Shotsy — Why We Invested
By Eric Shan, Springbank VC Fellow
Obesity in America has been rising since the 1970s. Today, over 40% of adults have obesity, and nearly 10% have severe obesity. But losing weight has been a losing battle for most people until recently. GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have broken open the world of weight management and changed how we approach metabolic health, with studies showing users achieve upwards of 15–20% “permanent” weight loss. This spreads to other facets of peoples’ lives too: many patients report experiencing social situations and the world differently after losing weight. Among American adults, 12% have used a GLP-1 drug at some point, and 6% are currently using one — numbers that will only continue to grow. Over 30% of Americans are interested in using a GLP-1, and 40 million people worldwide are expected to be on one of these medications by 2029. Adding to the excitement is promising early data suggesting GLP-1s may also be effective in treating other addictive behaviors.
But, with exploding demand for the medication, the supply of capable healthcare providers who can help patients navigate weight loss can’t keep up. Most patients will only see their doctor monthly or bi-monthly, and for the 11% of patients who receive their prescription via telemedicine vendors, the oversight and coaching could be even sparser. In a world where we are used to immediate feedback and wearable access to personal health data, this feels particularly insufficient and has led to a growing tendency of patients to take their health into their own hands and unlock DIY healthcare.
Enter Shotsy. The company was founded by repeat entrepreneur and seasoned app developer Aja Beckett based on her own experiences using Mounjaro for weight loss. When she couldn’t find a solution to help her manage her medication, she decided to create one. After sharing it with some friends and in a Reddit subgroup for GLP-1 users, she knew she was on to something. Shotsy is a health tracking app on both iOS and Android for people using GLP-1s — from figuring out a medication injection regimen, to following weight loss progress, to monitoring side effects.
Getting GLP-1s just right is important. Too low a dose may prevent someone from achieving their desired weight loss or metabolic benefits. And too high a dose may lead to adverse effects like gastrointestinal upset. While there are general guidelines for GLP-1 dosing and titration, there remains wiggle room for personalization — what works well for one patient might not work for another. Furthermore, the GLP-1 titration process often spans multiple months, and Shotsy will be a companion not only during this critical period but also as users continue during maintenance mode.
Weight loss unlocks a new world for people — from clothing shopping to dating to nutrition — and Shotsy is perfectly positioned to help its growing base of users navigate these lifestyle changes. Furthermore, we expect that Shotsy will become one of the world’s largest databases of GLP-1 health data, which will be invaluable for monitoring and understanding these medications. And that’s all just for weight-loss. As GLP-1 delivery form factors evolve and the drugs potentially gain approval for other behavior-change use-cases, the ceiling for Shotsy only grows.
It’s no surprise then that Shotsy has taken off in the eight months since it launched. The app has garnered over 100,000 downloads, hitting a $1M revenue run rate. They’ve also enjoyed a first-mover advantage to cement themselves as a leader on the App Store, with nearly 2,000 reviews driving strong organic growth.
Our investment in Shotsy is representative of our hope for a world where patients have the tools they need to manage their own health preventively and proactively. More information means better decision-making, which means a healthier population. This DIY movement will not happen in isolation — we’re thrilled about the ways in which insights from Shotsy will inform how patients interact with healthcare providers, their communities, and the world. We couldn’t be more excited to support Shotsy and partner with Aja on empowering more healthcare consumers.
