Please tell us a little bit about your business — what is your company all about?
KeriCure®️ Medical is a biotechnology company specializing in advanced topical wound care. We create easy-to-use, effective spray-on skin and wound care products that support natural wound healing, utilizing cutting-edge nanopolymer technology. KeriCure®️ Medical’s products disinfect, relieve pain, and protect wounds while helping to prevent complications such as skin infections and scarring. KeriCure® offers a diverse range of products across all markets, including over-the-counter first aid, animal health, and professional medical product lines utilized in both clinical care settings and emergency medicine. Whether it’s a medic in a remote environment, a parent treating a cut at home, or a doctor caring for a patient, our goal is to simplify wound care while supporting optimal healing.
Tell us briefly about your background and how you started your company.
I am a PhD chemist with a background in organic chemistry. I founded KeriCure® in 2011 after being personally affected by inadequate wound care when my husband’s small cut resulted in a serious MRSA (resistant Staph) infection that required surgery to treat. After almost losing the use of his hand due to a simple cut, I became determined to create an effective wound care solution that protects against germs and ultimately enhances the natural healing process without using harsh chemicals and solvents.
With this goal in mind, I set out to develop a range of soothing, sting-free, and breathable wound care products suitable for use by both professional medical staff and individuals at home to enhance healing and prevent infections. After graduating with my PhD from the University of South Florida (Go Bulls!), I set out to optimize the technology I had developed in graduate school, aiming to create a perfect wound care product that would be safe for use on anyone, including individuals with skin sensitivities and allergies to traditional bandages and wound dressings. The result is KeriCure’s® nanopolymer skin and wound care products, designed specifically to mimic the natural elasticity and barrier properties of the skin, providing a comfortable barrier that allows the body to move and heal naturally.
What are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
1. Ability to learn new skills and understand all aspects of your business
2. Be comfortable with pivoting and making decisions that will change the Company’s path
3. Ability to stay focused on the big plan while dealing with the daily changes and challenges of the Company
What are your plans for the future, and how do you plan to grow this company?
The KeriCure® team is expanding its presence in both the professional healthcare and government markets, reaching new customers. We are currently developing relationships with distributors and key partnerships within the medical and military health markets to expand our sales reach and market capture. Our plans include identifying a partnership with a larger medtech or biotech company within the professional medical market for eventual acquisition, which will enable us to continue developing cutting-edge medical products and technologies that support the partnership.
How did the pandemic impact your business, and do you feel like you have completely exited
the other side?
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed down access to clinical partners, but it also emphasized the need for easy, touch-free wound care — something we’ve been developing from day one. It validated our mission in a way we didn’t expect. During this time, it provided us with an opportunity to temporarily shift our focus to the military medicine market, where KeriCure® was a top 10 finalist in the US Army’s xTechSearch. This launch marked the beginning of our military medicine product line and our journey to support our Warfighters and their wound care needs. Today, we’re operating at full strength, with a stronger distribution network and a broader customer base than before. We’re now expanding our sales and growth in both the professional medical market and the military medical market space.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
The results that our products deliver. KeriCure® products boast medical-grade performance with simple, user-friendly applications — no stinging, no harsh chemicals, and no complicated instructions. They’re safe, fast, and effective. We’ve built trust with both providers and patients by staying focused on real-world needs, which is evident in the incredible amount of positive feedback we’ve received.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from
them?
The most challenging aspect of any business is hiring the right people, and I still find it difficult, as having the right team in place is key to business growth and success.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process; what has been the most successful form of
marketing for you?
Our marketing process is heavily relationship-driven. We’ve focused on educating our audience to address current challenges — whether that’s military medics, medical providers, or everyday pet owners or parents. Understanding the pain points of your customers and how you can help alleviate or resolve some of those issues has been a key factor in the success of KeriCure® Medical.
What have been your biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?
Marketing and awareness within the markets we strive to grow in. We are still learning and finding new ways to overcome these challenges, but overall, we find that partnerships with companies that excel in this area are key to our small business success.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
We have big plans for the professional medical market, and understanding how hospital systems, medical insurance, reimbursements, and individual physician offices operate, as well as working with companies to bring in new products, is our current focus on growth and learning. It is a complex marketplace, with changes and new challenges occurring daily, but it is also the most critical market for KeriCure®, where we can help the most people with our products.
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
I would be more cautious about who I bring into the Company early on and look outside my comfort zone and familiar people to get into the business. People are the key to success, and finding the right individuals to help grow the business in its early stages could have made a significant difference in shaping the business.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you use to grow your company?
The use of AI for developing medical graphics has been a significant upgrade and improvement for us recently. It has enabled us to deliver professional-level marketing and training materials, allowing us to compete with larger companies. We have always relied on our team for creative and marketing expertise, and AI has now enhanced these capabilities, bringing us to the next level.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
Get all the housekeeping stuff out of the way first thing in the morning. I complete all the financial reviews, email clean-up, and sales reviews before I’m out of bed, so I know where to focus my efforts for the day before I even start.
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
Find one good partner who balances you. You will need someone who thinks differently from you, who challenges you, and who keeps you balanced in your path for your Company. Find that person. It’s what prevents a company from becoming all about the Founder and more about the path to growth and success for the Company.
What is your definition of success?
My definition of success is living comfortably, being able to spend time with my family when I want to, being able to support them, and having a comfortable retirement in the (long-distant) future.
For my business, it is finding a partner that will acquire KeriCure® and allow us to continue supporting them with innovations and R&D because we love what we do, and helping people, as well as our military Servicemembers, is our passion.
How do you personally overcome fear?
Not something I think about.
How can readers get in touch with you?
Our website is located at https://www.kericuremedical.com, and our email address is Sales@KeriCureMedical.com.