Understand.com lands deal, will boost its staff

A new agreement with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has the potential to open new avenues of business for Reno's Understand.com.

The company seeks to increase its staff by three to five people as well.

The Web site founded in 2003 by Chief Executive Officer Darik Volpa provides 3D animations to explain medical procedures and products. The company had already provided animations to the ASPS for about four years. Understand.com now will produce interactive animations for brand-specific plastic and cosmetic surgery treatments and products.

The animations will be available through the Web sites of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Web site and its members, which gives Understand.com a much wider range of exposure. Volpa says the added exposure could lead to similar work in fields such as dermatology and orthopedics.

"The ASPS has about 7,000 members throughout the world, so that gives us pretty significant exposure. It legitimizes our products, content and services by a leading group of plastic surgeons. As a medical device or pharmaceutical company, you would love to have your content available on the industry's most-trafficked Web site," Volpa says.

Understand.com recently hired an additional employee and opened a satellite office in Brazil. The company still seeks additional medical animators, as well as sales and marketing staff. Understand.com employs 15 in Reno at a 6,000-square-foot office at 100 Washington St.