Ex-adlander Charlie Gearside set for windfall after $1.6 billion Eucalyptus sale
"Content guy" Charlie Gearside in action
A former art director for M+C Saatchi and Special Group is poised for a major payday after the weight-loss telehealth start-up he co-founded, Eucalyptus, was sold for A$1.6 billion.
Charlie Gearside, a self-described “content guy”, was one of four founders of Eucalyptus. The group owns Juniper, a brand that has drawn criticism for its aggressive promotion of weight-loss treatments, including the drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro.
The Australian-founded company has now been sold in an all-cash deal to New York-listed obesity drugs giant Hims & Hers Health, reportedly netting its most prominent founder and CEO Tim Doyle $163 million for his 10% share.
Gearside previously spent four years in advertising, first at M+C Saatchi and then Special Group, before joining the Australian start-up Koala as creative director in 2017.
At the time, he wrote about moving client-side for Mumbrella, challenging the stigma around what is often seen as the “easy route.”
Two years later, he joined Doyle, alongside Benny Kleist and Alexey Mitkoto, to launch the health-focused start-up Eucalyptus. The group includes Pilot, a men-targeted telehealth service offering treatments for sexual performance, hair loss, and weight management; Juniper, a women-focused weight-loss platform; and Software Skin, a subscription-based health service.
Although no longer a director, Gearside remains listed as a co-founder and has written on Linkedin he works on “product, growth, and creative in technology startups,” including Eucalyptus.
Due to multiple rounds of venture-capital funding, Gearside’s current shareholding is unclear, though he initially invested $300 for 10,000 shares at $0.03 each, according to registration filings.
Gearside’s work at Pilot, where he was GM until January 2025, included an outdoor campaign highlighting men’s mental health around R U OK Day, with the challenger line “We are not Ok”.
Meanwhile, Eucalyptus’ brand Juniper has drawn scrutiny from eating disorder charities, particularly after last year’s Black Friday sale.
Juniper’s most recent Black Friday deal
While it is illegal to sell prescription medications directly to consumers in Australia, Juniper has built a substantial marketing presence across digital, outdoor, and TV channels, promoting consultations for GLP-1 weight-loss treatments.
Gearside, alongside fellow Eucalyptus co-founder Mitko and former Starcom chairman John Sintras, also helped lead a $2.4 million seed funding round for Mutinex in 2022, where he was previously a board member.
Today, Gearside writes a newsletter and runs a Youtube channel with 11,000 subscribers, producing videos focused on “helping Australia think big and start being the best at stuff again.”
Related Content
