The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority selected Newport Beach-based AtYourGate to provide the first airportwide passenger delivery service in the U.S., the company said. In partnership with mobile ordering app Grab, AtYourGate will offer passengers the ability to order food or retail items using their mobile devices, getting the items delivered to them at their gate. The service is in development, and a public launch is scheduled for this summer, AtYourGate founder and Chief Executive PJ Mastracchio said.
Houston-based ​​Grab is the largest e-commerce platform in U.S. airports, according to the company. It operates in eight airports, enabling travelers to preorder restaurant and retail service items for pickup.
The mobile-ordering and gate-delivery program is intended to expand brand visibility of the airport’s concessions program, according to the facility.
“AtYourGate has the right formula to deliver a high-quality service that can change the way people experience air travel—a cornerstone of our Innovation Lab,” Rick Belliotti, director of innovation and small business development at San Diego International Airport said, in a news release. The lab helps incubate travel startups, and AtYourGate is the first company to participate in it, Mastracchio said.
Custom Software Service
A new Irvine-based company is providing services such as consulting, design, cloud and web platforms and mobile apps. Tekstir LLC also has a product development division for Internet of Things products that connect devices for smart homes, vehicles and infrastructure, as well as asset tracking, a system that allows a small device or sensor to be connected to another device to monitor conditions, such as temperature.
Chief Executive Greg Dawson and two partners founded the company, all three self-funding it. Tekstir plans to seek a $2 million seed investment in the fourth quarter to ramp up its IoT Foundry, a technology lab to develop Internet of Things products and wearables, Dawson said.Â
Tekstir’s clients include Orange-based Kuber Financial LLC, Irvine-based Quark and Lake Forest-based Prize Monster. It was recently selected as exclusive technology partner to a med-tech group headed by Dan Golka for all of its conferences, trade shows, and events, including the Med Tech Monday Conference, a medical-device gathering in August at the Atrium Hotel; the Med Tech Council, a national medical-device association; and the Med Tech Directory, a website that covers the various aspects of the med-tech industry, including devices, funding, employment and news. Golka does sales and business development for an international med-tech and life sciences publication and produces international medical-device finance conferences.
A Spot of Tea
An Orange County entrepreneur served his company’s teas at the British American Business Council’s annual Garden Party at the Montage Laguna Beach resort on June 4.
Lawrence Charles, who lives in Laguna Niguel, founded Charles & Co. in 2015. It puts on influencer and celebrity garden parties and partners with entities and events, providing organic and kosher teas, with options such as royal tea, high tea, afternoon tea and a stand-alone tea station.
Kristen Schoeck, who attended the garden party with brother, Michael, said tea is “the essence of British culture.”
“It’s a great way to celebrate the culture of the U.K.”
The siblings are part of the young professionals division of the Irvine-based World Affairs Council of Orange County, which co-sponsored the event.
Charles was a model in New York City who tired of the hustle and bustle and longed for a sense of calm. He said he discovered tea and never looked back.
Charles & Co.’s headquarters is in Los Angeles. He plans to soon launch an initiative called Tea’d Up that will help inner-city youth gain leadership skills to be confident in any situation.
Bits & Pieces
A live-streamed show focusing on startups debuted on June 9. MyStartup.Live is produced by Irvine studio Applebox Network, which provides a forum for news, education and entertainment for anyone who produces content. MyStartup.Live livestreams on Facebook to start. It’s a weekly interview-style show that profiles chief executives and founders of pre-
seed-stage startups. Craig Burns founded the network. Kevin Allen is the host of MyStartup.Live. … The Portal in Irvine launched a content marketing and media outreach service. It’s been providing student-powered web and mobile development services to OC startups since 2015. The new program offers companies content marketing and media outreach services “without a long commitment or expensive fees.” The Portal is a nonprofit social enterprise where student apprentices receive mentorship from and work directly with industry professionals.
