What Curology does

Curology is a San Diego-based, dermatologist-founded telehealth skincare company that has served more than 5.5 million patients since 2014 by combining remote consultations with personalized compounded prescription formulations. Its core technology stack pairs a self-serve telehealth platform (web and mobile) with an in-house network of licensed dermatology providers who review patient questionnaires and photos to prescribe individualized Rx formulas targeting acne, rosacea, dark spots, anti-aging, hyperpigmentation, and hair loss. The platform also operates a fulfillment pipeline via a contracted partner pharmacy (Personalized Skin Solutions, Inc., Imperial, PA) and recently deployed Decagon's AI agent for customer support, raising automated chat resolution from 5% to 80% of tickets.

The business model blends subscription recurring revenue from Rx products (Custom Formula, DayPrimeRx, HydroTret, Body Cleanse, Hair Formula at $28–$59.90/month) with one-time sales of non-Rx skincare items ($7–$35) and wholesale revenue through brick-and-mortar retail. GTM is hybrid: a $5.45 trial entry point drives product-led acquisition online, while 2024 expansion into Walmart (3,338 stores), CVS nationwide, and Amazon for the sister Agency brand diversifies distribution. Customer segments include consumers with general skincare concerns, beauty-conscious users (via DayPrimeRx), and the anti-aging cohort (via Agency).

Strategically, Curology has pivoted from a DTC-only subscription model to an omnichannel retailer, added a sister brand, and shipped multiple new product lines through 2024–2025 (DayPrimeRx and an upgraded personalized Rx line). The company remains private and venture-backed, with disclosed funding of approximately $19.15M across early rounds and undisclosed amounts in 2019 and 2021. It faces a 2025 FDA/HHS enforcement action targeting DTC pharmaceutical advertising that also implicates Hims & Hers and Ro, an industry-wide regulatory risk material to Curology's direct-response marketing engine.

Name

Curology

Legal name

Curology, Inc.

Website

https://curology.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Curology is a dermatologist-founded, San Diego-based telehealth company that has served 5.5M+ patients since 2014 with personalized prescription skincare formulations for acne, rosacea, anti-aging, and related concerns, distributed via subscription, Walmart, CVS, and Amazon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telehealth Dermatology & Personalized Prescription Skincare

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Dermatology Telemedicine Platforms (HLALAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dermatology & Acne Prescribing + Pharmacy Delivery Platforms (HLALAIAK), Dermocosmetics & Medical-Grade Skincare (CRABAAAF), Treatment Skincare (Serums, Actives, Acne & Anti-aging) (CRABAAAB)

Keywords

• Prescription skincare
• Telehealth dermatology
• Personalized skincare
• Custom skincare formulas
• Acne treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Prescription Formula Subscriptions: Core revenue stream from personalized prescription skincare formulas delivered on a recurring subscription basis. Customers pay monthly for their customized Rx treatments, with automatic refills. Initial trial period offered at $5.45 S&H for new subscribers.
2. Non-Prescription Skincare Products: Direct product sales of non-prescription skincare items including cleansers, moisturizers, serums, spot patches, and body care products. Sold through e-commerce and retail channels at various price points ($7-$35).
3. Retail Distribution: Revenue from wholesale product distribution through retail partners including Walmart (3,338 stores) and CVS Pharmacy nationwide. Products sold through third-party retail channels complement direct-to-consumer subscription model.
4. Agency Brand (Sister Brand): Curology's aging-forward skincare brand Agency launched at Amazon and CVS in 2024, representing a separate product line targeting anti-aging consumers through the Agency brand.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Curology provides personalized prescription skincare through a direct-to-consumer telehealth platform. Patients complete an online consultation with photos, are matched with in-house licensed dermatology providers who prescribe custom-compounded formulas for concerns such as acne, rosacea, dark spots, anti-aging, and hair loss, and receive ongoing treatment with monthly subscription refills. The company also sells non-prescription skincare products through its website and major retailers including Walmart, CVS, and Amazon (via the sister brand Agency).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Agency: Aging-forward skincare brand, sister brand to Curology, launched into Amazon as its first retailer in July 2024.

Products and services

• Custom Formula Rx Personalized prescription-powered skincare formula prescribed by an in-house licensed dermatology provider based on the patient's online consultation and photos, targeting acne, rosacea, dark spots, and other concerns; delivered monthly via subscription at $34.95 per 30-day supply after a $5.45 S&H trial.
• DayPrime Rx Hybrid prescription-powered acne treatment plus blurring makeup primer in a single product, allowing users to treat acne while priming skin for makeup application; available by subscription.
• HydroTret Rx Hydrating tretinoin-powered personalized prescription treatment targeting texture and hydration for smoother, healthier-looking skin; priced at $34.95-$59.90 per supply on subscription depending on formula customization.
• Body Cleanse Rx Prescription-powered personalized in-shower body wash formulated to cleanse and help treat body acne; priced at $28 per supply on subscription.
• Hair Formula Rx Personalized prescription-powered formula designed to stimulate hair growth, prescribed by Curology's licensed dermatology providers after online consultation.
• Non-Rx Skincare Products Non-prescription skincare lineup of cleansers ($7-$15), moisturizers ($9-$21), serums ($23-$28), spot patches ($9-$16), and body wash ($15) sold through curology.com and retail partners such as Walmart and CVS; available pay-as-you-go or via value sets.
• Agency (Aging-forward Skincare Sister Brand) Aging-forward skincare brand owned by Curology, targeting anti-aging consumers through Amazon with related product lines addressing fine lines, wrinkles, texture, and hydration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90.5% of patients saw improvement in acne at 3 weeks (clinical trial of 150 patients)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• DecagoncoreTechnology or Integration · 19 January 2026Decagon, an AI customer support solutions provider, partnered with Curology to implement an AI agent that reduced customer support operation costs by 65%. The implementation centralized Curology's support channels and increased chat ticket handling from 5% to 80% of total volume. Decagon also supports Curology's sister brand Agency under the same unified system.
• WalmartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 August 2024Curology expanded into Walmart stores nationwide in August 2024, launching in 3,338 Walmart stores across the US. The partnership represents a significant retail expansion beyond direct-to-consumer channels, making Curology products accessible to Walmart's customer base through physical retail presence.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 31 July 2024Curology's sister brand 'Agency' (aging-forward skincare) launched exclusively on Amazon as its first retailer in August 2024. The Amazon partnership targets anti-aging skincare consumers through the separate Agency brand.
• CVS PharmacycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 22 July 2024Curology launched nationwide at CVS Pharmacy stores in July 2024, expanding retail footprint alongside the Walmart partnership. The CVS partnership provides additional brick-and-mortar retail accessibility for Curology products.
• Personalized Skin Solutions, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner pharmacy located in Imperial, PA (Pittsburgh area) that prepares and dispenses Curology's compounded prescription formulations. Represents a critical operational partnership in the telehealth pharmacy fulfillment workflow.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Skin+Me: UK-based personalized prescription skincare company offering dermatologist-formulated treatments via subscription. Highly comparable business model and product offering, but operates primarily in the UK/European market rather than competing directly in the US.
• Dermatica: UK-based personalized prescription skincare service combining dermatologist consultations with customized compounded formulas. Strong model overlap with Curology, but focused on UK/Europe rather than US market.

Direct peers

• Hims & Hers Health: Largest DTC telehealth platform offering prescription and OTC personal care products including skincare, haircare, and acne treatment. Directly comparable to Curology's DTC subscription model and overlapping customer base, though broader in scope (also covers ED, weight loss, mental health).
• Ro: DTC telehealth company operating across dermatology, men's/women's health, and weight loss with Roman and Rory brands. Directly comparable as a multi-condition telehealth platform with prescription fulfillment and subscription model overlapping Curology's core offering.
• Apostrophe: DTC telehealth dermatology platform providing personalized prescription skincare through online consultations with dermatologists. Closest direct peer to Curology with nearly identical value proposition: customized Rx formulas for acne, rosacea, and anti-aging delivered via subscription.
• Musely: DTC telehealth skincare platform offering prescription treatments for aging, melasma, and acne through online dermatology consultations. Comparable subscription-based prescription skincare model targeting similar consumer concerns.

Broad incumbents

• Proactiv: Established mass-market acne treatment brand selling 3-step systems and subscription kits through retail and DTC channels. Comparable target customer (acne sufferers) and subscription approach, but without the personalized Rx/telehealth consultation model.
• GoodRx / Nurx: Broader digital health platform offering telehealth consultations and prescription fulfillment across multiple conditions. Comparable in operating a prescription telehealth platform, though less focused on personalized skincare formulations specifically.

Emerging players

• Agency (Curology sub-brand): Curology's own anti-aging sister brand launched on Amazon. Included as a peer to contextualize the parent-sub-brand dynamic within Curology's broader portfolio strategy targeting adjacent consumer segments.
• Keeps: DTC telehealth brand offering prescription hair loss treatments for men, with adjacent scalp/skin wellness offerings. Comparable DTC telehealth subscription model and target demographic (millennial/Gen X men seeking prescription personal care).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@curology
• Facebookfacebook.com/Curology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/curology
• Instagraminstagram.com/curology
• TikToktiktok.com/@curology
• Pinterestpinterest.com/curology
• Xx.com/curologyusa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Curology