{"680712":{"#nid":"680712","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mechanical Engineers Turn Classroom Project Into Promising Health Tech Company","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBradford \u201cBrad\u201d Greer (bottom) and Kevin Ge (top), both 2023 graduates from the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, have taken their startup, CADMUS Health Analytics, from a classroom project to a promising health tech company. In 2023, CADMUS was accepted into the CREATE-X Startup Launch program. Over the 12-week accelerator, CADMUS made significant strides, and program mentors provided expert guidance, helping the team focus their direction based on real-world needs. Their partnership with Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) was a direct result of connections made at Startup Launch\u2019s Demo Day.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did you first hear about\u0026nbsp;CREATE-X?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe did the CREATE-X Capstone with an initial team of seven people, later transitioning to Startup Launch in the summer. Capstone required a hardware product, but for several reasons, we pivoted to software. By that point, we already had a grasp on the problem that we were working on but didn\u0027t have the resources to start working on a large hardware product.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy did you decide to pursue your startup?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of our close buddies was an emergency medical technician (EMT), and we also had family connections to EMTs. When we were doing our customer interviews, we found out that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) had multiple problems that we thought we\u0027d like to work on and that were more accessible than the broader medical technology industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat was Startup Launch like for you?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup Launch seemed to transition pretty seamlessly from the Capstone course. We came to understand our customer base and technical development better, and the program also led us through the process of starting and running a company. I found it very interesting and learned a whole lot.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat was the most difficult challenge in Startup Launch?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDefinitely customer interviews. We spent a lot of time on that in the Startup Launch classes. It\u0027s a difficult thing to have a good takeaway from a customer interview without getting the conversation confused and being misled. We didn\u0027t mention the product, or we tried to wait as long as possible before mentioning the product, so as to not bias or elicit general, positive messaging from interviewees.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027re working in EMS, and the products we are building affect healthcare. EMS is a little informal and a little rough around the edges. Many times, people don\u0027t want to admit how bad their practices are, which can easily lead to us collecting bad data.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat affected you the most from Startup Launch?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe resources at our fingertips. When we were running around, it was nice to be able to consult with our mentor. It\u0027s great having someone around with the know-how and who\u0027s been through it themselves. I revisit concepts a lot.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did the partnership with NGHS come about?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring Demo Day, we met a Georgia state representative. He put us in touch with NGHS. They were looking for companies to work with through their venture arm, Northeast Georgia Health Ventures(NGHV), so we pitched our product to them. They liked it, and then we spent a long time banging out the details. We worked with John Lanza, who\u0027s a friend of CREATE-X. He helped us find a corporate lawyer to read over the stuff we were signing. It took a little back and forth to get everything in place, but in September of last year, we finally kicked it off.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s the partnership like?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe provide them a license to our product, have weekly meetings where experts give feedback on the performance of the system, and then we make incremental changes to align the product with customer needs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile we\u0027re in this developmental phase, we\u0027re kind of keeping it under wraps until we make sure it\u2019s fully ready. Our focus is primarily on emergent capabilities that NGHS and other EMS agencies are really looking for. Right now, the pilot is set to be a year long, so we\u0027re aiming to be ready for a full rollout by the end of the year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did you pivot into this other avenue for your product?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEMS does not have many resources. That makes it not a popular space as far as applying emerging technologies. There\u0027s only competition in this very one specific vein, which is this central type of software that we plug into, so we\u0027re not competing directly with anyone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEMS agencies, EMTs, and paramedics - the care that they give has to be enabled by a medical doctor. There has to be a doctor linked to the practices that they engage in and the procedures that they do. With the product that we\u0027re making now, we want to provide a low-cost, plug-and-play product that\u0027ll do everything they need it to do to enable the improvement of patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow are you supporting yourself during this period?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI was paying myself last year, but we\u0027re out of money for that, so we\u0027re not currently paying for any labor. It\u0027s all equity now, but our burn rate outside of that is very low. The revenue we have now easily covers the cost of operating our system. I\u0027m also working part-time as an EMT now. This helps cover my own costs while also deepening my understanding of the problems we are working on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow are you balancing your work?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s hard to balance. There\u0027s always stuff to do. I just do what I can, and the pace of development is good enough for the pilot. Every week, and then every month, Kevin and I sit down and analyze the rate at which we\u0027re working and developing. Then we project out. We\u0027re confident that we\u0027re developing at a rate that\u0027ll have us in a good spot by September when the pilot ends.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s a short-term goal for your startup?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKevin and I are trying to reach back out and see if there\u0027s anyone interested in joining and playing a major role. The timing would be such that they start working a little bit after the spring semester ends. I think most Georgia Tech students would meet the role requirements, but generally, JavaScript and Node experience as well as a diverse background would be good.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere do you want your startup to be in the next five years?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI want to have a very well-designed system. Despite all the vectors I\u2019m talking about for our products, everything should be part of the same system in place at EMS agencies anywhere. I just want it to be a resource that EMS can use broadly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother issue in EMS is standards. Even the standards that are in place now aren\u2019t broadly accessible. I think that these new AI tools can do a lot to bridge the lack of understanding of documentation, measures, and standards and make all of that more accessible for the layperson.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat advice would you give students interested in entrepreneurship?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMake sure the idea that you\u0027re working on, and the business model, is something you enjoy outside of its immediate viability. I think that\u0027s really what\u0027s helped me persevere. It\u0027s my enjoyment of the project that\u0027s allowed me to continue and be motivated. So, start there and then work your way forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAre there any books, podcasts, or resources you would recommend to budding entrepreneurs?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EI\u2019d recommend \u003Cem\u003EInfluence\u003C\/em\u003E to prepare for marketing. I have no background in marketing at all. \u003Cem\u003EInfluence\u003C\/em\u003E is a nice science-based primer for marketing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;I reread \u003Cem\u003EHow to Win Friends and Influence People\u003C\/em\u003E. I am not sure how well I\u0027m implementing the concepts day-to-day, but I think most of the main points of that book are solid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI also read \u003Cem\u003EThe Mom Test\u003C\/em\u003E. It\u0027s a good reference, a short text on customer interviews.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWant to build your own startup?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech students, faculty, researchers, and alumni interested in developing their own startups are encouraged to apply to CREATE-X\u0027s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/launch\/startup-launch\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStartup Launch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, which provides $5,000 in optional seed funding and $150,000 in in-kind services, mentorship, entrepreneurial workshops, networking events, and resources to help build and scale startups. The program culminates in Demo Day, where teams present their startups to potential investors. The deadline to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/launch\/startup-launch\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eapply for Startup Launch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is Monday, March 17. Spots are limited.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/launch\/startup-launch\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApply now\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBradford Greer and Kevin Ge, 2023 graduates from Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Mechanical Engineering, transformed their classroom project into CADMUS Health Analytics, a promising health tech startup. Through CREATE-X\u0027s Startup Launch program, they secured a pivotal partnership with Northeast Georgia Health System. This partnership has enabled them to refine their product, which aims to improve EMS services through data analysis and AI. Greer shares insights on their entrepreneurial journey, the challenges they faced, and their plans for the future.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Bradford Greer and Kevin Ge, 2023 Georgia Tech graduates, turned their classroom project into CADMUS Health Analytics, a health tech startup that partnered with Northeast Georgia Health System to improve EMS services through data analysis and AI."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2025-02-24 21:59:24","changed_gmt":"2025-03-05 14:29:19","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676383":{"id":"676383","type":"image","title":"CADMUS Health Analytics","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBradford \u201cBrad\u201d Greer (bottom) and Kevin Ge (top), both 2023 graduates from the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and founders of CADMUS Health Analytics. Left,\u0026nbsp;Greer loading a stretcher after dropping a patient off.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1740434547","gmt_created":"2025-02-24 22:02:27","changed":"1740434623","gmt_changed":"2025-02-24 22:03:43","alt":"Bradford \u201cBrad\u201d Greer (bottom) and Kevin Ge (top), both 2023 graduates from the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and founders of CADMUS Health Analytics. Left, Greer loading a stretcher after dropping a patient off.","file":{"fid":"260162","name":"Cadmus-Analytics.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/24\/Cadmus-Analytics.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/24\/Cadmus-Analytics.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1002892,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/24\/Cadmus-Analytics.png?itok=NBog1HXz"}}},"media_ids":["676383"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/launch\/startup-launch","title":"Apply to Startup Launch"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181907","name":"health tech"},{"id":"166973","name":"startup"},{"id":"137161","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"7515","name":"EMS"},{"id":"2835","name":"ai"},{"id":"33291","name":"data analysis"},{"id":"3472","name":"entrepreneurship"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"},{"id":"541","name":"Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"572","name":"partnership"},{"id":"194276","name":"Northeast Georgia Health System"},{"id":"194277","name":"CADMUS Health Analytics"},{"id":"194278","name":"student project"},{"id":"9193","name":"accelerator"},{"id":"3652","name":"Demo Day"},{"id":"14788","name":"healthcare technology"},{"id":"8383","name":"Product Development"},{"id":"194279","name":"customer interviews"},{"id":"194280","name":"pivoting"},{"id":"364","name":"Funding"},{"id":"1144","name":"networking"},{"id":"9016","name":"Career Advice"},{"id":"194281","name":"tech startup"},{"id":"7113","name":"entrepreneurs"},{"id":"116021","name":"health data"},{"id":"194282","name":"AI tools"},{"id":"194283","name":"success story"},{"id":"1139","name":"georgia tech alumni"},{"id":"194284","name":"startup insights"},{"id":"194285","name":"entrepreneurial journey"},{"id":"194286","name":"EMS technology"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}