Page 20 of Savage Ruin
I chuckle.
Thiago glares at me, then turns his attention to Henley, who’s asleep in the lounger next to me. His eyes skate over her from head to toe, assessing her well-being. Once he’s reassured she’s okay, he answers Grayson’s question. “The company came back with a better offer, but they want shares of SEI to be a part of the deal. I turned them down. With Marcos gone, I’m not sure there’s any reason to pursue a partnership.”
Henley stretches on the chair beside me, waking from her nap.
I must look puzzled because Thiago explains further. “Marcos asked me to look into partnering with a medical device company. Maybe this was for the AR technology he and Henley developed?”
“Or the breast cancer detection vest?” I remind him of Marcos’ other project.
Henley sits up a little straighter and reaches for her shirt. “Right now, doctors, especially surgeons, view CT, MRI, and ultrasound scans in 2D. The software would convert the scans first to 3D models, then to AR images. Marcos and I always planned to offer an AR headset or glasses with the software, although it’s not required to view the disease or condition in 3D. But with the addition of the optical device, surgeons can view the AR images overlaid directly on top of their patient. It would be an incredible advantage during surgery to not only know, but see precisely where to cut, how deep their target is, and other various physical data needed for the surgery to be successful.”
I smile, remembering how excited Marcos was when he explained the idea to me. The same look is on Henley’s face right now.
She shrugs. “The original intent was to make a deal with an existing manufacturer, but once Marcos got his AR/VR glasses working, maybe he thought it would be better to partner with someone. Or he might have been thinking of the vest or a combination of projects. Who knows? Marcos was always thinking ahead.”
Thiago pinches the bridge of his nose. “Should I start looking for another device manufacturer?”
Henley hesitates, then blurts out. “I sort of already did. I reached out to a gaming company who I know is on the verge of launching their own VR glasses to see if they’d be interested in a potential partnership. Instead of limiting their scope to VR only, they could offer AR/VR glasses and immediately expand their target market. I told them I was actively shopping a finished solution around and would need their answer within forty-eight hours.”
She raises her arm to tap her wrist as if she’s wearing a watch. “They have forty hours left to respond. I didn’t give them any demands. I want to see if they’re interested first.” She darts a glance at each of us, waiting for us to react.
Shocked, I swing my legs to the side of the lounger to sit up straight. “We exchanged the AR/VR glasses and code for your life. Why would you risk making our enemies even more angry?” Shoving my hand through my hair, I contemplate the ramifications of what she’s done. Damn it.
She shrugs nonchalantly. “I’m thankful to be alive, and they have a copy of the code. They can manufacture it, enter a partnership, or sell it—whatever they want. But I have a copy of it, too.”
Her face is fierce when she looks at me. “They killed Marcos. Kidnapped me. Beat me. Threatened my life. They don’t get a reward, especially for something Marcos spent hours and hours creating. Fuck them.”
She compresses her lips, so I turn to Thiago for help.
A slow smile spreads across Thiago’s face. “I didn’t know you had a copy, but I agree. Fuck them. This is war. Maybe we can also use it to draw them out from wherever they’re hiding. Do you want to broker the deal yourself, or do you want some help?” He’s practically vibrating with energy at the thought of striking a blow against our enemy.
She contemplates Thiago’s offer. “I’d prefer to have SEI go into partnership with them vs. CJ Tech. For one, you’re a legal entity.” A wry smile crosses her face. “Honestly, deals aren’t really my wheelhouse. All I want is the physical product. Although I’ve come up with an option for launching an MVP, or minimally viable product, for the first version of our AR product.”
Grayson gets up and moves closer to the three of us.
“We’ll need you to go with us to make the deal. At the very least, they’ll want a demonstration of the technology, but we’ll also need you to lead any technical discussions,” Grayson informs her.
“I definitely want to go, although I’d prefer to be introduced as an SEI tech lead or something,” she agrees, adding the stipulation.
“What’s the name of the company?” Thiago asks, ready to type it into his phone. “I’ll get a meeting set up for the earliest available time.”
“VRDeck,” she answers, naming one of the biggest VR gaming companies in the market.
I whistle. “They’re one of the biggest, but you’ll need a company big enough to get to market fast and they can certainly pull it off. Good thing Thiago’s one hell of a negotiator, because having leverage will help.”
Grayson and Thiago look at each other with a competitive gleam in their eye. I have no doubt those two will put together an incredible deal and get Henley what she needs. “Wait, what is your MVP solution?”
“Most mobile devices support AR technology now, so we launch the product as an AR app. The original solution would only need a few modifications to use a mobile operating system instead of a desktop, but mainly due to their inherent limitations. Once complete, the 3D model could be viewed through any phone or tablet. If they already have their own AR headsets that work with mobile, they can use them.”
She reaches a hand toward Grayson to help her stand. “Thank you,” she murmurs. “It’s actually a better solution than our original idea. Doctors will be able to view a patient’s organs, nerves, blood vessels, or other body parts, segment the disease or problem areas, zoom in or out, and even consult with other doctors using a device they carry with them every day. It’s truly amazing. Not only will this revolutionize surgery and patient treatment today, but in the future, it can be extended to emergency services to use in the field to quickly identify hidden injuries like internal bleeding or ruptured organs.”
She holds up a finger when Thiago opens his mouth. “Distribution of an app is easy. With an annual licensing model, we can create a low-cost entry point for doctors and an annual revenue stream for our companies. There are over nine million doctors in the world. If we estimate fifteen percent of the total, or one-point-three million doctors, will download the software and license it at a cost of one hundred dollars a year, we could generate over one hundred and thirty million dollars a year. Some of the revenue would need to be reinvested for maintenance and upgrades to the technology, but the remaining would be a significant source of revenue for all three companies. The model might have to change as competitors hit the market, but I’d look to SEI to manage the ongoing business.” Her eyes dart to the three of us to gauge our thoughts on this solution.
Grayson’s eyes light up when she speaks about the revenue. He’s a walking financial machine.
“Are you suggesting a three-way partnership between SEI, JF Technologies, and CJ Tech?” Thiago questions her, his voice sharp. “It would be tough to create a legal contract between us given that two of the companies don’t legally exist.”
She shrugs. “I never thought about it. Marcos and I trusted each other and never relied on legal documents. Plus, we didn’t want the companies to be legal. If they were legit and paid taxes, we’d have considerably less money to give to the foundation.”
