A one-time co-founder of a cloud-based software company in Liberty Lake says he recently started another software venture near his old digs.

Kris Bliesner, along with five other former co-workers from 2nd Watch Inc., has launched Liberty Lake Cloud Inc., which does business as Vega and has a total of nine employees.

Vega recently received confirmation it would soon be approved for the trademark name of Vega Inc., Bliesner says.

“We’re a software company that’s created a platform that helps businesses and consumers manage infrastructure in the cloud,” Bliesner says. “We can combine their infrastructure with our software and manage their cloud.”

Vega is located in the Liberty Lake Portal building, at 23403 E. Mission, on the northwest corner of Mission Avenue and Molter Road.

“We’re excited to be in Liberty Lake,” Bliesner says. “At 2nd Watch, we never had a problem finding qualified talent to fill positions, and Liberty Lake is still a draw when recruiting talent from outside the area.”

Bliesner, who formerly served as the chief technology officer at 2nd Watch, says he and Vega’s team of engineers have built the platform with the idea of saving customers money and time.

Price points listed on the company’s website show monthly rates for a small company start at $300, rates for a medium-sized company start at $1,000, and rates for companies with robust cloud-management needs start at $2,500.

Bliesner thinks the team has created a solid fix for those businesses still new to the cloud and too busy to manage it on their own.

“So far, we’re doing better than expected, but it’s slower than I’d like,” he says.

Travel restrictions and limited in-person interactions in the effort to stem the spread of COVID-19 have made for a “challenging environment to do sales,” he says.

“But a conversation about optimization and reducing costs resonates, so it’s a good time to talk to them in a recessionary climate,” Bliesner says.

Among those at Vega working with Bliesner is Jason Foster, a former 2nd Watch employee now serving as Vega’s cloud strategy lead specializing in sales, onboarding, and product strategy, he says.

A self-described “tech and IT guy,” Bliesner says it’s his impression that cloud-based companies frequently move into areas of consultation and professional services.

“And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that,” Bliesner says. “But that’s not my background. I’m more qualified in building management platforms that fix problems.”

The company plans to unveil a software package later this year that will enable entertainment and media companies to edit high-quality graphics and 4K video remotely, he says.

“Let’s say you’ve got your desktop at the office that is designed to handle those assignments,” he says. “We’re developing software that will allow customers to access the cloud and edit those projects remotely.”

To date, Vega’s clients primarily are other tech software and insurance companies, Bliesner says.

Bliesner co-founded 2nd Watch, a cloud computing company in Liberty Lake, along with Jeff Aden, in 2010, after leaving jobs at now defunct Ambassador’s Group Inc. to start 2nd Watch.

Bliesner left 2nd Watch in the fall of 2017, and then stepped down from his position on the board of directors in early 2018. He began developing Vega shortly after that, he says.

Located at 2310 N. Molter, 2nd Watch announced in October that ST Telemedia, of Singapore, plans to acquire controlling interest in the company.