LAUNCH
Irvine-based Vusar has launched its immersive visualization tool, an augmented reality product that allows design-focused consumers to interact intuitively with a company’s product design.
The software, which can run on smartphones and smartpads, was created to increase collaborative efforts and engagement among product design, development and manufacturing teams, Chief Executive Aaron Anderson said.
Vusar recently won its first client, an undisclosed Irvine-based biotech design company. The visualization tool is expected to launch out of beta by month’s end.
The company, which has been bootstrapped thus far, is based out of the Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the UCI Paul Merage School of Business.
Anderson is a former U.S. Army Special Forces engineer who also worked the trade floor at PIMCO.
The company’s other co-founders are Brenden Monahan, a specialist in sensor technologies, and Gokul Kolandavel, who oversaw the web development team at Kelley Blue Book.
Mother-daughter duo Mireya and Nawal Atoura have released their gluten-free, homemade pita bread and pita chips at the Orange County Market Place, which is held every Saturday and Sunday at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.
The Atouras started Chippita because Nawal has celiac disease, an immune reaction to eating gluten. She wanted to bring pita bread and chips to the gluten-free community. “Our bread is unique because it’s the only gluten-free pita bread on the market, and we came up with a proprietary process that allows the bread to “poof” with pockets,” Nawal said.
Chippita plans to unveil different flavors and dips as it grows.
HIRES
Irvine-based Qmerit Inc. hired Jim Ammons as business development director. Ammons owned Ammons Office Products, which he sold to Corporate Express, which later became Staples. He was a regional director of business development, facilities, at Staples before joining Qmerit.
Qmerit is a cloud-based, supply chain software company with products designed to improve quality and reduce operating costs for OEM’s, facility managers, and contractors, primarily in the commercial real estate industry.
Ammons will focus on supporting business growth in the procurement space, the Qmerit MRO Marketplace. MRO stands for maintenance, repair, and operations.
“Qmerit is disrupting the commercial real estate market by aggregating the MRO spend of building engineers and contractors to lower the prices they pay for MRO equipment, parts and materials,” Ammons said. “I’m excited to introduce this to building owners and property managers across the country, since it has an immediate impact on their [net operating income] and profitability.”
Irvine-based Specright Inc. has brought on Ayman Shoukry as its chief technology officer.
Prior to joining Specright, Shoukry was part of the e-commerce platform team at Amazon. He was also chief technology officer at HireRight, one of the county’s largest background screening companies. He began his career in the Microsoft’s developer division, where he spent 15 years in various leadership positions.
Specright is a software as a service company that helps companies sort and share supply chain specifications.
The company wrapped an $8.8 million Series A round in April, led by Chicago-based Pritzker Group Venture Capital.
PARTNERSHIPS
A Los Angeles hospital has gotten plaudits for its use of technology from Tagnos, an Aliso Viejo-based developer of clinical logistics automation software geared for medical facilities.
Tagnos, 2018 alumni of Irvine-based startup incubator EvoNexus, makes RFID-enabled patient wristbands used by hospitals to provide real-time tracking of patients’ movement in their facilities, and to help with patient flow.
It was started by Chief Executive Neeraj Bhavani, who had lost track of his father for several hours after he was admitted to a hospital years back.
The company’s product is used by Adventist Health White Memorial, which recently won the 13th Annual RFID Journal Awards. The hospital’s use of the Tagnos’ Operating Room Patient Flow product helped increase OR turnaround time by 9.7% and OR utilization by 18%.
Tagnos closed its first round of Series A funding early last year, raising $5 million from Benhamou Global Ventures, Morpheus Ventures, and Zebra Ventures.
Predictive marketing platform Foreknow Inc. said it has partnered with Dallas-based Everest Networks, a high-density Wi-Fi supplier owned by Panasonic Corp.
Foreknow uses artificial intelligence and geolocation software to predict a consumer’s future location at any given time, so that push notifications can be sent to smartphones and other devices at the most opportune moments to influence behavior, according to co-founder and Chief Executive Stu Harvey.
Its prediction machine learning software counts more than 90% accuracy, allowing brands to engage with their users, according to the company.
Its deal with Everest Networks will allow the company to better integrate its software through 5G and Wi-Fi networks.
Everest Networks currently deploys Wi-Fi at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as Churchill Downs, the racetrack that hosts the Kentucky Derby every year, among others.
Foreknow has also inked deals with an undisclosed video streaming service and a California-based amusement park.
The company is based in the Industrious coworking location at the Park Place office complex in Irvine.
It’s currently seeking seed funding.
