Fund Locally, Act Globally

Harvard-trained infectious disease doctor Bill Rodriguez proves that you can do well and also do good.

Working with colleagues from Massachusetts General Hospital, and several Boston-area investors, Rodriguez has raised $2.8 million in funding for a new start-up he founded. Cambridge-based Daktari (``doctor'' in Swahili) Diagnostics will develop affordable, point-of-care diagnostic tests primarily for people in poor countries living with HIV, the AIDS virus. Daktari's first product is an inexpensive, hand-held device that counts CD4 cells, providing a critical test of the immune system. Establishing a person's CD4 count is important in determining when to start antiretroviral treatment; current technology is far too cumbersome and expensive for most rural clinics in Africa and developing countries.

Read more about Daktari's unique business model here.