Roon

Roon operates a consumer health information platform that presents clinical answers, guides and videos created by physicians, positioned as a trusted guide for people facing medical questions and as an alternative to general web search and social media for health information. The platform is organized in a question-and-answer format built on doctor-created clinical content, intended to bridge the gap between the care people need and information they can trust.

The company launched its platform roughly 18 months before its November 2024 Series A announcement and initially focused on a small number of serious conditions, including glioblastoma (GBM), ALS and dementia, alongside broader topics such as fertility and family building. Reported use cases include helping caregivers advocate for family members, guiding families through serious illnesses, supporting couples navigating IVF, and connecting women with treatment information for conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis. Following the Series A, the company said it would expand coverage to hundreds of conditions, beginning with women's health (endometriosis, PCOS, menopause, breast cancer, cervical cancer and basic gynecological health) and then extending into pediatrics, cancer, neurology and metabolic health.

Roon was built by an interdisciplinary team that includes doctors, patients, caregivers, public health experts, designers, engineers and content producers. Company leadership includes co-founder and CEO Vikram Bhaskaran, formerly head of partnerships, creators and content at Pinterest; co-founder Arun Ranganathan, formerly head of partner engineering at Pinterest; and co-founder Rohan Ramakrishna, MD, a brain tumor surgeon and former chief of neurological surgery at Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Other named leaders include head of design Izel Maras and SVP and founding medical director Joshua Lang, a cardiologist and instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Founding story

Roon was founded in 2021 by Vikram Bhaskaran, Arun Ranganathan and Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna. According to the founders, the idea grew out of personal caregiving experiences: Bhaskaran during his father's illness with ALS and Ranganathan during his family's experience with dementia, both of whom described difficulty finding expert guidance and reliable medical information online. Ramakrishna, a brain tumor surgeon, cited the limited resources available to patients with life-threatening illnesses. The founders framed the company's goal as making expert medical knowledge accessible and reliable for patients and caregivers.

Business model

Roon aggregates and curates clinical content created by physicians and distributes it to consumers through a web and mobile platform. The company partners with physicians at academic and clinical institutions to scale their expertise to audiences beyond their own clinics, and positions medical creators and science communicators as a core part of the platform.

Traction

As of August 2022 the company reported approximately 200 users with content focused on glioblastoma. By May 2023 its Apple App Store listing showed a 5-star rating across 17 reviews. At the time of the November 2024 Series A, Roon said it partnered with thousands of physicians from more than 50 institutions and had built resources for conditions including ALS, glioblastoma and dementia plus fertility and family building.

Latest developments

In November 2024 Roon announced a $15M Series A co-led by Rick Heitzmann of FirstMark and Eurie Kim of Forerunner, with participation from existing investors including Soraya Darabi of TMV and Jess Lee of Sequoia Capital. Proceeds were earmarked for expanding condition coverage into women's health, cancer, neurology, metabolic health and pediatrics, and the company was hiring for open roles.