AI Processes More than 23 Million Restaurant Transactions in 2020

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SYNQ3 Restaurant Solutions’ off-premise technology helped several nationwide brands manage the spike in takeout orders as dine-in closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Colorado Springs, CO. (April 20, 2021) – Restaurants nationwide, from quick-service to fine dining, had to up their takeout and delivery game when the coronavirus hit. Would-be patrons quickly found out which restaurants offered convenient and efficient to-go services and which did not. At several nationwide chains, a voice-powered, conversational AI helped boost their takeout orders. This highly scalable system processed more than 23 million AI restaurant transactions in 2020.

Colorado-based tech company SYNQ3 Restaurant Solutions provides this AI, person-supported technology, also known as SYNQ Voice, for thousands of restaurants across the U.S. When the COVID-19 pandemic started shutting down dine-in services, SYNQ Voice experienced ordering spikes of more than 350 percent, CEO Steve Bigari said. Even now, the AI processes millions of transactions each month. SYNQ3 had to hire another 250 employees to keep up with the demand. Read the rest of the story here.

Shared by Tyler Stowater, board member of SYNQ3 Restaurant Solutions.

neurolens Announces the nMD2

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Coppell, Texas, March 29, 2021 – In the spirit of continual eye care innovation, neurolens has announced the launch today of the neurolens Measurement Device, Gen 2 (nMD2). The nMD2 will be commercially available on July 1, 2021, but neurolens will starting taking orders immediately as part of a pre-sale offer. The nMD2 is an objective, accurate and repeatable way to measure binocular vision; or, more specifically, eye alignment. Employing over 10,000 data points per patient, the cutting-edge eye tracking system can identify eye misalignment as small as 0.1 Prism Diopters. The diagnostic information from the nMD2 is used to prescribe neurolenses with patented Contoured Prism technology, which bring the eyes into alignment, relieving the headaches, neck and shoulder pain, eye strain, dry eye and dizziness that many people experience when using their near vision.

Read the remainder of the press release here on the company’s website or a PDF archive copy of the story here.

Shared by Steve Kirby, board member of Neurolens.

OIS Podcast with Elad Kedar, CEO or Orasis Pharmaceuticals

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From Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS). Elad Kedar, CEO of Orasis Pharmaceuticals, explains the concept of pupil modulation, the mechanism of action behind Orasis Pharmaceuticals’ candidate drop to treat presbyopia. He reviews Phase IIb trial results and describes the design of the ongoing Phase III trial.

Click here to watch the video.

Shared by Tyler Stowater, board member of Orasis Pharmaceuticals.



OIS Podcast with Robert Dempsey, CEO of TearClear

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From Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS). Host Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO, speaks with new TearClear CEO Robert Dempsey to uncover what has been necessary for him to succeed in the space.

Listen in as Robert Dempsey discusses the importance of assembling a trustworthy crew before zeroing in on goals and objectives. Learn how his professional experiences have helped him build out a unique medical advisory board for TearClear comprising 50% optometry and 50% ophthalmology and what the future of TearClear looks like.

Listen to Pocast or watch the video version of the podcast here.

Shared by Tyler Stowater, board member of TearClear Corp.

Neurolens® Publishes Whitepapers, "Decoding Binocular Vision"

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Clinical studies on the neurolens® impact to patients and practices.

Click here to read a whitepaper published by neurolens® which includes these three topics:

  1. Factors contributing to the inaccuracy and lack of repeatability with the traditional subjective heterophoria measurements by Vivek Labhishetty (BSc Optometry, MSc, PhD)

  2. Neurolens®: a comprehensive way to treat digital (computer) vision syndrome by Vivek Labhishetty (BSc Optometry, MSc, PhD)

  3. A Financial Impact Study: Adopting neurolens® Technology by Gary Lovcik, OD

Shared by Steve Kirby, board member of Neurolens.

New Device Takes Robotics in Smaller, Simpler Direction

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In this story published January 2021 in the General Surgery News, a prominent industry publication for General Surgeons, MIRA is featured (miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant). Dr. Jobst, a colon and rectal surgeon at Surgical Associates, PC, in Lincoln Nebraska is quoted in the story as well as Dmitry Oleynikov, MD the co-founder and chief medical officer at Virtual Incision.

Shared by Steve Kirby, board member of Virtual Incision Corporation.

Lentechs News, APIOC: Shaking Up the Status Quo for Presbyopes

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See this publication, an advertorial, from Lentechs which has created an entirely new generation of soft, suspended contact lenses designed to deliver glasses-like vision. The publication can be found here online. Download an archive copy of the PDF here.

Shared by Tyler Stowater, board member of Lentechs LLC.

TearClear Announces Successful Completion of Pre-IND Meeting

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TearClear Announces Successful Completion of Pre-IND Meeting with the FDA for a Preservative Free Multi-Dose Delivery of Latanoprost for the Treatment of Glaucoma

Prepared to file an IND in mid-2021 via the 505(b)(2) NDA pathway

Boston, MA, US, Dec 1, 2020 —

TearClear, an emerging ophthalmic pharmaceutical company, today announced the successful completion of pre-IND (Investigational New Drug) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the development plan for the preservative-free multi-dose delivery of a proprietary Latanoprost formulation, including the clinical study design for the registration study.

“We are pleased with the outcome of the Pre-IND meeting and look forward to preparing the IND filing and commencing our pivotal registration trial in 2021,” said Robert Dempsey, Chief Executive Officer, TearClear. “The successful completion of this engagement with the FDA is an important milestone for the company and provides clarity and confidence as we advance our lead clinical program in the U.S.”

Read the remainder of the company’s press release here. Or a PDF archive copy is available here.

Shared by Tyler Stowater, board member of TearClear Corp.

Medgadget Interviews John Murphy, CEO of Virtual Incision

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See what John Murphy, CEO of Virtual Incision, says about the MIRA (miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant”) Platform and how it will impact robotically assisted surgery in this story released by Medgadget.com. “Portable Surgical Robot for Minimally Invasive Procedures: Interview with John Murphy, CEO of Virtual Incision”, by Conn Hastings on November 2, 2020. An archived PDF copy of the story is available here.

Shared by Steve Kirby, board member of Virtual Incision Corporation.

Virtual Incision Receives Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) to Initiate Study of First-of-its-Kind MIRA Platform

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Company Prepares MIRA for Use in Minimally-Invasive Laparoscopic Colon Surgery

Lincoln, Neb., and Pleasanton, Calif. – October 27, 2020 –Virtual Incision Corporation, a medical device company pioneering a first-of-its-kind miniaturized surgical platform, today announced it has received an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the company’s MIRA® (“miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant”) Platform.

 The IDE will allow the company to initiate a clinical study of MIRA at a limited number of U.S. hospitals in support of the system’s regulatory pathway to approval.

“Because of its clear benefits for patients, the demand for robotically-assisted surgery continues to increase, though challenges still inhibit broader adoption. MIRA is intended to overcome these limitations, with a simple and cost-effective solution that offers the potential to bring minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery to many more patients,” said John Murphy, president and CEO of Virtual Incision. “The IDE approval for MIRA is an exciting and critical next step that will allow us to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of this novel device in patients. We look forward to working closely with the surgical teams and study sites to advance the MIRA surgical platform with the goal of making minimally invasive surgery more accessible.”

Colorectal and lower gastrointestinal procedures are among the fastest growing surgeries in the U.S., with more than 400,000 colon resection procedures performed each year. Minimally invasive colectomies have been shown to reduce mortality, and can also reduce a patient’s healing time, pain, complications, and hospital readmissions. Manual laparoscopic colectomies, though also minimally invasive, can be difficult to perform and can have less than ideal cosmetic outcomes.

 “Many benign and malignant conditions require removal of a portion of the colon. Currently the most common approach is open surgery, which involves a very large incision, a long hospital stay and several weeks of recovery,” said Dr. Dmitry Oleynikov, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Virtual Incision. “Open colectomies carry a high risk of surgical site infection and other complications that can negatively affect a patient’s quality of life.” 

 “Despite significant technological advancements and improved patient outcomes that can reduce the total cost of care, adoption of minimally invasive colon surgery has been limited,” said Shane Farritor, Ph.D., Virtual Incision’s co-founder and chief technology officer. “This milestone is a step toward a miniaturized solution to robotically-assisted laparoscopic surgery.”

 About the MIRA Platform

Virtual Incision’s MIRA®  Platform features a small, self-contained surgical device that is inserted through a single midline umbilical incision in the patient’s abdomen. Virtual Incision’s technology is designed to support multi-quadrant abdominal surgeries utilizing existing minimally invasive tools and techniques familiar to laparoscopic surgeons, and does not require a dedicated operating room or specialized infrastructure. Because of its much smaller size, the device is expected to be significantly less expensive than existing robotically-assisted surgical devices. 

 About Virtual Incision

Virtual Incision is reimagining robotically-assisted surgery, with simple innovations offering mobility, flexibility, and accessibility to provide minimally invasive options to more patients. The company is developing the MIRA (“miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant”) Platform, a first-of-its-kind miniaturized surgical device, focusing first on colon resection, with follow-on specialty robots for additional potential applications. The company is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. For more information, visit https://virtualincision.com/.

 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our plans, beliefs, expectations and assumptions, as well as other statements that are not necessarily historical facts. You are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve risks and uncertainties. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date as of which it is made and we do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements. This communication also contains market data related to our business and industry which includes projections that are based on a number of assumptions we believe are reasonable and most significant to the projections as of the date of this communication. If any of our assumptions prove to be incorrect, our actual results may significantly differ from our projections based on these assumptions.

 Shared by Steve Kirby, board member of Virtual Incision Corporation.

TearClear Raises $22MM to Advance Multiple Clinical Programs in Development

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TearClear announces appointment of Stuart Raetzman to Board of Directors

Boston, MA, US, Aug 11, 2020 — 

TearClear has raised $22M in a Series B funding round. The investment will be used to advance multiple clinical programs in development, with two lead candidates in glaucoma paving the way for future indications. Participating in the raise was Visionary Ventures, Bluestem Capital and Flying L Partners, who collaborated with Falcon Vision, a platform formed by KKR to advance innovation in ophthalmology.

The company also announces the appointment of Stuart Raetzman, who most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Galderma, to the TearClear Board of Directors. “Stuart is a life science industry executive with proven success in pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices and over‐the‐counter products. His appointment further strengthens our Board and his commercial expertise will be a tremendous value to the team” said TearClear Chief Executive Officer, Robert Dempsey.

Read the rest of the press release here on TearClear's website or view a PDF archive of the story here.

Shared by Tyler Stowater, board member of TearClear Corp.

SYNQ3's Customer in the News

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SYNQ3 delivers Restaurant 3.0 which includes omni-channel ordering from text to chat to voice to social media, along with other technology for restaurants. One of their customers is Chipotle and their efficiencies are highlighted in this Barron’s article, “Restaurant Stocks Are Getting Beaten Up Again. But Chipotle and Wingstop Are Winning the Pandemic”, by Jack Hough on July 2, 2020. You can find a PDF copy of the story here.

Shared by Tyler Stowater, board member of SYNQ3 Restaurant Solutions.

TearClear Appoints Key Team Members

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We’re pleased to share these developments announced by TearClear with you.

In May, Dr. Amir Sjojaei was appointed as TearClear’s Chief Development Officer. His career has focused on the clinical development, registration and commercialization of bio-pharmaceuticals and biologics in multiple therapeutic areas. You can read the press release here, or find an archived PDF here.

In April, Robert J. Dempsey was appointed as Chief Executive Officer. Dempsey, who has more than two decades of experience in the ophthalmic pharmaceutical industry, is expected to accelerate TearClear’s business and commercial strategy, including advancing the robust pipeline and leading the company’s efforts in bringing innovative products to market. You can read the press release here, or find an archived PDF here.

We welcome you to listen to this OIS Podcast (Ophthalmology Innovation Summit), where Dr. Ehsan Sadri speaks with Bob Dempsey about his experience taking Xiidra (Zy-dra) to market for Shire led him to the driver’s seat for one of the most promising new drug-delivery companies.

Shared by Tyler Stowater, board member of TearClear Corp.

Virun Reports Elevated Supplement Demand

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VIRUN received US Small Business Administration funding and has a positive story to share about their experience to-date in the current health crisis. Bluestem is mentioned in this story published April 23, 2020 on Nutrition Insight, “A new wave of enthusiasts”: Demand spike in US supplement sector creates new opportunities amid COVID-19”, by Anni Schleicher. A PDF archive copy of the story is available here.

-Shared by Tyler Stowater, board member of Virun, Inc.  

New Class of Contacts In Development

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Enjoy this video where Robin Sears, CEO of Lentechs, discusses early clinical results for the APIOC Lens; a new class of soft contact lenses for presbyopia (farsightedness caused by loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye, occurring typically in middle and old age). This is a recording of his presentation from the Innovative Showcase at OIS@SECO 2020 in Atlanta, GA (Ophthalmology Innovation Summit).

-Shared by Tyler Stowater, board member of Lentechs LLC.


Virtual Incision's CTO Caught Doing Good

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Bluestem is proud to give a shout out to Shane Farritor, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Virtual Incision Corporation. Dr. Farritor’s talent for making things happen is highlighted in a story published April 2, by Deann Gayman titled “Nebraska U Makers Step Up to Equip Healers” featured on UNL’s Nebraska Today site.

Dr. Farritor was part of a team that is producing face shields for the medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients.

For an archive print of the story, click here.

-Shared by Steve Kirby, board member of Virtual Incision Corporation.

SYNQ3 Aids Nationwide Restaurants With Takeout-Ordering Amidst COVID-19 Outbreak

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SYNQ3 Restaurant Solutions, with the help of CenturyLink, is currently processing 100,000-plus calls daily, a 200 percent increase as restaurants have moved to takeout-only services, and they are hiring furloughed workers

Colorado Springs, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2020) - As more local and state governments mandate restaurants move to carryout and delivery only, some restaurants are helping customers by enabling essential takeout technology. According to SYNQ3 Restaurant Solutions, a tech company that provides takeout-ordering automation and human-hybrid solutions, all of its restaurant partners are experiencing significant spikes in off-premise business.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak started impacting U.S. restaurants, SYNQ3 has seen a 200-percent increase in restaurant calls, CEO Steve Bigari said. The company is currently processing more than 100,000 calls daily. "We're grateful for the opportunity to help our restaurant partners continue to provide food for their customers during this unprecedented and challenging time," he said.

SYNQ3 services more than 30 nationwide brands representing thousands of locations. Keeping up with the network and system demands has not been a small task, Bigari said. He noted that SYNQ3's partners at CenturyLink have played a critical role in helping them manage the surge in business. CenturyLink provides an enterprise-grade voice and data network for SYNQ3 that allows for dynamic routing and load-balancing to handle the large influx of calls.

To assist SYNQ3 in meeting its customer demands, CenturyLink took immediate and quick action to provide additional capacity for voice and data network services to help process the increased phone orders for its restaurant clients throughout the U.S. Importantly, the efforts also help SYNQ3 customers maintain the quality of their existing service as the number of users increase. CenturyLink has been working with partners and clients across the globe to upgrade and enhance network capabilities during this unprecedented event.

"CenturyLink is a technology company experienced in retail communications and our expertise helps simplify complex systems for businesses," said Monica Walton, CenturyLink vice president and general manager for Colorado. "CenturyLink has been able to immediately increase network capacity and voice services to help SYNQ3 deliver on their efforts to keep their customers connected throughout the United States. We are delivering capabilities to keep businesses operating and we are proud to partner with SYNQ3 in their work to keep the essential takeout and delivery business connected."

A large percentage of SYNQ3's workforce are telecommuters, so keeping the system up and running is critical. CenturyLink's global broadband network has proven to be essential in providing the connectivity necessary for SYNQ3's workforce. Employees have been able to continue working from home despite the COVID-19 outbreak.

By teaming up people with technology, SYNQ3's solutions provide seamless, simple ordering. SYNQ3's full-service automation offers an advanced artificial intelligence, backed by humans that greets guests and secures their orders. To ensure the highest-quality experience and to ensure guests always have the option to interact with the AI or not, SYNQ3 employs hundreds of ordering specialists to manage quality control, assist automation and take orders.

With the current increase in takeout business, the company needs additional help. In an effort to support the industry and the people who make the business possible, SYNQ3 started hiring furloughed restaurant employees. "The only way to successfully make it through this crisis is together," Bigari said.

SYNQ3 Public Relations Director, Mackenzie Spillane
(719) 648-4291, Mackenzie.spillane@wickedthink.com

CenturyLink Media Contact, Kerry Zimmer​
(509) 720-4441, kerry.zimmer@centurylink.com

-Shared by Tyler Stowater, board member of SYNQ3 Restaurant Solutions.

Virtual Incision Announces $20 Million Financing to Advance First-of-its-Kind Surgical Mini-Robot

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Virtual Incision Corporation Files FDA IDE Submission for Confirmatory Clinical Study of MIRA Surgical Robotic Platform for Colectomy Procedures. The company’s press release can be viewed on their website or as a PDF file available here.

Additionally, follow this link for a story that includes a video of the MIRA (“miniaturized in vivo robitc assistant”) published by TechCrunch, “Virtual Incision Corporation raises $20 million for its abdominal surgery robot”, by Brian Heater on January 8, 2020.

The buzz created by the announcement is reflected by the number of stories published about Virtual Incision’s press release. Click here if you’d like a comprehensive list of the media generated.

-Shared by Steve Kirby, board member of Virtual Incision Corporation, Inc.