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In 2018, LeBron James launched “The Shop,” an HBO talk show that was a key part of the NBA superstar’s media ambitions.
The first episode was filmed in the LA location of a startup called Barber Surgeons Guild, which itself has big ambitions…
… in the hair restoration industry
Specifically, the company wants to help men deal with balding. And this is no small beans: Per MedGadget, the hair transplant industry is projected to be worth $24B by 2023.
Founded in 2017, Barber Surgeons specializes in a technique called follicular unit extraction (FUE), which involves a robot plucking individual hairs from the skull and placing them into areas that are thinning.
“Hair transplants used to involve stripping of the actual scalp,” Barber Surgeons’s founder and CEO Justin Rome tells The Hustle. “FUE is a much better alternative.”
Not just hair transplants
Men’s health — particularly in sensitive areas — has attracted significant investor interest:
- Hims launched as a direct-to-consumer (D2C) option to treat men’s hair loss and erectile dysfunction (it went public earlier this year and is currently valued at $1.7B)
- Ro also launched to address erectile dysfunction and has raised $876m at a $5B valuation
While both of those startups have pivoted into women’s health too, Barber Surgeons remains focused on men. In addition to hair transplants, it offers a line of men’s grooming products and — of course — barber services in its shops (NY, LA).
Already on a mid-7-figure run rate, Barber Surgeons is setting its goals even higher. Just like ’Bron.
