February 4, 2021—Cosm, a global technology company that builds
end-to-end solutions for immersive experiences, emerges after months of
M&A and R&D activity. The company provides a full stack
experience solution including the physical design, engineering, and
manufacturing; as well as the software, display engine, and content
needs to deliver immersive experiences at scale. Additionally, Cosm
unveils its Experience Center which houses a 20-meter diameter immersive
8K LED dome to be used in science, education, theme parks, attractions,
sports and entertainment venues.
Cosm’s technological foundation
is built on the capabilities of three core companies that continue to
operate as individual brands, each of which contributes key components
to the portfolio of technology and services offered. Acquired in 2020
via a take-private transaction and additional asset purchase, the Cosm
Companies are:
- Evans & Sutherland
(E&S), a leading software and display technology company, with a
70-year legacy of providing spatial computing and immersive rendering
software, projection and LED screen technology, and full dome theater
systems; - Spitz, Inc.
(an E&S Subsidiary), known for the Spitz NanoSeam panel, and a
pioneer in the planetarium and custom curved projection screen industry.
The company provides design and structural engineering expertise,
custom domes and spherical structure manufacturing, and additional
curved and domed architectural designs; - LiveLike VR,
the global leader in live immersive sports and entertainment, providing
live immersive production, distribution and video streaming tech
platform, and immersive app development services to partners in the form
of white label headset and mobile applications.
Each
of these companies stands on its own with established legacies of
innovation and world-class client partnerships; and when combined,
unlock a much greater potential than previously imagined,” said Jeb
Terry, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Cosm. “The Cosm
Team is well positioned to expand and deliver on our robust backlog
while also advancing innovation and ingenuity to develop future
opportunities. Cosm is investing in growth to build out an incredible
team, expand our capabilities, and leverage our market-leading
technology in new ways with a focus on the emerging Experience Economy.”
“Great
companies can only realize their full potential if they have wildly
ambitious goals, a phenomenal team, and the ability to execute; and Cosm
has them all,” said Stephen T. Winn, Cosm Board Chairman, and Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of RealPage.
Cosm companies have
historically created some of the richest immersive experiences in the
world. E&S and its subsidiary Spitz are the world’s only turnkey
provider of complete dome theaters, delivering immersive hardware,
software, and physical structures. The companies have delivered
end-to-end digital display systems and domed installations at major
science museums and planetariums, such as Adler Planetarium, the U.S.
Space and Rocket Center, Liberty Science Center, and China’s new
Shanghai Astronomy Museum.
With over 2,000 experiences delivered
and over 500 active installs, the combined companies are the market
leader in the planetarium industry. In addition, the companies have also
delivered signature experiences at prominent theme parks and
attractions such as SeaWorld and other well-known parks; counting some
of the world’s most notable flying and dark rides as successful screen
design and development projects. Built upon historic “firsts,” E&S
has a rich technology-driven legacy, having pioneered both the
planetarium and immersive computer graphics fields, as well as
developing one of the world’s first VR headsets in the 1960’s nicknamed
the “Sword of Damocles.”
LiveLike VR is a global leader in live
immersive sports and entertainment production and distribution, and
streaming architecture for partners around the world. Their production
portfolio includes the world’s biggest events working with partners such
as FOX Sports, FIFA, Telemundo, IPL, UEFA, Sky, BBC, FranceTV, and
more. They empower rights holders and broadcasters to deliver immersive,
interactive, and social experiences to consumers digitally via headsets
(HMDs) and mobile platforms. Cosm acquired LiveLike VR, the immersive
arm of LiveLike, in an asset purchase.
The Cosm Experience Center
The company also announces the Cosm Experience Center.
Located on the E&S campus in the University of Utah’s research park
in Salt Lake City, the Center showcases an 8K immersive LED dome, also
known as DomeX, the only one of its kind in the world.
Completed
in late 2020, the center demonstrates Cosm’s complete technology
capabilities and presents the power of the possible to partners and
clients. Visitors experience the awe-inspiring LED technology while also
viewing its predecessor, the Spitz NanoSeam, the market leader in
projection screens.With the LED display, Cosm improves the viewer
experience and overcomes limitations of projection-based systems:
shadows, resolution, contrast, reflections, brightness, and more.
The
Center also features the seventh iteration of E&S’ core 3D
rendering engine, Digistar, which was recently released in Q3 2020 to
the Sciences and Education market. Digistar’s flexibility is also on
display, showing off real-time rendered environments, live-streamed and
recorded videos, and live content integrations with Unreal Engine and
Unity.
DomeX is a LED 20-meter diameter truncated dome vertically
positioned to allow viewers full floor to ceiling immersion. The Center
touts over 5,000 square feet of display, with 8K resolution, 29.5
million pixels, and ~4.5 miles of CAT6 data cable.