- Date published
How Code Scientists Rose from Crowdfunding Setback.
Back in 2015, efactory was buzzing with the promise of innovation, and one of its first tenants was Markus Pope, the now CEO of Code Scientists.
At the time, Markus and his team were riding high on the hopes of their new crowdfunding platform, Crowdit. Their goal? To be the Kickstarter of the future. With the JOBS Act promising to open up new avenues for crowdfunding, it seemed like a no-brainer. But sometimes, the road to success is more like a detour — and in this case, Crowdit didn’t make it to its destination.
Markus began strategizing about new opportunities. As he began helping other startups with their technical challenges, he realized this expertise could morph into a new business – Code Scientists.
“In a previous life, I used to be a commercial software developer, so I’m a bit more technical,” Markus said. “They had some problems they couldn’t solve. I started thinking, ‘Well if they can make money off of their apps, then there’s no reason why I can’t make money on my skill set.”
Starting with a bang, Markus and his partner Joel scored their first customer — Lifewatch, a Chicago-based company that was looking to integrate software for their product. From there, they worked with companies like Loren Cook, providing tech solutions for industrial systems, and Phillips, where they developed applications for FDA-regulated cardiac devices.
“You put the patch on your chest, snap the monitor in the patch, then it monitors your heart for a period of time,” he explained.
This might be a solution for someone who had visited the doctor, had an EKG, and nothing was evident in the results. These monitors give a more complete look at what happens over time.
“It’s like when you take your car to the shop, the car isn’t doing anything when you’re there. So we started working on applications to support this cardiac model.”
Talk about a “pulse” on the future of healthcare.
Now the team of Code Scientists, with 11 employees, sets itself apart with its ability to solve problems that have real, tangible value. While other businesses might dabble in anything that comes their way, Markus and Joel are laser-focused on delivering customer-facing software solutions that companies are willing to pay for.
Looking back, Markus points to one key takeaway from his early days: “Know your market, and know how you’re going to make money.”
It was this clarity that helped Code Scientists evolve from a consultancy to a full-fledged software powerhouse, and it’s what continues to drive their growth today.
