How We Built an Allergy Business on Reddit and YouTube

Like millions of Americans, Aakash Shah, 31, has struggled with allergies, leading to itchy eyes and congestion for the software engineer.

- ALI DONALDSON

Aakash Shah New York City Three-year growth rate: 1,189%

Over-the-counter antihistamines caused side effects, like drowsiness and rashes. Weekly allergy shots did not fit into his schedule. Aakash vented to his cousin, Manan Shah, 40, an ear, nose, and throat surgeon, who proposed a different option. He could treat Aakash's allergies with immunotherapy drops typically reserved for his pediatric patients, who were wary of shots. Plus, he could do it by mail. Aakash saw an opening to help his cousin grow his practice, but when they started receiving client inquiries from across the country, the cousins realized they had a bigger opportunity on their hands. The company hit $1 million in revenue in 2022, and doubled sales in 2024. Aakash explains how.

MONEY CLIPS Aakash Shah's telehealth business took inspiration from YouTuber Marques Brownlee.

Basically my whole life, I couldn't breathe, but I never tried to fix it. I was treating myself with Benadryl and dealing with all the side effects. The stuff you get over the counter is basically like a Band-Aid for your symptoms. It doesn't fix the root cause.