Our Story

Valo Means Light.

In Finnish. In our devices. In the way we believe medicine should work — naturally, cellularly, and accessibly.

Valo
/ˈvɑ.lo/
noun — "light"
Finnish · Scandinavian

The Meaning Behind the Name

Valo is the Finnish word for "light" — symbolizing brightness, hope, and clarity. It is a name of Scandinavian-Finnish origin, often given to represent a connection to nature and the brilliant, at times scarce, light of the Nordic region.

In Finland, where winters bring months of near-total darkness, light is not taken for granted. It is celebrated, protected, and sought after. The Finnish people understand what it means to live without enough light — and what it feels like when it returns.

We named our company Valo because that is exactly what we do: bring light back to the body. Not metaphorically. Literally. Through clinically validated wavelengths that restore cellular energy, reduce inflammation, and help your body heal the way it was designed to.

Founder's Story

Why I Started Valo

I dealt with cystic acne all over my chest and back for years. Not the kind that a better face wash fixes, the deep, painful, scarring kind that makes you dread taking your shirt off. I went to dermatologist after dermatologist. Every single one wanted to put me on creams and Accutane. I did not want to take a drug with a laundry list of side effects just to manage something my body should be able to heal on its own.

Then I discovered red light therapy. Not from a doctor. Not from an ad. From a rabbit hole of clinical studies at 2 AM. The research was overwhelming, peer-reviewed papers showing that specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light reduce inflammation, accelerate healing, and boost cellular energy production. I bought a cheap panel off Amazon. Within weeks, the inflammation was visibly calming. Within two months, my skin was clearer than it had been in a decade.

"I was not looking to start a company. I was just trying to clear my skin without Accutane."

Around the same time, my wife was going through perimenopause, the hormonal shifts, the sleep disruption, the fatigue that no amount of rest could touch. She started using the panel too. Her sleep improved. Her energy came back. Her doctor noticed the changes before she even mentioned what she was doing.

That was the moment it clicked. This was not a wellness trend. This was real medicine being ignored by mainstream healthcare. Thousands of clinical studies. Used by professional sports teams, NASA, the military. And yet most people had never heard of it, or worse, they had heard of it through cheap, underpowered Amazon devices that did not deliver a therapeutic dose.

I partnered with Dr. Patrick Roosta, a board-certified physician and sports medicine specialist who had been using photobiomodulation in his clinical practice for years. Together we built Valo to be the brand we wished existed when we were searching: clinical-grade power, honest marketing, real science, and devices that actually deliver what they promise.

Every Valo device uses the exact wavelengths and power densities from Dr. Roosta's practice. Not because it is a marketing story, because it is the only way to get real results. We will never sell an underpowered device. We will never make claims we cannot back with peer-reviewed research. And we will never stop being the company that exists because two people were desperate enough to read the studies themselves.

Andrew
Founder, Valo Red Light
Columbia, South Carolina
The People Behind the Light

Meet the Team

A founder who needed it. A physician who proved it. An optometrist who expanded it. An aesthetician who perfected it. A marketer who tells the story.

Andrew
Andrew
Founder
Started Valo after red light therapy cleared the cystic acne that years of dermatology could not, and helped his wife through the hormonal chaos of perimenopause. Leads marketing, product development, and business strategy from Columbia, SC.
Brand Strategy Product Development Columbia, SC
Dr. Patrick Roosta
Dr. Patrick Roosta, DAT,LAT, ATC
Clinical Director
Board-certified physician and sports medicine specialist who has treated over 10,000 patients with musculoskeletal injuries. Helped develop every Valo device using the exact wavelengths and power densities from his clinical practice. 15+ years in practice.
Board-Certified Physician Sports Medicine 10K+ Patients
Dr. P. Austin Eckel, O.D.
Dr. P. Austin Eckel, O.D.
Head of Optometry
Doctor of Optometry specializing in eye health and light therapy research. Leads Valo's eye health content and clinical education, helping bridge the gap between photobiomodulation science and ophthalmic application.
Doctor of Optometry Eye Health Clinical Education
Jared Strait, PA-C
Jared Strait, PA-C
Head of Aesthetics
11+ years as a Physician Assistant across emergency medicine, urgent care, and aesthetics. Co-founder of Aesthetics Radiance Medical Spa. Former PA Program educator at the University of Pittsburgh. Father of five who brings the same precision from the ER to every aesthetic treatment plan.
Physician Assistant Aesthetic Medicine Emergency Medicine PA Educator
Stacy
Stacy
Head of Marketing and Communications
Leads Valo's brand voice, content strategy, and creative direction across all channels. From UGC production to campaign strategy, Stacy ensures every piece of Valo content is authentic, science-backed, and connects with the people who need it most.
Brand Strategy Content + UGC Campaign Management
What We Stand For

Six Principles We Will Never Compromise

🔬

Science First

Every claim we make is backed by peer-reviewed research. We reference the studies. We show the data. We do not hide behind vague wellness language.

Clinical-Grade or Nothing

We will never sell an underpowered device. Every Valo product delivers the same wavelengths and power densities used in clinical research and Dr. Roosta's practice.

🗣

Honest Marketing

No fake scarcity. No inflated claims. No fear-based selling. We tell you what the science says, what our devices do, and let you decide.

🩹

Physician Led

Our Clinical Director is a board-certified physician with over 10,000 patients treated. Every product decision runs through his clinical expertise first.

💳

Accessible Pricing

Medical-grade does not have to mean medical-grade prices. Every device is HSA/FSA eligible, Affirm financing available, and priced to pay for itself within weeks.

🤝

Real Support

Questions about protocols, wavelengths, or which device to buy? Email us at support@valoredlight.com. A real person answers. Usually the same day.

By the Numbers

Valo at a Glance

10K+
Happy Customers
1,000+
Studies Referenced
4.8
Average Star Rating
4
Wavelengths Standard
0
EMF Emissions
3yr
Warranty on Every Device
60
Day Risk-Free Returns
FDA
Cleared, Class II
📍
Where We Call Home

Built in Columbia, South Carolina

Valo Red Light is proudly based in Columbia, SC. Not Silicon Valley. Not a faceless DTC warehouse. A real team in a real city, building real products for real people.

Every customer email goes to our inbox. Every product decision is made by the people whose names are on the brand. And every device ships with the same care we would want if we were the one opening the box — because most of the time, we were the customer first.

Ready to Bring Light Back?

Every device is FDA cleared, physician designed, and backed by a 60-day risk-free guarantee. If the science does not convince you, the results will.

✓ Free 2-Day Shipping
✓ 60-Day Returns
✓ HSA/FSA Eligible
✓ 3-Year Warranty
Stay Strong.