), which was IVP's 116th portfolio company to list publicly. While historically, all of our portfolio companies executed traditional IPOs, in June 2019, we had our first portfolio company, Slack, complete a direct listing. Today, Hims & Hers is our first investment to go public through a SPAC. While we wouldn't recommend SPACs for everyone, as the process is more complicated than traditional IPOs, the Hims & Hers SPAC had three advantages over a traditional process: (1) it set a floor on valuation during a volatile macro environment; (2) it provided access to a wider range of institutional investors over a longer time period; and (3) it allowed the team to tell their story in a more proactive manner than traditional IPOs, which was important in a new disruptive space like telemedicine. It's good to have options when you're going public and SPACs are here to stay. We're so thankful for the tireless work by the Hims & Hers team to execute this difficult process and pioneer a new model for premium companies.

The Journey Continues

Hims & Hers is a company that thinks and acts differently. It's challenging stigmas around physical and mental health conditions, opening up access to safe, quality healthcare, and reimagining primary medicine in a rapidly-changing world. Today's public listing is only a milestone on a long journey far into the future, and Hims & Hers impact on healthcare is just beginning. Lastly, we're so proud of Andrew and his team for building such a special business while also staying humble and committed to the mission. Onward!

Jules Maltz and Alex Lim are Partners at IVP, a later-stage venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, CA.
LINK: https://www.ivp.com/news/blog/hims-hers-reimagining-healthcare-and-a-n...
See more stories from ivp

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

27/01/2026

Akamai and Yospace Deliver Seamless, Personalised Ad Experiences to Tens of Millions of ABEMA Users

Click for Japanese version Tokyo, Japan - January 27, 2026 - Akamai Technolo...

27/01/2026

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Sundance Institute Name Winners of Science-In-Film Initiative's Feature Film Prize and Artist Grants

L-R: Jonathan Cuchacovich, Sonia Kennebeck, Alan Fischer, Daeil Kim, Andrew Sta...

27/01/2026

B-LINE Is Here to Help: Backline Launches 24/7 Music Industry Mental Health & Crisis Support Line in Partnership with Spotify

Today, Spotify is proud to support our partner Backline, an industry-leading men...

27/01/2026

Netn Vega's Genre-Bending Sound Hits a Crossover Moment on Spotify's RADAR

With nearly 29 million monthly listeners and clear momentum on Spotify, Net n Ve...

27/01/2026

25 Ontario Named One of Torontos Best New Buildings

January 14, 2026 We are proud to share that 25 Ontario, First Gulf's commercial project located just two minutes from our head office, has been recognized ...

27/01/2026

Full-Building Lease Secured at Speers Road

January 22, 2026 First Gulf is excited to share that a full-building lease has been secured at 625 Bronte Rd in Oakville, part of Bronte Station Business Park,...

27/01/2026

Another Gold for First Gulf and 351 King Street East

January 23, 2026 First Gulf continues to demonstrate its commitment to high-performance, sustainable real estate with 351 King Street East achieving BOMA BEST ...

27/01/2026

Clear-Com Empowers Reykjavik City Theatre with New Upgrades

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......

27/01/2026

Hubbard Broadcasting Renews Partnership With Nielsen in Albany and Albuquerque-Santa Fe Markets

Nielsen will continue to drive growth and provide local audience measurement in...

27/01/2026

Pebble Adds Paul Nagle-Smith as VP of Customer Fulfillment

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

27/01/2026

Study: Top Reason for Cancelling Streaming Service Is Programming

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

27/01/2026

U.K.'s Digital TV Group Taps Leslie Mackenzie as Chair

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

27/01/2026

Amagi becomes the first cloud-native SaaS company offerin...

Amagi Media Labs Limited, the only cloud-native SaaS provider offering end-to-end solutions across live production, content preparation, distribution, and monet...

27/01/2026

Miri Technologies Launches V410 Live 4K Video Encoder-Dec...

Miri Technologies Inc. today unveiled its V410 live 4K video encoder/decoder for streaming, IP-based production workflows and AV-over-IP distribution. Designed ...

27/01/2026

UML Tsongas Center Upgrades with Ikegami UHK-X600 Cameras

The Paul E. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in Massachusetts has chosen Ikegami cameras for incorporation into its broadcast-quality television production facili...

27/01/2026

SipRadius provides simplicity and security for AV content...

SipRadius, specialists in secure, low latency media transport, will show the pro AV community its end-to-end solution for high quality content distribution and ...

27/01/2026

Hiltron to Showcase its Full Range of Satcom Solutions at...

Hiltron will highlight the fruits of its 45-plus years of experience in satellite communications system integration and product development at the annual GovSat...

27/01/2026

Broadcast and pro AV professionals cut costs and single-u...

Klvr will demonstrate how its Charger Pro solution is delivering cost reduction and performance benefits for live entertainment and pro AV markets at ISE 2026 (...

27/01/2026

Amino Showcases Single Player Digital Signage and Enterpr...

Amino, a global media technology leader in enterprise video and digital signage, today announced that its Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 booth (4N700) wil...

27/01/2026

ANI Expands Strategic Partnership with LiveU

ANI, India's leading news agency and a major content provider across the Asia Pacific region, today announced a significant expansion of its long standing p...

27/01/2026

VisualOn and The Channel Store Demonstrate Up to 65 Perce...

Independent analysis confirms faster encoding, lower CPU usage, and improved perceptual quality compared to CBR and CRF VisualOn, a leader in multimedia playba...

27/01/2026

EVS Officially Launches eShop

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

27/01/2026

Miri to Showcase New V410 Video Encoder/Decoder at ISE 2026

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

27/01/2026

FCC Settles Two Investigations, Renews Three TV Station Licenses

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

27/01/2026

UML Tsongas Center Upgrades to Ikegami UHK-X600 Cameras

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

27/01/2026

Australian Defence Force Secures Satellite Communications on SES IS-22

New agreement for uninterrupted UHF connectivity for Australian Defence Force through 2033, With Options Extending to 2041 Luxembourg, January 13, 2026 - Satel...

27/01/2026

SNL UK creative team expands as Pauli Lovejoy, Annie Hardinge and Kevin Fortune join series

Tuesday 27 January 2026 SNL UK creative team expands as Pauli Lovejoy, Annie Ha...

27/01/2026

When It Feels Real, Is It Still a Lie? The Art of Sarah' Premieres February 13

Back to All News When It Feels Real, Is It Still a Lie? The Art of Sarah' ...

27/01/2026

That Night premiering on Netflix March 13

Back to All News That Night premiering on Netflix March 13 Entertainment 27 January 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard DOWNLOAD THE KEY ART DOWNLO...

27/01/2026

Netflix Revealed the Future of Mexican Stories Coming in 2026

Back to All News Netflix Revealed the Future of Mexican Stories Coming in 2026 Entertainment 27 January 2026 GlobalMexico Link copied to clipboard Among t...

27/01/2026

What's Next on Netflix from Japan: Expanding the Possibilities of Storytelling in 2026

Back to All News What's Next on Netflix from Japan: Expanding the Possibili...

27/01/2026

FOR-A to show cutting edge technology at FOMEX 2026

AI, graphics and virtual software power new production capabilities...

27/01/2026

RT is Supporting 20 Arts and Cultural Events all over Ireland this February

RT Supporting the Arts is delighted to support a dynamic programme of cultural events taking place across Ireland this February. From visual art, film, music, ...

26/01/2026

New Directed By' Series Explores the Making of Music Videos and Kicks Off With Maisie Peters

Music videos play a huge part in how fans connect with their favorite songs, but...

26/01/2026

NAIDOC launches 2026 theme 50 Years of Deadly, marks major milestone

NAIDOC launches 2026 theme 50 Years of Deadly , marks major milestone 25 January, 2026 Media releases The National NAIDOC Committee has today unveiled its...

26/01/2026

Amagi Lists on Indian Stock Exchanges

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

26/01/2026

FCC Releases Tentative Agenda for Jan. 29 Open Meeting

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

26/01/2026

Dante Turns 20

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

26/01/2026

APTS, PBS Tell FCC Not to Set a Firm Date for ATSC 1.0 Sunset

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

26/01/2026

Advanced Systems Group and Nu Studio Announce Exclusive P...

Advanced Systems Group (ASG) today announced an exclusive partnership with Nu Studio, the company behind the first modular, portable studio designed for immersi...

26/01/2026

OpenDrives Announces New Funding Led by IAG Capital Partn...

OpenDrives, the leader in high-end video data management and workflow solutions, today announced an add-on investment to its previous funding rounds, led by IAG...

26/01/2026

SmallHD Releases Major PageOS Update - Featuring Portrait...

SmallHD today announced a major update to its award-winning PageOS software, introducing Fleet Control, Portrait Mode, expanded Camera Control features, and Dow...

26/01/2026

Capturing the Chaos - Filipic Uses MSE Grip to Go Live a...

Whether rigging a PTZ on a truss, sliding a Blackmagic camera across a mezzanine railing, or capturing the mayhem from inside a drum, Filipic delivers visuals t...

26/01/2026

Riedel and Media Tailor Deliver Unified Broadcast and AV Infrastructure Aboard Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas Cruise Ship

Wuppertal January 26, 2026 Riedel and Media Tailor Deliver Unified Broadcast a...