Hey Rowan
Rowan operates 100+ U.S. ear piercing studios staffed exclusively by licensed nurses, paired with a DTC e-commerce platform selling premium hypoallergenic jewelry (14k gold, titanium, platinum). Founded in 2019, it serves families and adults seeking safe, nurse-led clinical piercing services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Hey Rowan does
Rowan, Inc. (DBA Rowan / Hey Rowan) is a New York-based specialty consumer company that operates a national chain of ear piercing studios staffed exclusively by licensed Registered Nurses, paired with a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform selling premium hypoallergenic jewelry. Founded in 2019 by Louisa Schneider after she was unable to find a safe, clinically rigorous option for her daughter's ear piercing, the company positions piercing as a medical procedure rather than a beauty service. Services are priced on a unit basis (e.g., $35 per single device piercing, $50 per double device piercing, $35 per needle piercing, $45 per nose piercing, $25 per post change) plus jewelry, with gift cards in $25-$400 denominations available for both in-studio and online redemption.
The company's core operating technology is the Rowan Clinical Piercing Standard — a proprietary, trademarked set of protocols developed with a Medical Advisory Board that includes a chairman of plastic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, a prosthodontist, and a board-certified pediatrician. Studios use either single-use hollow-bore sterilized needles (ages 5+) or a hand-pressurized device (ages 2 months+ with DTaP), explicitly avoiding spring-loaded piercing guns. Nurses undergo more than 100 hours of specialized training, and Rowan claims an adverse-outcome rate of less than 1% versus a cited industry average of 30%. The product side spans over 400 SKUs across hoops, studs, huggies, and cuffs in 14k gold, gold vermeil, 24k gold over titanium, sterling silver, surgical-grade stainless steel, titanium, and platinum; ancillary lines include Advanced Aftercare Spray (hypochlorous-based), a Piercing Pillow, and replacement backs.
Rowan monetizes piercing services and jewelry sales through two channels: a growing physical footprint of 100+ studios spread across 25+ U.S. states and a Shopify-powered DTC website that ships within the U.S. with free shipping above $150. Customer acquisition is driven by earned media (Today Show, NY Times, WSJ, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Modern Retail, Parents), organic social on Instagram and TikTok, an email list with a 10% first-purchase incentive, and a content-marketing "Piercing 101" blog. Per the Entrepreneur feature, revenue reached approximately $100 million; the company is venture-backed with a $4M Friends & Family round in 2019 and a $20M Series A led by VMG Partners in October 2021, with no subsequent funding rounds disclosed.
Hey Rowan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hey Rowan
- Legal name
- Rowan, Inc.
- Website
- https://heyrowan.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Rowan operates 100+ U.S. ear piercing studios staffed exclusively by licensed nurses, paired with a DTC e-commerce platform selling premium hypoallergenic jewelry (14k gold, titanium, platinum). Founded in 2019, it serves families and adults seeking safe, nurse-led clinical piercing services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hey Rowan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Ear Piercing Services & Hypoallergenic Jewelry Retail
- NAICS
- Hair, Nail, and Skin Care Services (81211)
- SIC
- Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944), Services-Health Services (8000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Eye, Ear & Nasal Care OTC (Eye Drops, Ear Drops/Wax Removal, Saline Sprays) (CRADAMAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Pearl & Bead Stringing / Re-stringing (CRAKALAL)
Keywords
Where Hey Rowan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hey Rowan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Piercing Services: Professional ear piercing services performed by licensed nurses. Revenue generated from device piercing, needle piercing, and nose piercing services, plus post-change and jewelry change services.
- Hypoallergenic Jewelry Sales: Sale of premium hypoallergenic earrings including hoops, studs, 14k gold, and accessories. Revenue from both initial piercing jewelry and subsequent jewelry purchases for healed piercings.
- Gift Cards: Digital gift cards redeemable for products and piercing services at all Rowan Studios and Online.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Device Piercing - Single |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Device Piercing - Double |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Needle Piercing Service |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Nose Piercing Service |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Post Change Service |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Needle Piercing Jewelry |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Device Piercing Jewelry |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Hey Rowan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hey Rowan operates professional ear piercing services performed exclusively by licensed nurses in 100+ nationwide studios and sells hypoallergenic earrings, aftercare products, and accessories through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce site. Services include device piercing (ages 2 months+), needle piercing (ages 5+), nose piercing (ages 13+), and post-change jewelry swaps, all delivered under the proprietary Rowan Clinical Piercing Standard with hypoallergenic jewelry as the only metals offered.
Product overview
Hey Rowan operates as a dual offering business combining professional ear piercing services with a curated hypoallergenic jewelry e-commerce platform. The service side centers on the Rowan Clinical Piercing Standard, where licensed nurses perform piercings using two methods: needle piercing (for ages 5+) and device piercing (for ages 2 months+). The product side offers over 400 hypoallergenic earrings across multiple collections including New Arrivals, Summer Crush, Bestsellers, Essentials, Endless Hoops, 14k Gold, and Shop Bundles. Jewelry categories span hoops, studs, huggies, and accessories in premium metals (14k gold, 24k gold over titanium, gold vermeil, sterling silver, titanium, platinum). Aftercare products including Advanced Aftercare Spray and Piercing Pillows complement the core offerings. Gift cards provide additional gifting options. All piercings include complimentary aftercare evaluation, and jewelry changes are offered with purchase.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Piercing Services Professional ear piercing performed exclusively by licensed nurses using needle or hand-pressurized device methods. Includes lobe, helix, mid helix, forward helix, flat, conch, and tragus piercings delivered under the Rowan Clinical Piercing Standard. Designed for children and adults.
- Nose Piercing Service Nose piercing service performed by licensed nurses for clients ages 13 and older, priced at $45 per piercing.
- Post Change Service Jewelry change service offered Monday–Friday for post-piercing jewelry swaps, priced at $25 per change. Complimentary with purchase of a pair of hypoallergenic earrings.
- Hypoallergenic Earrings Nickel-free, premium-metal earrings including hoops, studs, huggies, and cuffs. Materials include 14k gold, 24k gold over titanium, gold vermeil, sterling silver, surgical grade stainless steel, titanium, and platinum. Sold via e-commerce and in studios.
- Advanced Aftercare Spray Hypochlorous-based aftercare spray for cleaning new piercings, recommended for use 2–3 times daily during the healing process.
- Rowan Piercing Pillow Specialty pillow designed to prevent sleeping on new piercings during the healing process.
- Rowan Digital Gift Cards Electronic gift cards available in denominations from $25 to $400, redeemable for merchandise and piercing services at all Rowan Studios and online.
Quantifiable outcome
- Adverse outcome rate of less than 1% compared to industry average of 30%
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hey Rowan
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hey Rowan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Hey Rowan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Vita CocominorRowan partnered with Vita Coco for summer promotional collaboration, offering Vita Coco Frosted Lemonade and Cherry products at Rowan studios. Partnership included limited edition themed earrings with proceeds from CZ Bow Huggies going to NextGenFace charity.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hey Rowan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Claire's: Largest mall-based ear piercing and costume jewelry retailer in the US. Directly comparable as a piercing-plus-jewelry retailer, though positioned at the value end versus Rowan's premium medical positioning.
- Studs: Modern ear piercing studio with a similar DTC, millennial-focused brand and jewelry attach. Most direct contemporary competitor on positioning, demographic, and ear-stack merchandising.
- Astrid & Miyu: UK-based piercing studio and jewelry brand offering in-store piercing services plus premium earrings. Directly comparable retail-plus-service model and ear-curation merchandising.
- Mejuri: Premium D2C fine jewelry brand with everyday-earring focus and showroom retail. Comparable on the jewelry side as a premium earring destination targeting similar demographics.
- Lovisa: Global fast-fashion jewelry retailer with 1,700+ stores. Comparable on the jewelry retail side, especially at lower price tiers and trend-driven earrings.
- BaubleBar: D2C and wholesale fashion jewelry brand with strong earring assortment and personalization. Comparable on the online jewelry side and gift-oriented positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Pandora: Global mass-market jewelry brand with strong earring/charm franchise. Comparable as a much larger incumbent in everyday jewelry; broader assortment and global scale.
- Kendra Scott: Multi-channel women's jewelry and lifestyle brand with retail stores and D2C. Comparable retail showroom model and women's accessory positioning, but broader than ear piercing.
Emerging players
- Catbird: Independent Brooklyn-based jewelry brand and piercing studio with strong ear-curation branding. Comparable as a niche piercing-plus-jewelry concept with similar aesthetic.
Others
- Ban.do: Lifestyle and accessories brand with jewelry in assortment. Adjacent as a female millennial lifestyle brand but does not operate piercing services or core fine-jewelry category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hey Rowan social profiles
Digital presenceHey Rowan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hey Rowan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Hey Rowan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hey Rowan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hey Rowan
What does Hey Rowan do?
Hey Rowan operates professional ear piercing services performed exclusively by licensed nurses in 100+ nationwide studios and sells hypoallergenic earrings, aftercare products, and accessories through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce site. Services include device piercing (ages 2 months+), needle piercing (ages 5+), nose piercing (ages 13+), and post-change jewelry swaps, all delivered under the proprietary Rowan Clinical Piercing Standard with hypoallergenic jewelry as the only metals offered.
Is Hey Rowan a public or private company?
Hey Rowan is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Hey Rowan founded?
Hey Rowan was founded in 2019. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Hey Rowan based?
Hey Rowan is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hey Rowan make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Piercing Services are the primary driver. The others are hypoallergenic Jewelry Sales and gift Cards.
Who are Hey Rowan's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Claire's, Studs, Astrid & Miyu, Mejuri, Lovisa and BaubleBar. Broad incumbents are Pandora and Kendra Scott. Catbird is listed as an emerging player. Ban.do is listed as an others.
Does Hey Rowan have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hey Rowan.
What industry is Hey Rowan in?
Hey Rowan's product category is Professional Ear Piercing Services & Hypoallergenic Jewelry Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAMAG, Eye, Ear & Nasal Care OTC (Eye Drops, Ear Drops/Wax Removal, Saline Sprays), with a secondary code of CRAKALAL, Pearl & Bead Stringing / Re-stringing. Its NAICS code is 81211 and its SIC code is 5944.