All Case Studies
Case Study
Waive

Waive rebuilt their infrastructure and closed deals faster with WatchDog

How a 9-person healthcare SaaS startup went from an early-stage DigitalOcean environment to a secure, HIPAA-ready GCP infrastructure, with a compliance program and embedded security support that helped them win enterprise deals and start preparing for SOC 2 Type 2.

Healthcare SaaS9 employeesSudbury, OntarioThe Intelligent Clinic Company
Customer Snapshot
CompanyWaive
IndustryHealthcare SaaS
Team Size9
RegionNorth America & Middle East
ChallengeSecurity reviews slowing enterprise sales while infrastructure needed a full overhaul
Compliance & GRCPosture ManagementTrust CenterRisk RegistervCISO
3x
Faster Deal Cycles
Closed competitive deals winning head-to-head against larger vendors
9
Person Team
Operating with enterprise-grade security and compliance, no dedicated security staff
Done
For You, Not By You
No cloud architect or security team needed, WatchDog embedded and handled it directly
The Short Version

Waive needed to prove security maturity to enterprise healthcare buyers, but their infrastructure, software practices, documentation, and compliance workflows needed to be elevated. WatchDog rebuilt their entire cloud environment from DigitalOcean to GCP, flagged and addressed security risks in their CI/CD pipelines and codebase, strengthened their software practices, and embedded directly into their team to handle compliance, risk assessments, security questionnaires, and customer calls. They are now preparing for SOC 2 Type 2 and operate with the security posture of a much larger organization.

Before & After WatchDog

Before WatchDogAfter WatchDog
Early-stage DigitalOcean setup without structured architectureFully rebuilt HIPAA-ready GCP environment with proper controls
CI/CD pipelines not yet designed for compliance or securityRebuilt on GCP with proper network architecture, IAM, encryption, and security controls baked in from day one
Software development practices with security gaps that needed to be addressedRisks flagged and addressed hands-on, with stronger practices embedded into how the team works
Security questionnaires consuming internal time with no good answersWatchDog responds to questionnaires and joins customer calls directly
Limited cloud visibility and no risk program in placeContinuous posture monitoring, TRAs, PIAs, and a structured risk register
Sales slowed by inability to prove security postureTrust Center and expert deal support closing enterprise deals faster

Security reviews were becoming a growth blocker

Enterprise healthcare buyers were asking increasingly deep security questions that Waive needed help answering confidently. HIPAA requirements, privacy compliance, and the need to demonstrate controls quickly meant security questionnaires were slowing deals. As a 9-person team without a dedicated security or compliance function, every questionnaire consumed engineering time that should have been spent on product. Their infrastructure also needed a serious upgrade. They needed a partner who could embed directly, do the actual work alongside them, and move quickly.

Security & Compliance Gaps

Infrastructure needed to grow up
Running on an early-stage DigitalOcean setup that lacked proper network segmentation, IAM controls, encryption, and the architecture needed to meet enterprise security expectations
Security gaps in software practices
Development practices had areas of risk that needed to be identified and addressed directly, requiring embedded hands-on involvement rather than a checklist or a report
No internal security function
No cloud architect, no security team, and no internal expertise to manage HIPAA compliance, respond to enterprise security reviews, or assess their own risk posture
Security posture blocking enterprise deals
Competitive deals at risk because Waive could not answer security questionnaires confidently or demonstrate a credible compliance program to healthcare enterprise buyers

What WatchDog Implemented

Platform Layer
  • HIPAA compliance framework management with automated evidence collection
  • Cloud posture monitoring (CSPM and CIEM) across the GCP environment
  • Risk register with treatment plans and owner assignments
  • Policy management with version control and acknowledgment tracking
  • Trust Center for buyer self-service and approved evidence sharing
Expert Services
  • Full infrastructure rebuild and DigitalOcean to GCP migration
  • CI/CD pipeline review with risk flagging and hands-on remediation
  • Hands-on software practice remediation embedded directly in their environment
  • Threat Risk Assessments (TRAs) and Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs)
  • Security questionnaire responses and direct customer call participation
  • Ongoing embedded vCISO support with monthly cadences and ad hoc guidance

Implementation Timeline

Phase 1: Discovery & Risk Review
Mapped cloud environment, CI/CD pipelines, HIPAA requirements, software practices, and enterprise sales blockers to define the full scope of work.
Phase 2: Infrastructure Rebuild & Migration
Migrated from DigitalOcean to GCP with network segmentation, IAM, encryption, logging, and baseline security controls built in from the start.
Phase 3: Compliance Program & Software Remediation
Built policies, risk register, TRAs, PIAs, and HIPAA-aligned documentation. Reviewed CI/CD pipelines, flagged security risks, and worked hands-on to address them.
Ongoing: Embedded Support and SOC 2 Preparation
Continuous posture monitoring, Trust Center evidence sharing, security questionnaire responses, expert support on customer calls, and ongoing preparation for SOC 2 Type 2 certification.

What Waive Can Show Buyers

HIPAA-aligned policy set
Cloud security architecture documentation
CI/CD pipeline security review and risk findings
Threat Risk Assessment (TRA)
Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)
Risk register and treatment plans
Penetration testing report
Trust Center with approved compliance materials
Security questionnaire response library
Continuous posture monitoring results

Products Used

Compliance & GRC

Centralized HIPAA compliance management with automated evidence collection, control tracking, and audit-ready exports.

  • HIPAA framework management
  • Automated evidence collection
  • Cross-framework control mapping
  • Auditor-ready exports
Learn more

Business Outcomes

Enterprise Deals Closing Faster
Won competitive deals against larger vendors by proving a stronger, verifiable security posture during due diligence
Production-Ready HIPAA Infrastructure
Rebuilt on GCP with proper architecture, IAM, encryption, and security controls in place to support HIPAA requirements and enterprise expectations
Security Work Off the Team's Plate
WatchDog handles questionnaires, joins customer calls, runs assessments, and manages the compliance program so the internal team stays focused on product
Prepared for SOC 2 Type 2
With HIPAA infrastructure in place, a structured risk program, and continuous posture monitoring running, Waive is now on the path to SOC 2 Type 2 certification
WatchDog has given us the confidence to compete against much larger vendors. Their team rebuilt our environment securely, guided us through privacy and security frameworks such as HIPAA, and gave us the tools to prove our security posture, which made all the difference in winning deals.
S
Shreyansh Anand
Co-Founder, Waive

Ready To Get Started?

Join companies like Waive who use WatchDog to streamline compliance, reduce risk, and accelerate growth — for free today.

Get Started For Free