NEW YORK — Rowan, a female-founded startup powering the future of ear piercing, has scooped up $20 million Series B funding led by VMG Partners. Additional investors include Thirty Five Ventures, TABLE Management, Beechwood Capital, Silas Capital, Goldcrest Capital and entrepreneur Sara Foster.
With the capital, Rowan will expand its brick-and-mortar footprint, with locations in Miami, Denver and Atlanta expected by end of Q1 2022; hire additional nurses; and build its product assortment of hypoallergenic jewelry to ensure that ear piercing is a safe occasion for all.
“At Rowan, we believe that ear piercing is a powerful and symbolic milestone that deserves a safe and modernized approach for all, no matter one’s age, gender, culture or financial status,” says Founder and CEO Louisa Serene Schneider. “We are incredibly excited to use this raise to move forward with aggressive growth plans as we continue to experience demand for Rowan’s safe and innovative piercing by licensed nurses and post-piercing styling with Rowan’s beautiful, hypoallergenic jewelry.”
In addition to creating more access to their piercings for consumers, Rowan is also looking to use the upcoming brick-and-mortar openings and expansion to create additional job opportunities and alternatives for licensed nurses across the country. Throughout the pandemic, Rowan has prioritized nurses by providing rewarding work in a safe and stable environment.
“Rowan has demonstrated its ability to disrupt the piercing and jewelry landscape by providing a celebratory moment for all consumers,” says Alisa Williams, a Partner at VMG. “Rowan’s focus on safety has been demonstrated through the development of an incredible nurse network that delivers a quality piercing experience to each person. We are excited to partner with Rowan as they continue to expand nationwide and offer unique jewelry pieces to each individual.”
Rowan launched in 2018, after Schneider sought out a safe and celebratory piercing experience for her young daughter. “The mall was tired and felt unsafe, and piercing by our pediatrician would have been a missed opportunity to celebrate a milestone,” Schneider shares. She recognized that the ear piercing market was long overdue for modernization. By offering piercings by licensed nurses at each location and exclusive nickel-free jewelry made for freshly pierced ears, Rowan aims to honor piercing as an important milestone and deliver a safe and positive outcome for all.
Since launch, Rowan has completed over 150,000 piercings and grown to amass two brick-and-mortar locations in NYC and Connecticut, with its piercing services also available in more than 250 Target stores nationwide. In addition to the piercing services, the brand also offers a variety of hypoallergenic earrings through their direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform.
