Growing Aesthetic Community RealSelf Raises $40 Million in Round Led By Elephant to Accelerate Global Growth and Technology Innovation

SEATTLE, April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- RealSelf, Inc., the world's largest online aesthetics marketplace to learn about cosmetic treatments and connect with doctors and other clinicians, today announced it has raised $40 million in its first financing round since 2008. This brings the company's total capital raised since it was founded in 2006 to $42 million.

The round was led by Elephant, a venture capital firm focused on the consumer internet, mobile and enterprise software markets, with participation from funds managed by one of the world's leading investment management firms. Andy Hunt, Elephant co-founder, who also co-founded Warby Parker in 2010, will join the RealSelf board of directors. Hunt follows the recent appointment of Barney Harford, chief operating officer of Uber and former CEO of Orbitz. The board also includes RealSelf founder and CEO Tom Seery; Christine Petersen, CEO of TimeOut Digital; Rich Barton, founder of Expedia, Zillow and Glassdoor; Mike Slade, former Apple executive and co-founder of Second Avenue Partners.

"Our investors bring incredible experience and insight in building household name brands and businesses for the long-term. I am thrilled to have Elephant and our other new investors join our roster and welcome Andy to our board," said Seery. "We've bootstrapped RealSelf into a market leading position that helps millions learn about cosmetic treatments and connect with doctors. Now is our time to step on the gas. We are doubling down to grow awareness, drive innovation and extend our global reach to help anyone considering cosmetic treatments make more confident decisions." 

"Tom and the team at RealSelf have done an amazing job building a trusted marketplace where consumers and medical experts come together to share information and connect," said Hunt. "Historically, we have invested in companies that provide consumers with transparency in complex markets. RealSelf has built the leading platform allowing consumers to find detailed information, share stories and make better, safer decisions about extremely personal aesthetics choices. We're excited to work with Tom and his team as they continue to transform this market and advocate for consumers."

RealSelf has brought important transparency to the growing aesthetics market. Through the RealSelf website and mobile app, consumers can easily access more than 2 million anonymous patient reviews, "Worth It" ratings and photos, combined with medical expert insights, relating to hundreds of different aesthetic procedures available today. This includes everything from surgical cosmetic procedures like breast augmentation and rhinoplasty to minimally invasive treatments like Botox and new medaesthetic technologies like facial microneedling, eyebrow microblading and CoolSculpting.

In addition to learning about treatment options, consumers also use RealSelf to research and connect with doctors and other medical providers. More than 20,000 medical professionals have claimed their RealSelf profiles and participate in the community. These professionals share their expertise and insights by answering patient questions in the RealSelf Ask A Doctor Forum, posting before and after photos, and offering consultations to RealSelf members who contact them.

In 2017, there were more than 17.5 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic treatments performed in the U.S. alone, up from 13.1 million procedures in 2010.¹ The majority of growth has come from minimally invasive, non-surgical treatments, which outpaced surgeries nearly eight to one.² As consumer demand for aesthetic procedures has grown, so has RealSelf. Last year, nearly 94 million people from more than 100 countries visited RealSelf, an increase of more than 270 percent since 2013. Already, 40 percent of RealSelf users come from outside the U.S., underscoring the rising interest in aesthetics around the globe.

Last week, RealSelf announced the hiring of its first Chief Marketing Officer. Tanja Omeze most recently headed marketing for the Amazon Video store and previously led marketing at Weight Watchers, Verizon Wireless and Scholastic.

The company has more than 200 employees and is actively hiring at its Seattle headquarters for a range of positions. For more information, visit RealSelf Careers.

About RealSelf
RealSelf is the largest online marketplace for people to learn and share experiences about elective cosmetic procedures and connect with the right providers. Offering millions of photos and medical expert answers, nearly 10 million people visit RealSelf each month to find out which treatments and providers live up to their promise of being "Worth It." From simple skincare to highly considered cosmetic surgery, RealSelf makes it easy to discover what's possible and find the right professional.

About Elephant
Elephant is a venture capital firm focused on the consumer internet, mobile and enterprise software markets. The company was founded in 2015 by Andy Hunt and Jeremiah Daly. Elephant is currently an investor in KnowBe4, Allbirds, RateHub, Scopely and A Cloud Guru, amongst others.

¹ American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2017
² American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2017

SOURCE RealSelf

Related Links

http://www.realself.com