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The key path
- Evolu co-founder Becca McCarthy saw the massive GLP-1 trend—and created a natural alternative to match it.
- He believes that appetite control does not require prescriptions, needles, or stigma.
Becca McCarthy says she’s always been good at recognizing when she’s about to go mainstream. He has spent his career inside startups, helping turn early interest into real markets before most people realize there is a demand for them.
That’s why, a few years ago, when he started hearing people in his network talking about GLP-1 drugs, he paid attention. GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Zipbound are among the fastest-growing prescription drugs in the U.S., with total GLP-1 sales estimated at nearly $50 billion worldwide.
But McCarthy was hearing about them long before they became cultural shorthand. Her otherwise healthy friends and family were injecting these drugs for weight loss and mostly kept to themselves. Using medications designed for diabetes to manage appetite is a stigma. It was considered a fraud and ran counter to the wellness world’s insistence on clean eating, discipline, and willpower.
That’s when he saw the difference in opportunity. “I thought, what if you can come up with a solution to this massive demand that is creating for efficacy from GLP-1 receptor activation without bothering the diet and exercise police, then you have a great solution.”
The answer eventually became Evolov, a natural, oral supplement designed to mimic the effects of GLP-1 without the need for needles, prescriptions, synthetic hormones, or the decision-making that surrounds pharmaceuticals.
Related: GLP-1 drugs are forcing restaurant chains to change their menus
A natural solution
To get there, McCarthy teamed up with Dr. Corey Henderson in 2023, a molecular biologist who designed a novel peptide that could interact with GLP1 and GIP receptors in the same way that drugs do, but in a non-synthetic, natural way. The company says the product supports appetite regulation and metabolic function by activating the same pathways that make pharmaceutical GLP-1s so compelling—but through a natural mechanism that starts in the gut.
They experimented with different delivery methods — first a shake, then a dietary supplement — and finally landed on a pill. Once he received encouraging feedback from the initial data, McCarthy fully committed. “I realized this would change the world. So I just went all in,” she says.
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Overcoming obstacles
McCarthy had to overcome his share of obstacles. Most consistently being taken seriously as a female founder. “There’s an inherent bias that we’re up against, where it’s really easy for me to be perceived as a highly competent and investable founder or entrepreneur or boss or leader, but it’s very difficult for me to be perceived as competent in that role,” she says.
McCarthy recalled to the Times that she went to pitch meetings and was mistaken for an admin. Once again, she was rejected only to see men funded with a very inferior idea. she says. ” she says.
Another challenge is the silence that comes with success. Users see results, but not necessarily how to achieve them. “People want everyone to think they went to a lot of Pilates classes,” she says. It’s hard to build word of mouth when most people know about a product that no one knows they’re using.
Despite the challenge of getting consumers to talk openly about products, McCarthy isn’t dwelling on the marketing dilemma. She is focused on helping people manage their appetite without the need for a doctor, prescription, or needle. These are the results that will ultimately make the biggest difference. “People just want to look better naked. So when we deliver that, that’s what works.”
The key path
- Evolu co-founder Becca McCarthy saw the massive GLP-1 trend—and created a natural alternative to match it.
- He believes that appetite control does not require prescriptions, needles, or stigma.
Becca McCarthy says she’s always been good at recognizing when she’s about to go mainstream. He has spent his career inside startups, helping turn early interest into real markets before most people realize there is a demand for them.
That’s why, a few years ago, when he started hearing people in his network talking about GLP-1 drugs, he paid attention. GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Zipbound are among the fastest-growing prescription drugs in the U.S., with total GLP-1 sales estimated at nearly $50 billion worldwide.
