Salix

Artrya began developing Salix in 2019, in collaboration with the University of Western Australia and the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research.

Salix assists clinicians by rapidly reviewing CT scan data using the power of AI. It also integrates with existing systems to optimise clinical workflows and, being browser-based, Salix requires no upfront capital expenditure.

This means clinicians will be armed to make a fast and accurate diagnosis, guiding patients to optimal preventative therapy in a timely manner.

This has the potential to allow diagnostic imaging clinics to benefit from lower costs and fast analysis to serve patients and to increase revenue through treating more patients than previously possible. By aiming to reduce the impact of major cardiac events across the population, health systems as a whole may benefit through reduced treatment costs and resource utilisation.

Road to MVP

Artrya’s immediate challenge was to translate their innovative research into a commercial product that would be game-changing for the medical community and attract funding support from the private capital community.

The challenge was doubled by the need for a rapid development to maintain vital momentum.

At the time of partnership, Artrya’s internal team, being a small group of world-class experts in research and development, asked Hatchd to collaborate and implement Artrya’s product vision.

A squad of highly skilled specialists, drawn from Hatchd and its sister company, Adapptor, was rapidly deployed, working alongside and as a seamless extension of the Artrya development team. The proof-of-concept prototype was picked up and taken down the path of transformation into a minimum viable product.

To achieve a complex product vision, with time-to-market in mind, Artrya’s needs extended to design and product management, so Hatchd brought in the necessary reinforcements to bolster capabilities.

As a full product team, we were able to work with Artrya’s core team to crystallise a product development plan. This involved regular consultations with stakeholders to understand requirements and validating design concepts and functionality with early Salix users.

Our product management team, alongside Artrya’s project manager, facilitated productive collaboration between researchers, designers and developers, ensuring that sprints were organised and effective.

Within a short period of time, the blended Artrya and Hatchd teams delivered a limited first release to a closed audience of clinicians. This release successfully demonstrated Salix’s value and provided investors with confidence in the future of the product, and as such funding exceeded expectations.

Supporting team growth

Hatchd’s role is to help the Artrya product team become self-sufficient as soon as possible. However, building a product team takes time, and the transition from a tiny founding team to a listed company, while building a product, brings its own challenges.

This is a delicate time in any start-up's journey and requires a unique kind of support from a design and technology partner. Our T-shaped specialists spanning across the disciplines of design, development, testing and product management are available to bridge any capability gaps during that journey.

The team also plays an important role in the onboarding of new Artrya employees. As the pace of recruitment accelerates, Hatchd is flexible enough to make room for the new recruits and support them as they find their feet in their roles.