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When Theo Harvey launched SynsorMed in 2014, he was tired of the rhythms of chronic illness. His daughter was born with a respiratory condition, and he had to shuttle back and forth to doctors’ offices for checkups. Rarely did the visits seem to accomplish anything.
“A lot of times they just said, ‘Everything’s fine, it’s good,’” Harvey told us.
His cofounder Amin Holmes — whose mother had been diagnosed with a chronic respiratory disease — was struggling with the same dilemma. The duo figured there had to be a better way.
So they launched a line of wearables — pulse oximeters, glucometers, and blood pressure cuffs — that could let patients and doctors monitor their conditions from home.
Harvey and Holmes started with $50k of their own money, then patched together an extra $150k from friends and family.
Since the pandemic, demand for SynsorMed’s products has surged. Revenue has jumped 40%, and specialists — like pulmonologists and cardiologists — have proven especially eager to try out wearables.
Harvey even rolled out a 2-Minute Telehealth video series to explain the ins and outs of telehealth to doctors.
“Black and Brown founders get a lot of advice and no capital,” Harvey said. One goal of the hire and wire movement is for tech bigwigs to give people of color the money they need to start businesses.
Harvey highlighted a few funds that aim to do just that:
How to support Harvey: Stay tuned for SOS Council, a project by Harvey and more than a dozen corporate and academic sponsors to reduce economic and racial disparities.