Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shelley Saxena, Founder of Sevamob, located in Decatur, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Under-served areas have a scarcity of medical professionals, diagnostic services, and low-cost medicines. This delays diagnosis and treatment and increases the cost of care up to 2X due to the need for sample or patient transportation. Sevamob addresses this gap via an AI-assisted disease management platform that reduces the cost of care by up to 50% for general health, nutrition, cardiometabolic, infectious disease, and vision. The platform has 3 components:
- Point-of-care diagnostics via Sevamob AI and off-the-shelf rapid kits.
- Consultations via telehealth and asset-lite popup clinics.
- Last-mile medicine delivery.
Our model is B2B, and our customers include employers, corporate CSR, Pharma, Health Insurance, Hospitals/clinics, NGOs, and local government. We are currently doing 50,000+ patient consults per month for 104+ B2B customers via 238 full and part-time units.
Tell us about yourself
I am the Founder/CEO of Sevamob. The initial impetus for Sevamob came when my mom was incorrectly diagnosed and almost lost her life because of Hepatitis C. I launched a technology-enabled primary healthcare services company in rural and, over time, added telehealth and AI-based diagnostics. The feedback from happy patients, customers, and investors motivate us each day. Prior to Sevamob, I managed multi-million dollar products for IBM and co-founded a cloud-based mobile technology startup. I have an MBA from Cornell and B.E from IIT Roorkee.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Sevamob is cashflow positive. We are currently doing 50,000+ patient consults per month for 104+ B2B customers via 238 full and part-time units. Our renewal rate is 95%+.
Our impact includes:
- Up to 50% reduction in the cost of primary care.
- Up to 15% reduction in malnutrition in select groups.
- Up to 25% reduction in vision issues in select groups.
- Early detection and treatment of infectious diseases like Tuberculosis and Covid 19.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
As a business owner, the highs are higher, and the lows are lower than working as a salaried employee. Top challenges include keeping the product portfolio competitive in a rapidly changing environment, keeping all key stakeholders happy (customers, employees, investors), and managing the cash flow.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- If you fail once, don't give up. Pivot and try again.
- Build a team that has both technical and business skillset.
- For early-stage funding, participate in an accelerator.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://sevamob.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SevamobHome/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sevamob
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sevamob/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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