BY RAEANNE MARSH
ENTREPRENEURS & INNOVATORS
Spatial’s Virtual Soundscapes Redefine the Human Experience Spatial has a number of design, technology and AV partners, including Scottsdale-based Theater X, which offers high-end audio, theater, lighting and automation solutions for residential, commercial and industrial projects in the Southwest. These partners help power Spatial’s software service and bring the magic of what Spatial creates to life. In addition to backing from venture capital firms DBL Partners and BITKRAFT Ventures, Spatial gained The National Geographic Society as a strategic investor and partner helping the company illuminate the wonders of the world through sound.
Intending to break down traditional audio barriers, Scottsdaleheadquartered Spatial Inc. is redefining the human experience by creating virtual soundscapes in all spaces where people spend time. “Michael Plitkins and I co-founded Spatial with the goal of bringing a modern approach to real-time, interactive, deeply immersive experiences to the world,” says CEO Calin Pacurariu. With technology that is flexible, powerful and scalable, Spatial is serving a range of customers, from corporations, retailers, theme parks, museums, hotels and wellness centers to residential estates. “We’re taking audio to a new level and allowing creators to unleash their creative soundscapes.” Following an initial “quiet” launch in 2017, Spatial publicly announced itself earlier this year, in March. In between those dates were the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The commercial clients we largely cater to — retailers, hospitality, museums and theme parks — were forced to close their doors. To overcome this business challenge, we refocused our efforts on bringing immersive audio experiences directly where people were working, staying and playing — all in one space,” Pacurariu shares. “Instead of letting the pandemic slow our workflow, we used it as fuel to enhance estate residences with immersive audio. After everyone was forced to shut their doors and stay inside, we knew we had a unique opportunity to bring immersive, lifelike experiences directly to the home. People
were missing playful experiences and the ability to travel and Spatial was able transport estate owners, their family and friends by building theme park experiences in their home.” “It’s all about the team you build,” Pacurariu says. “I’ve been lucky to be able to work with some of the best CEOs in my career. Their deep and continuous focus building the perfect teams is the foundation of everything in business. That was a core lesson from Donna Dubinsky at Handspring, where we built the early smartphones to Steve Jobs at Apple, where we rebooted the company and built the foundation for today’s success. All great businesses start small and the team is the force multiplier, whether you have a team of ten, one hundred or thousands.” Spatial Inc. spatialinc.com
In its first six months, Vetster attracted veterinarians in every state and province across North America to make care more accessible and available 24/7, with thousands of pet owners booking appointments to receive care, access online prescriptions where regionally permitted, and help improve their pet’s overall health.
SEPT. 2021
14
INBUSINESSPHX.COM
Vetster connects pet owners to thousands of licensed veterinary professionals ready to provide online pet care through video, chat and voice-enabled appointments 24/7. Founded in September last year and officially launched in November, Vetster is the largest veterinary telemedical marketplace in North America. “With veterinarians in all states and provinces across North America, Vetster makes it easy for pet owners to find, book and conduct a telemedical appointment with a trusted veterinarian — all from the convenience of their own home,” says CEO and co-founder Mark Bordo. For veterinarians, the Vetster platform provides them a way to expand their services outside the clinic and clinic hours, reach new clients, and provide care in between appointments or for treatment where an in-clinic appointment may not be needed. For pet owners, Vetster offers an easy way to book appointments at times convenient to them, access care outside the clinic setting, and improve their pet’s overall health with proactive and regular care. Says Bordo, “Vetster aims to create a holistic and consistent approach to caring for pets.” Bordo believes the growing acceptance and adoption of telemedical services for people and the dramatic increase in pet ownership spurred by the pandemic were key factors in
The pet care industry has grown to $100 billion in the last year as more people have added pets to their family.
the development of Vetster; he notes veterinarians saw a 50% rise in clients that challenged their ability to meet the needs of clients within their current practice. “Building a platform that exceeded the needs of our customers and our veterinarians quickly has been no easy feat, particularly when we’re all working remotely and need to collaborate and be lock-step with one another,” Bordo shares. “Our MVP [minimum viable product] needed to have a robust set of tools to support scheduling, great audio and video quality, it needed to be secure, and needed to offer key features like reporting, automated billing and payments. Accomplishing this within just a few months was a huge challenge and I’m so proud to say our team rose to the occasion.” What Mark is describing there, is the first version of our app when we launch. It needed to have a great video and audio experience for both the veterinarian and as well as the customer. The marketplace needed to make it easy to find a veterinarian, to book an appointment and pay online. For veterinarians, we needed to include note taking, prescriptions and other key functionality that would support a veterinary appointment. Vetster vetster.com
Photos courtesy of Spatial Inc. (top), Vetster (bottom left)
Vetster: On-Demand Virtual Veterinary Appointments
