STARTUPS & INNOVATIONS

PRODUCTS

Rally Cry of Irvine is preparing for blastoff.

The gaming company’s newest product, Air Force Gaming, is an esports platform for active Air Force service members. 

It is an “initiative to help airmen of all ages, ranks, and backgrounds find common ground through video games, while also promoting mental acuity, fine motor coordination, and competitive excellence,” the company said on its website. 

Rally Cry, which estimates about 86% of airmen between the ages of 18 to 34 identify as gamers, will host its first season of the Air Force Gaming League this spring. 

The company, started by Blizzard Entertainment alumni last year, aims to make esports leagues accessible to gamers of all skill levels. It launched its Company Clash program for users with active business emails last spring.

Rally Cry is supported by among other investors, Mike Morhaime, co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, and his wife, Amy; Kevin Lin, co-founder of Twitch; and Marc Merrill, co-founder of Riot Games.

Newport Beach-based Partie this month unveiled its in-game matchmaking product for Mac OS.

Partie promises to match players of all skill levels in an expedient manner based on their favorite games and challenges. It incorporates social components such as a newsfeed and a universal rating and reward system to encourage a safe and positive gaming experience, according to its website.

The company, which is developing its platform for Windows, iOS and Android devices, charges a monthly subscription fee of $4.99 per user.

It also offers opportunities for players to earn monetary rewards through actions such as hosting games and inviting friends, rather than livestreaming or amassing a following as an influencer.

Will Wheeler and Frankie Colamarino, co-founders of Los Angeles-based marketing agency Problem, started Partie in 2019.

The firm has raised a friends and family round of financing and received an investment from Juniper Capital Partners in Los Angeles.

PARTNERSHIPS

RxSight, an Aliso Viejo-based intraocular lens maker for cataract patients, recently introduced its product to Orange-based Coastal Vision Medical Group.

The Light Adjustable Lens is the only intraocular lens that allows optimization of vision after lens implantation and healing, the company said.

Only about half of cataract patients can achieve their targeted vision without glasses because it is difficult to predict how the eye heals from cataract surgery, it said.

RxSight said its technology allows patients to customize their vision after cataract surgery based on lifestyle preferences. The adjustable lens is reshaped using an in-office light treatment over two to four treatment sessions.

In a study of 600 subjects, patients who received the Light Adjustable Lens followed by adjustments were twice as likely to achieve 20/20 distance vision at six months without glasses as those who received a standard monofocal lens, the company said.

RxSight received a $60 million credit facility from Oxford Finance LLC in December and plans to use the loan to fund sales and marketing as well as research and development.

San Clemente-based Illusio Imaging is working with Mentor Worldwide LLC to offer patients a new type of consultation ahead of breast augmentation and reconstruction procedures.

Illusio is the developer of an augmented reality virtual mirror, which aids physicians and patients in discussions about surgical preferences and outcomes.

“Our market research clearly shows that over 95% of women who are considering breast augmentation would prefer to see a surgeon who is using a visualization platform such as Illusio,” Chief Executive Ethan Winner said.

“It enables them to fully comprehend what their plastic surgeon is envisioning for their body.”

The Mentor Visualizer, powered by ILLUSIO, helps patients navigate procedure decisions such as implant placement and connects patients to surgeons in their area.

Mentor Worldwide, a breast implant maker, was acquired by Johnson & Johnson for about $1 billion in 2008.

“We are looking forward to working with No. 1 global brand in breast aesthetics and enabling their customers to have real-time visual conversations,” Winner said.

LAUNCH

Wood Gutmann & Bogart Insurance Brokers of Tustin recently launched parcel shipping insurance business Parcel Shield Insurance Services. 

Parcel Shield will bring transparency to the shipping insurance industry by offering real-time claim updates on its technology platform, Parcel Shield President Dylan Scott said.

Scott, who has been in the insurance industry for over a decade, was most recently a vice president of sales at Agoura Hills-based U-PIC Shipping Insurance.

Other unique features of Parcel Shield include better rates compared to carrier insurers such as UPS and FedEx, reimbursement that matches the retail value of items, and expedited reimbursement payments through an e-check service, Scott said.

Parcel Shield, which launched its product at the beginning of the year, aims to partner with e-commerce businesses such as Amazon that offer shipping software to clients.

The business is actively hiring for roles in customer service and claims staff.

NEW HIRES

Linda DiMario has joined Aliso Viejo-based business accelerator Octane as director of community engagement for its foundation.

DiMario was most recently executive vice president of the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce, where she oversaw initiatives to attract new businesses, drive foreign investments and foster startup companies in Irvine.

In her new role, DiMario will lead Octane Foundation for Innovation’s STEM Fellows program, nonprofit accelerator, NextGen council for future leaders, and Women Leaders of Octane.

“I am excited to work with Octane, their very talented leadership, team and board to grow the influence and impact of these initiatives,” DiMario said. “My years with the Chamber helped me build a valuable network that I intend to put to work for our innovation ecosystem.”

Octane will host its first Partner Summit and discuss its 2020 impact in the Southern California region on Feb. 25.