Secure Healing Inc., a start-up founded by Amit Kulkarni, MBA ’12, has developed computer security software that keeps patients’ medical records safe from prying eyes and provides alerts, in real time, of any inappropriate access to confidential information. The Michigan-minted company is currently piloting its cloud- and server-based privacy monitoring and reporting platform at two Houston hospitals, and preparing to deploy at another eight facilities, while it builds its capacity to enter the $1.5 billion global market for health-care IT security. “In July, we received full patent approval for our machine learning/artificial intelligence technology, which increased investor and customer recognition of us as an authoritative source in this industry,” reports Kulkarni, who has bootstrapped Secure Healing over the past three years. “Later this year, we hope to secure $1 million in angel funding that will enable us to hire seasoned sales and marketing people to grow our company, enhance our reputation and refine our product.” His fundraising pitch to investors at the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium in mid-June generated several promising leads, as well as good exposure for the company. Kulkarni credits the Zell Lurie Institute and the Zell Entrepreneurship and Law program, or ZEAL, for providing the manpower, proving ground and grant funding to help him shape and advance his start-up venture while earning his degree in Ross’ Part-time MBA program. “I took a New Venture Creation course taught by Entrepreneurial-studies Professor Jim Price in 2011 and formed a team with my classmates to create a business plan for Secure Healing,” Kulkarni says. He used a $10,000 Dare to Dream grant from Zell Lurie and a $1,500 grant from the Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Engineering to develop his health-care privacy auditing software, which allows medical organizations to mitigate the risk of privacy breaches and improve compliance with HIPAA and HITECH regulations. Feedback from peers and potential clients at TechArb’s Student Venture Showcase and judges at the Michigan Business Challenge allowed Kulkarni to identify and fill gaps in his business plan. He also tapped the pro bono legal services provided to start-ups on campus by ZEAL’s student-led, faculty-supervised Entrepreneurship Clinic. “ZEAL has assisted us on a variety of legal matters, including writing contracts, changing our status to a C corporation from a limited liability company and completing paperwork needed to file for our patent,” Kulkarni says. “All the steps involved with launching a business are challenging, so to get this kind of help is great.”
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