COVID INNOVATION
Los Alamitos-based Dimer UVC Innovations plans to expand the use of its ultraviolet-powered cleaning device for airplane sanitization through a licensing agreement with Honeywell International Inc.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Honeywell (NYSE: HON) has a market cap in excess of $102.6 billion.
The strategic deal “puts this important technology in the hands of a company with the infrastructure and global footprint to deploy it on a wide scale in an accelerated time frame,” said President Elliot “Mo” Kreitenberg, who developed the firm’s core platform with his father, Arthur, who serves as chief technology officer.
The Honeywell UV Cabin System, formerly known as Dimer’s GermFalcon, uses ultraviolet-C spectrum light to reduce and kill bacteria and other viruses such as SARS and MERS.
The device requires one operator and can sanitize about 30 rows on a plane in one minute, or an entire plane in about 10 minutes, said Kreitenberg.
Dimer is also currently ramping up production of its UV Hammer device, which can be used in hospitals, hotels, correctional facilities, convention centers and more.
It also plans to offer its products as a service in Orange County in the coming months, as it grows capacity to about 20 machines per day by the end of August.
Dimer is also developing a sterilization device for sports equipment and working with NASA to develop a Roomba-like device for space stations.
The 12-person firm has raised about $500,000 since launch and is currently seeking additional investment funds.
SoberBuddy LLC in Newport Beach recently launched a drug and alcohol recovery coach and mobile app.
Chief Executive Tara Schiller said isolation amid the pandemic, in addition to the riots over George Floyd’s death, has brought about a major uptick in substance abuse and relapse that is largely being overlooked.
“It’s a crisis for our community,” Schiller said. “We need more resources for mental health and recovery, and we want to help fill that treatment gap.”
The SoberBuddy app acts as a personal coach, offering daily challenges and tips to help individuals in recovery avoid their triggers and prevent cravings from escalating, Schiller said.
The app is an extension of the company’s free email newsletter, both of which are based on cognitive behavioral therapy tactics.
SoberBuddy’s newsletter has had an engagement rate around 82% since the pandemic, with more than 10,000 users, said Schiller.
Schiller and co-founder Paul Brethen founded privately funded SoberBuddy in 2016 and currently operate out of a WeWork location in Newport Beach.
FINANCING
Device maker Okami Medical Inc. raised about $7.2 million this month from 18 investors, according to regulatory filings.
The new round brings the 3-year-old firm’s total funding to more than $16 million to date.
The Aliso Viejo-based firm is commercializing its LOBO-3 system for arterial occlusion, which enables the closure of blood vessels with a single device.
Okami touts the LOBO-3 system as a “one-and-done” tool for various arterial targets. It is intended for use in 1.5 to 3 mm diameter vessels, the company said.
The system received FDA clearance in November; its first patient was treated with the system in March.
The privately held firm is the second portfolio company of medical device accelerator Inceptus LLC in Aliso Viejo. Inceptus in 2013 spun out Inari Medical Inc. (Nasdaq: NARI), which went on to hold a successful IPO last month; see the Business Journal’s June 22 print edition for more. Irvine-based Inari is one of only 14 OC-based public companies with a market cap in excess of $2 billion.
Okami is led by Chief Executive Bob Rosenbluth, the founder of Inceptus LLC, in addition to Sequent Medical and MicroVention, which are now owned by Terumo Medical Corp.
Inceptus is now working on Inceptus NewCo3 LLC, an incubation stage company, according to its website.
Supply chain software platform builder LaneAxis Inc. in Huntington Beach recently raised $1.07 million in a crowdfunding campaign.
The campaign amassed funds from 1,619 investors with an average investment of $661 per person. The largest individual investment totaled $15,000, the company said.
Chief Executive Rick Burnett noted the pandemic “exposed inefficiencies and outdated processes plaguing the current supply chain” and contributed to the company’s successful crowdfunding campaign.
LaneAxis is building a shipper-to-carrier direct network and has pre-loaded about 1.6 million carriers to its platform.
The company said it plans to launch its first product, called the FreightLINK, next month.
FreightLINK is a transportation marketplace that bypasses third parties and connects shippers and carriers directly. The company aims to increase profits for carriers and drivers by eliminating broker fees, it said.
The platform will charge carriers $4.99 a month to connect with shippers, while shippers can sign up for the software-as-a-service platform for free.
LaneAxis was founded in 2015 and has about a dozen employees.
NEW HIRES
Irvine-based workforce management software firm
WurkNow Inc. has added Andrew Zarkadas as vice president of sales.
Zarkadas was previously a managing director of global accounts at Bullhorn Inc., a recruitment software company based in Boston. He has more than 15 years of experience in sales and sales force deployment.
“With next-generation technologies like blockchain built-in, the WurkNow platform is positioned to scale in line with the evolution of our working lives and relationships, all while making them more meaningful,” Zarkadas said in a statement.
Zarkadas will focus on helping recruiting companies and job seekers utilize the WurkNow platform for the blue-collar workforce.
The firm offers modules in staffing, as well as onboarding, human resources, timekeeping and compliance, all of which is built on a blockchain technology platform.
WurkNow was founded in 2017 and has raised three rounds of private funding since launch.
Workforce productivity software maker Prodoscore of Irvine has hired Tom Moran as chief channel officer, amid rapid growth brought on by an increase in work from home.
Moran was previously an executive vice president for software firm DTT Surveillance in Los Angeles. He has more than 20 years of experience in tech management and consulting, and has held senior positions at Kronos and Oracle.
“As the technology ecosystem required to enhance employee engagement within business operations continues to evolve, Prodoscore is delivering valuable insight regarding multidimensional elements of productivity measurements,” Moran said in a statement.
In his new role, Moran will focus on business development; his initial efforts will focus on strategic partnerships and channels.
“Our strategic alliances and channel partners are fundamental to Prodoscore’s growth strategy in the marketplace,” Moran said. Â
Prodoscore has about 30,000 active users on its platform, which monitors employee activity across CRMs, office platforms, communications apps and more.
