Epic Systems以7万美元和零风险投资建立了美国医院软件标准

做的是什么生意

Epic Systems develops electronic health record (EHR) software for hospitals and clinics, including the EpicCare record system, the MyChart patient portal and Cosmos data tools.

启动资金：Around $70,000 from colleagues, at an initial company valuation of $70,000. Epic has never taken money from venture capitalists or private equity.

起因

Judy Faulkner studied computing in medicine at the University of Wisconsin–Madison under pioneering physician Warner Slack, then spent years building a system that could track patient information over time. Colleagues urged her to commercialize it, and in 1979 she launched Epic from a Wisconsin basement with roughly $70,000 from colleagues at a $70,000 valuation — after a decade of urging from potential users.

经过

Faulkner built Epic around three of her ten written commandments: 'Do not go public. Do not acquire or be acquired. Software must work.' The company reinvested revenue in in-house engineering and obsessive customer service — no outsourced support calls, a named 'BFF' contact for every health system, and a 1,670-acre Verona, Wisconsin campus where monthly all-staff meetings mix company news with grammar lessons. When former GE CEO Jeff Immelt raised acquiring Epic in 2017, Faulkner ended the meeting in about five minutes.

结果

Epic remains privately held and independent under Faulkner, who at 82 still owns roughly 43% of the company. Her voting shares are slated to pass into a trust whose voting committee is barred from taking Epic public or selling it, with an oversight board empowered to sue members who break the rules.

可借鉴之处

拒绝资金也能成为策略：Epic用失去投资者压力换来了工程控制权，关键任务软件的信任逐年积累，最终形成销售团队无法买来的主导地位。