Ben Andrews has a coffee and chats with the product manager and chief executive about the business.
Kyle Forde can not pinpoint a singular achievement for Karo Data Management.
But seeing people use their digital health solutions and get excited about them is what gets him out of bed each morning.
As the now shareholder and product manager of the software company, Mr Forde (Kāi Tahu), who is based in Dunedin, has big goals for the future, which includes the continued investment in the people of Aotearoa.
The company was started in Wellington by Susan Iverson in 2009 to manage and report capitation, which is the payment general practitioners receive for each enrolled person per year and is paid each month, whether or not that person seeks care.
Mr Forde was working as the chief information officer for WellSouth when he met Ms Iverson.
This meeting started him on the path to becoming the shareholder in 2019.
“I had a passion for what they do … I loved how they were real innovators and really agile as well. Because they weren’t a big conglomerate. They weren’t bound by four- or eight-week turnarounds. They had really agile and smart developers who could really do some really cool stuff.”
Fifteen years since the company started and five years since he joined, its solutions reach 90% of the primary care sector.
These solutions include Kotahi, Te Pokapū and Māramatanga.
Kotahi was the latest to be released and allowed non-government and health organisations to manage case notes, book appointments, manage daily tasks and more.
“Looking at that primary and social sector. I could see that there was a real disconnect. Even though they had the same client base, the data wasn’t visible on both sides.”
The platform was “whānau-focused”, he said.
Mr Forde stepped down as the chief executive of the company in May, handing the mantle to Rei Ishikawa, who had been working at BPAC Clinical Solutions before taking on his new Dunedin-based role.
Mr Ishikawa likened the company to “quiet achievers”.
“We’re like your quiet achievers that just get stuff done in the background. We don’t market a lot at all, for that matter. We just are known for doing really good things and doing it really well.”
They were in discussions with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise about how to export their product, he said.
Mr Forde said they did not want the business to become a conglomerate if it were to export.
“The idea is actually to go and find the revenue to bring back here and invest in our people here.
“I’m passionate about where I live and the people I work with. I have a passion around finding more Māori innovators and tech innovators as well.”
ben.andrews@odt.co.nz
