Former Healthcare Entrepreneur and AI Expert Join Forces to Launch SpendRule, Revolutionizing Hospital Spending Oversight

In a striking example of how the tech industry’s talent reshuffling is driving innovation, two seasoned entrepreneurs have emerged from their non-compete shadows to launch SpendRule, an AI-powered platform poised to transform how hospitals manage and audit their spending.

Chris Heckler, a healthcare startup veteran who had spent the previous five years bound by a non-compete clause after selling his last company, found himself at a crossroads last year. “I was sitting on the sidelines doing angel investing, and I realized I was too young to retire,” Heckler told TechCrunch. “I wanted to get back into it.” His itch to re-enter the startup arena coincided with an unexpected opportunity to collaborate with Joseph Akintolayo, a fintech entrepreneur who had recently sold his own company and was similarly navigating post-sale restrictions.

The two had crossed paths before—Akintolayo had once served as an advisor on one of Heckler’s projects—but it wasn’t until both found themselves in professional limbo that the idea for SpendRule began to take shape. Heckler brought deep industry connections and operational expertise, while Akintolayo contributed cutting-edge knowledge of artificial intelligence and supply chain logistics. Together, they saw a glaring inefficiency in the healthcare sector ripe for disruption.

SpendRule officially launched last summer with a bold mission: to help healthcare systems track and control their spending with unprecedented precision. On Tuesday, the company stepped out of stealth mode, announcing a $2 million seed funding round led by Abundant Venture Partners, with participation from MemorialCare Innovation Fund and Zeal Capital Partners.

The problem SpendRule addresses is both widespread and costly. In most hospitals today, items with barcodes are tracked using a “three-way match” system that connects purchases to invoices. But a significant portion of hospital spending—services like maintenance, janitorial work, translation, and laundry—lacks barcodes or easily traceable receipts. These “purchase services” are often complex, negotiated contracts that can be difficult to monitor, leading to rampant overspending.

SpendRule’s solution is a sophisticated AI platform that integrates seamlessly with a hospital’s existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, contract management systems, and accounts payable workflows. By pulling data from contracts, invoices, internal databases, and vendor information, the platform validates invoices before payment is released. It flags discrepancies and provides clear guidance on when to pay—and when not to.

Traditionally, hospitals have relied on manual audits or hired external auditors every two years to perform this function. It’s a tedious, error-prone process that SpendRule’s founders believe is overdue for automation. “Our goal is to build a more resilient hospital system,” Akintolayo said. “That’s our vision. To protect the bottom line of everyone by connecting their data and helping them make better decisions.”

The platform’s early traction is impressive. Major health systems including Kettering Health, MemorialCare, and MUSC Health are already using SpendRule to tighten their financial oversight. Heckler credits much of the company’s rapid progress to his deep industry connections, which helped them close their seed round by Halloween—just months after the company’s founding.

The new capital will be used to expand the team and further develop SpendRule’s AI infrastructure. While the company sees traditional invoice auditors like SpendMend and GHX as its primary competition, Akintolayo emphasizes that SpendRule’s focus on non-barcoded purchase services sets it apart in a crowded market.

As healthcare systems face mounting financial pressures and the demand for operational efficiency grows, SpendRule’s timing couldn’t be better. By automating a once-manual, error-prone process, the company is not just saving hospitals money—it’s helping them build a more resilient, data-driven future.

Tags:
AI healthcare, hospital spending, SpendRule, healthcare innovation, AI audit, hospital finance, healthcare tech, startup funding, non-compete, healthcare AI, invoice automation, hospital contracts, healthcare efficiency, AI platform, hospital management, healthcare spending, AI startup, hospital audit, healthcare technology, AI for hospitals

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