In creating Carenity, Michael Chekroun (Master 2000) envisioned a chain of solidarity and hope for people suffering from illness and their loved ones. Four years after it was launched, some 200,000 patients have joined the social network developed by this EDHEC graduate.

EDHEC Alumni: Can you explain briefly how Carenity came about?
Michael Chekroun: After 10 years working in consulting, I wanted to test my ability to create a company based on an idea. It was 2010 and I was fascinated by the emergence of social networks and the early participatory models. I was surprised that there was no “health Facebook”, even though healthcare is the main area of interest to French people. With loved ones affected by chronic diseases, I sensed that new technologies could and should be used to help bring patients together to cope with their illness. And also that sharing information between patients was a way of providing “real-life” information that is essential for medical research.
And from there I came up with the idea for Carenity (Care + community) in 2011: a community of patients who help improve medical knowledge via online surveys.

How would you sum up this entrepreneurial adventure?
MC: It’s been an extremely positive experience. Despite some difficulties, doubts and quite a few obstacles, it’s exciting to see an idea transformed into a company. I remember very clearly when the first people registered on the website, the first person I recruited (an intern), and the first contract I signed with a pharmaceutical laboratory! 4 years later, we have a team of 20 people and a community of almost 200,000 active members in Europe. We also work with most of the world’s healthcare companies.

Have you ever benefited from the network of EDHEC graduates? 
MC: Yes, via clubs and mainly thanks to a few friends from my class who invested in the project at the early stages. It’s gratifying to have your friends contribute to your capital, and it encourages you to work hard.

What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs?
MC :3 pieces of advice: don’t wait too long before taking the plunge. With a few exceptions, genius doesn’t really exist. What counts is your team’s capacity to adapt or modify the project along the way. Listen to your future clients: always put yourself in their position, ask them questions and ask yourself if you are satisfying a daily need. 
Lastly, don’t hesitate to surround yourself with experienced entrepreneurs. Everyone needs help at the start.

What’s next for Carenity?
MC: My priority continues to be the expansion of the Carenity community. Our objective is to reach 1 million registered users in Europe over the next three years. We are also working on developing technologies capable of analysing the structured and unstructured data on our databases. These “big data” tools will allow our clients to gain unique insights to develop new products and services for the benefit of patients.

What are your expectations from the community of EDHEC graduates?
MC: We are recruiting sales representatives, if possible with expertise in the sale of health-related data.

Contact
> www.carenity.com
> Carenity on Facebook
> Carenity on Twitter