WellTheory is an early-stage company on a mission to reverse the autoimmune epidemic. Pulse 2.0 interviewed WellTheory co-founder and CEO Ellen Rudolph to learn more about the company.
Ellen Rudolph’s Background
Before starting WellTheory, Rudolph spent years building early-stage consumer businesses from the group up. And Rudolph said:
“I led the team responsible for the marketing website at Oscar Health, the first health insurance company built around a full-stack technology platform. Before that, I helped build e-commerce pioneer Everlane’s retail technology stack as one of its first product managers.”
“I graduated from Stanford University with Distinction where I received a bachelor’s degree in Product Design Engineering and was elected to Pi Beta Kappa. I am an active angel investor in early-stage female-founded and digital health companies and mentor women in tech and founders in my free time. I am also a functional medicine certified health coach and nerd out on all things gut health.”
Formation Of WellTheory
How did the idea for WellTheory come together? Rudolph shared:
“Building WellTheory is deeply personal because it was inspired by my own health challenges and what I wish I had earlier on in my journey. Unfortunately, while I was climbing the corporate ladder, I started to navigate a chronic health mystery that left me completely bedridden at the age of 25. I started to experience a whole host of mysterious, seemingly unexplainable symptoms, ranging from debilitating fatigue to brain fog, GI issues, and many more. I went to doctor after doctor, and unfortunately got no answers. In that process, my symptoms were dismissed, and I was told it was all in my head, I often referred to therapists who could help me with my “psychological issues.” I really believed in my heart that there was something more deeply rooted going on, and eventually, I learned that what I was dealing with was autoimmune in nature.”
“From there, I fell down the PubMed rabbit hole and began to educate myself on what I was putting in and on my body, embracing using food as medicine and transforming my entire lifestyle. As time went on, I was able to reverse many of the symptoms I was experiencing and reclaim my health.”
“Through my research, I learned that I wasn’t the only one who’s had that experience— there are an estimated 50M Americans suffering from autoimmune conditions, and the rates are skyrocketing. Unfortunately, autoimmune disease is truly a women’s health crisis—80% of patients with autoimmune disease are women, with certain conditions that are 16 times more common in women. It became clear to me that there were so many others just like me who were experiencing the major systemic gaps that exist in the standard of care today, so I teamed up with my cofounders Claire and Wallace to tackle this problem, and WellTheory was born.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Rudolph reflected:
“There are too many to count, but one that stands out is the early days of founding WellTheory. About three years ago, I was scrolling on TikTok and had the crazy idea to share my health story publicly on the platform in the hopes I could help someone else navigate their own health journey. One day, I posted a video talking about symptoms I was told were normal that was actually an autoimmune disease, and to my shock, 1.6 million people watched it.”
“I have a vivid memory of just refreshing my app and seeing the notifications flowing in at a faster rate than I could process. As I sifted through thousands of comments, I realized how underserved our community was and how desperately we needed better support and tools.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Rudolph explained:
“WellTheory is a virtual care platform working to reverse the autoimmune epidemic and give voice to the 50+ million Americans who suffer, often in silence, with ‘invisible illnesses’ – conditions that are under-served and under-recognized by traditional medicine and disproportionately impact women and minorities.”
“Our proprietary care model is built on over a decade of clinical evidence and has demonstrated an ability to support clinical remission and lower usage of high-cost medications in peer-reviewed published papers. The platform provides whole-body care that addresses the underlying causes of autoimmunity and supports individuals no matter where they are in their journey.”
“What’s included for members:
- Access to a collaborative care team made up of autoimmune experts, including licensed registered dietitians, board-certified health coaches, and care coordinators who specialize in autoimmune disease
- 1:1 video sessions and unlimited messaging with your dedicated care team
- Personalized 360-degree care plan and ongoing accountability and guidance
- Invitation to expert-led masterclasses, office hours, and a supportive autoimmune community
- Access to advanced testing, discounted supplements & products, and other member perks”
Challenges Faced
What challenges has Rudolph faced in her work sector? Rudolph acknowledged:
“In 2023, women raised only 1.8% of all venture funds allocated, which was the lowest it’s been since 2016. There is definitely gender bias in the fundraising process, and I experienced it firsthand. I got pushback from male VCs in particular and skepticism about the market and whether it was ‘too niche.’”
“One of my explicit goals when we went out to fundraise was that I wanted my cap table to reflect the patients we’re serving. Autoimmune disease disproportionately affects women and women typically take on the role of ‘Chief Medical Officer’ in their own homes, so it was really important to have investors who got it.”
“If I were to go back in time and give myself advice, I would tell myself not to burn energy on ‘maybes.’ Good investors can get to ‘yes’ quickly, especially if a deal is moving fast, and unfortunately investors have very little incentive to say ‘no.’ And at the end of the day, all you need is one person to believe in your vision and be willing to make the bet on you.”
Evolution Of WellTheory’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Rudolph noted:
“Not only do we have our virtual platform available to consumers, but in October 2023, we launched our enterprise solution, accelerating access to a new standard of autoimmune care. Our enterprise solution enables employers and payers to offer autoimmune care through our platform.”
“Our all-in-one enterprise solution is tailored to the unique needs of health plans, employers, businesses, employees, and members to drive and reduce costs at scale. It seamlessly integrates into an enterprise’s existing ecosystem and embeds within their network of providers, carriers, and other benefits to support a streamlined membership experience.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the WellTheory’s most significant milestones? Rudolph cited:
“Last month, we announced our first enterprise partner, Maven Clinic – the world’s largest virtual clinic for women’s and family health. Through this partnership, Maven Clinic employees now have free access to our platform, which offers evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle coaching to reduce autoimmune symptoms. Maven employees will be able to receive comprehensive care no matter where they are in their journey, including a collaborative care team, tailored 360-degree care, and high-touch ongoing guidance.”
“Offering employers like Maven Clinic access to our platform is a deeply personal pursuit for me as I was left unable to work when I should have been at the prime of my life because of autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases have been statistically proven to be a women’s health crisis, and I couldn’t think of a better partner than Maven who understands the gravity of this growing epidemic and shares our mission to provide high-quality care to a population that desperately needs it.”
Customer Success Stories
After asking Rudolph about customer success stories, she highlighted:
“Since launching our direct-to-consumer solution, WellTheory has achieved transformative outcomes, including 85% improvement reduction in fatigue, 53% reduction of pain, and 74% increase in general life satisfaction within 20 weeks; 85% decrease in ER and urgent care visits within 16 weeks; 43% reduction in unnecessary specialty and visits and outpatient care within 16 weeks; and more than $11,000 estimated annual savings per member on biologics.”
Funding
After asking Rudolph about the company’s funding, she revealed:
“To date, we have raised $7.2 million in seed funding led by Accel. Other participants in the round include Lux Capital, Box Group, Rock Health, as well as other incredible operators including the CEOs of Everlane, Maven, and Pillpack, to name a few.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Rudolph concluded:
“Despite the staggering financial and societal impact of autoimmune disease, there’s a massive white space in autoimmune care solutions for payers and employers because autoimmune disease is incredibly complex and as a result, has largely been ignored due to a lack of understanding and expertise. At WellTheory, we are creating the category for autoimmune disease. Our big focus is on continuing to drive access to reach more autoimmune patients because our vision is to reach every single individual with autoimmune disease and give them the agency to take control of their health.”
