Audacious Inquiry
 | |
| Industry | Health Information Technology |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2004 in the United States |
| Headquarters | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
Key people | Scott Afzal, President (2007), Chris Brandt, Founder & CEO (2004) |
| Revenue | Template:US$ (2020) |
Number of employees | 150 employees (2020) |
| Website | www |
Audacious Inquiry (Ai), established in 2004 by CEO and founder Chris Brandt, is a Baltimore-based enterprise focused on delivering health information technology and cloud-enabled software solutions.
History
Chris Brandt founded Audacious Inquiry during a challenging economic period marked by the Great Recession. The company completed its development through the Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship in 2010 and operates from its headquarters located within the BWtech Research Park at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus.
In 2013, Ai achieved B Corporation certification, highlighting its dedication to leveraging technology consulting for positive social impact within healthcare. The firm attracted its initial external funding in 2017 from ABS Capital Partners, a Baltimore investment firm, which accelerated its expansion. Leadership was further enhanced in 2018 with the appointment of Scott Afzal as President.
Additional capital infusion occurred in 2020 from Minneapolis-based TripleTree Capital Partners alongside ABS Capital Partners and Frist Cressey Ventures—co-founded by former U.S. Senator Bill Frist—facilitating Ai’s growth in both domestic and international markets.
Audacious Inquiry has been consistently acknowledged by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States for ten years running through 2020, including induction into their "hall of fame" in 2018, reflecting its robust financial results and prominent position within the health IT sector.
Health Information Technology
Ai specializes in cloud-hosted software that enables secure and actionable exchange of medical information among healthcare entities. The company also delivers IT consulting services aimed at enhancing healthcare interoperability and supporting public health objectives.
Since 2007, Ai has collaborated with organizations such as Johns Hopkins Medicine, University of Maryland Medical System, MedStar Health, Erickson Living, and the Maryland Department of Health to build the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP), a regional health information exchange. The firm pioneered the Encounter Notification Service, an event-driven framework for standards-based health data sharing, and backs similar connected care programs across various states and regions nationwide.
Audacious Inquiry created the Patient Unified Lookup System for Emergencies (PULSE) and partners with the Sequoia Project to expand it into a nationwide tool for disaster response. PULSE was deployed during the California wildfires of 2017-2018 and utilized by public health officials in 2020 to support COVID-19 emergency management efforts.
In partnership with the US Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and Health Level Seven International, Ai launched the Situation Awareness for Novel Epidemic Response (SANER) initiative in 2020. SANER defines technical standards that allow public health agencies to track healthcare system capacity, workforce availability, and critical resource supplies such as ventilators and personal protective equipment during crises.