Nov 27, 2024 - Business

Roon raises $15 million to become a next-gen WebMD

Dan Primack

Illustration of a medical professional's pocked with a stethoscope and a cursor inside — Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios

Roon, a video Q&A platform for health care, has raised $15 million in Series A funding co-led by Forerunner and FirstMark Capital.

Why it matters: Many of us have used WebMD or Dr. Google to double check medical symptoms or a treatment, including for loved ones, only to remember that they're full of unvetted noise. Roon could become an antidote for both patients and caregivers, via its vetted, short-form videos created by real doctors.

What they're saying: "So much of what's out there is a cesspool full of advertisers preying on the vulnerable, pretending to have authority," says FirstMark Capital partner Rick Heitzmann.

"This is an expert-led network that's creating guides to help people really understand what's happening, including disease progression and treatment, which can be shared with caregivers and others in the community."

Details: The New York-based startup isn't yet monetizing, but is likely to eventually launch subscription offerings.

Other investors include Sequoia Capital and TMV, while Roon's co-founders are at the intersection of surgery (Weill Cornell Medicine) and SEO (Pinterest).

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Roon raises $15 million to become a next-gen WebMD

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