Another finalist in the Rise of the Rest competition is medical technology company, Immertec. Thanks to its custom live-streaming 3D virtual reality software, the way doctors are trained is changing.
Remote technology in the past has not been successful due to limitations in cameras, lenses, and software. But Immertec has built the technology, called Medoptic, that allows for real-time peer-to-peer delivery, without the use of servers or transcoding. Not only could a surgeon in Tampa observe a procedure being performed in Cleveland, as it’s happening, but questions can be asked, charts and monitors can be studied. It’s revolutionizing the way surgical and medical device training is experienced around the globe.
“We can make it affordable to allow any doctor, any student to remote in for consultation, and remote in to observe surgery, from anywhere in the world. To understand and learn how to do it,” said Erik Maltais, Immertec’s co-founder and chief executive officer.
And the Immertec team is excited to pitch the technology at Rise of the Rest. “Regardless if we win or not, we are committed to this community and being selected for this competition is a true honor,” Maltais said. “Rise of the Rest and all their amazing limited partners will invest in this city. That is amazing for the Tampa Bay regardless of who wins.”
When Maltais had the opportunity to move Immertec to California, he held firm and remains proud of his decision. “I pitch a lot of investors or at events in other first-tier markets. I tend to find myself defending my choice to grow my business in Florida. This event asks me to celebrate this fact, which is refreshing, as I sincerely believe we will build an amazing culture and organization here.”
Though the application process is like those Maltais has participated in before, there is one unique difference. “They first reached out to the Tampa Bay Wave and Embarc Collective to get their perspective on which startups are committed to their community,” he explained. “This, in my opinion, is a true embodiment to their mission. Startups that are committed to their community engage it and this is exactly what we have down. We participate in many ways in this growing startup ecosystem and appreciate that they investigated this.”
Should Immertec win the pitch, Maltais answered, without hesitation, what the investment would be used for. “I believe there are only humans. Nothing else matters. My idea of success is growing a business around the right humans. The right customers, investors, and employees will make the impossible happen. We will use this money to add a human to our team. We look to hire a local software engineer.”
As for post-Rise of the Rest, the Immertec team will continue to master their craft and build strong relationships with their multinational customers.
Rise of the Rest takes place Wednesday, May 1 at ConnectWise, 4805 Independence Parkway, Suite 101, Tampa. Doors open at 4 p.m. with networking with ROTR delegation and open bar. A 4:30-5:30 p.m. fireside chat, with AOL founder/ROTR CEO Steve Case and Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, precedes the 5:30-7 p.m. pitch competition.
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