Latest news with #Cosm
New Straits Times
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: 'The Matrix is everywhere': cinema bets on immersion
IN a Los Angeles theatre, a trench coat-wearing Neo bends backwards to dodge bullets that spiral over the viewer's head, as the sound of gunfire erupts from everywhere. This new immersive experience is designed to be a red pill moment that will get film fans off their couches at a time when the movie industry is desperate to bring back audiences. Cosm, which has venues in Los Angeles and Dallas, is launching its dome-style screen and 3D sets in June with a "shared reality" version of 'The Matrix', the cult 1999 film starring Keanu Reeves as a man who suddenly learns his world is a fiction. "We believe the future will be more immersive and more experiential," said Cosm president Jeb Terry at a recent preview screening. "It's trying to create an additive, a new experience, ideally non-cannibalistic, so that the industry can continue to thrive across all formats." Cinema audiences were already dwindling when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, shuttering theatres at a time when streaming was exploding. With ever bigger and better TVs available for the home, the challenge for theater owners is to offer something that movie buffs cannot get in their living room. Prestige projects like Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning' or Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning 'Oppenheimer' increasingly opt for the huge screens and superior film quality of IMAX. But Cosm and other projects like it want to go one step further, collaborating with designers who have worked with Cirque du Soleil to create an environment in which the viewer feels like they are inside the film. For filmmakers, it's all about how you place the cameras and where you capture the sound, said Jay Rinsky, founder of Little Cinema, a creative studio specializing in immersive experiences. "We create sets like the Parisian opera, let the movie be the singer, follow the tone, highlight the emotions... through light, through production design, through 3D environments," he said. The approach, he said, felt particularly well suited to 'The Matrix', which he called "a masterpiece of cinema, but done as a rectangle". For the uninitiated: Reeves' Neo is a computer hacker who starts poking around in a life that doesn't quite seem to fit. A mysterious Laurence Fishburne offers him a blue pill that will leave him where he is, or a red pill that will show him he is a slave whose body is being farmed by AI machines while his conscious lives in a computer simulation. There follows much gunfire, lots of martial arts and some mysticism, along with a romance between Neo and Trinity, played by the leather-clad Carrie-Anne Moss. 'The Matrix' in shared reality kicks off with a choice of cocktails — blue or red, of course — which are consumed as the audience sits surrounded by high-definition screens. Shifting perspectives place the viewer inside Neo's office cubicle, or seemingly in peril. "They're sometimes inside the character's head," said Rinsky. "The world changes as you look up and down for trucks coming at you." The result impressed those who were at the preview screening.
Straits Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
‘The Matrix is everywhere': Cinema bets on immersion
Attendees watching an extended screen of the character Neo's bullet time during the first shared reality screening of The Matrix inside Cosm Los Angeles. PHOTO: AFP INGLEWOOD, United States – In a Los Angeles theatre, a trench coat-wearing Neo bends backwards to dodge bullets that spiral over the viewer's head, as the sound of gunfire erupts from everywhere. This new immersive experience is designed to be a red-pill moment that will get film fans off their couches at a time when the movie industry is desperate to bring back audiences. Cosm, which has venues in Los Angeles and Dallas, is launching its dome-style screen and 3D sets in June with a 'shared reality' version of The Matrix, the cult 1999 film starring Canadian actor Keanu Reeves as a man who suddenly learns his world is a fiction. 'We believe the future will be more immersive and more experiential,' said Cosm president Jeb Terry at a recent preview screening. 'It's trying to create an additive, a new experience, ideally non-cannibalistic, so that the industry can continue to thrive across all formats.' Cinema audiences were already dwindling when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, shuttering theatres at a time when streaming was exploding. With ever bigger and better TVs available for the home, the challenge for theatre owners is to offer something that movie buffs cannot get in their living room. Prestige projects such as Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025) or Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning Oppenheimer (2023) increasingly opt for the huge screens and superior film quality of Imax. But Cosm and other projects like it want to go one step further, collaborating with designers who have worked with contemporary circus producer Cirque du Soleil to create an environment in which the viewer feels like he or she is inside the film. For film-makers, it is all about how you place the cameras and where you capture the sound, said Jay Rinsky, founder of Little Cinema, a creative studio specialising in immersive experiences. 'We create sets like the Parisian opera, let the movie be the singer, follow the tone, highlight the emotions... through light, through production design, through 3D environments,' he said. The approach, he added, felt particularly well suited to The Matrix, which he called 'a masterpiece of cinema, but done as a rectangle'. For the uninitiated: Reeves' Neo is a computer hacker who starts poking around in a life that does not quite seem to fit. A mysterious man portrayed by American actor Laurence Fishburne offers him a blue pill that will leave him where he is or a red pill that will show him he is a slave, whose body is being farmed by artificial intelligence machines while his consciousness lives in a computer simulation. There follows much gunfire, lots of martial arts and some mysticism, along with a romance between Neo and Trinity, played by Canadian actress Carrie-Anne Moss. Attendees watch an opening sequence during the first shared reality screening of The Matrix on an immersive dome screen at Cosm Los Angeles. PHOTO: AFP The Matrix in shared reality kicks off with a choice of cocktails – blue or red, of course – which are consumed as the audience sits surrounded by high-definition screens. Shifting perspectives place the viewer inside Neo's office cubicle or seemingly in peril. 'They're sometimes inside the character's head,' said Rinsky. 'The world changes as you look up and down for trucks coming at you.' The result impressed those who were at the preview screening. 'It did feel like an experience,' said influencer Vince Rossi. 'It felt like you're at a theme park for a movie almost.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Cision Canada
05-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
iGan Partners Leads Seed+ Financing for Cosm Medical to Advance Personalized Gynecological Devices
TORONTO, June 5, 2025 /CNW/ - iGan Partners is pleased to announce that it has led the first close of a Seed+ financing round for Cosm Medical, a medical device company modernizing pelvic health through personalized gynecological care. The round included new investor Spring Impact Capital and several angels, and will support Cosm's U.S. expansion, clinical validation, and commercial growth. Cosm's flagship platform, Gynethotics TM, combines medical imaging, AI-driven design software, and 3D printing to create custom vaginal devices – starting with pessaries – tailored to each patient's unique anatomy and needs. The solution addresses a widespread but underserved women's health issue: pelvic floor disorders, which affect up to half of all women in their lifetime. "Cosm is modernizing a long-overlooked space in women's health through a personalized, data-driven platform grounded in precision care," said Sam Ifergan, Founding Partner at iGan Partners. "We're excited to support their mission to improve outcomes and quality of life for millions of women." "At Cosm, we're not just building a product—we're redefining an entire category of women's health. Our Gynethotics™ platform is more than just technology; it's a commitment to precision, personalization, and dignity in care. With the support of iGan Partners and our investors, we're accelerating a future where women are no longer underserved – where every solution is tailored, and true innovation means changing lives. This is just the beginning." – Derek Sham, Founder & CEO of Cosm Medical. "We were impressed with Derek's experience in commercializing medical devices, as well as COSM's extraordinary team, depth of intellectual property and thoughtfulness of the go-to-market strategy, said Olivia Hornby, Managing Partner at Spring Impact Capital. "As impact investors, we were excited by COSM's mission of building customized and data centric Gynethotics solutions – providing better care for the huge percentage of women who suffer from pelvic floor disorders. Gynethotics TM pessaries are approved for sale in both Canada and the U.S., and Cosm is actively expanding its presence across North America. The company is also building its clinical dataset and advancing its product pipeline to support new applications beyond pessary support, including postpartum and post-surgical recovery. About Cosm Medical Cosm Medical is a medical device company developing a hardware and software platform to personalize the treatment of pelvic floor disorders (PFDs), such as incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Its first product, Gynethotics TM, is a made-to-measure gynecological prosthetics platform that combines imaging, AI, and 3D printing to improve pessary performance, enhance patient comfort, and reduce complications. Cosm is redefining care for a long-overlooked area of women's health through precision medicine and digital innovation. Learn more at About iGan Partners iGan Partners is a North American venture capital firm focused on investing in emerging leaders in medical technology and digital health. We partner with founders building transformative solutions to improve patient outcomes, reduce system inefficiencies, and enable the future of data-driven care. iGan provides capital and strategic support to early commercial-stage companies across MedTech, digital health, diagnostics, and health IT. Our team brings deep sector expertise, a strong cross-border network, and a track record of scaling healthcare ventures from early growth to successful exit. Learn more at
Associated Press
05-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
iGan Partners Leads Seed+ Financing for Cosm Medical to Advance Personalized Gynecological Devices
TORONTO, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - iGan Partners is pleased to announce that it has led the first close of a Seed+ financing round for Cosm Medical, a medical device company modernizing pelvic health through personalized gynecological care. The round included new investor Spring Impact Capital and several angels, and will support Cosm's U.S. expansion, clinical validation, and commercial growth. Cosm's flagship platform, GynethoticsTM, combines medical imaging, AI-driven design software, and 3D printing to create custom vaginal devices – starting with pessaries – tailored to each patient's unique anatomy and needs. The solution addresses a widespread but underserved women's health issue: pelvic floor disorders, which affect up to half of all women in their lifetime. 'Cosm is modernizing a long-overlooked space in women's health through a personalized, data-driven platform grounded in precision care,' said Sam Ifergan, Founding Partner at iGan Partners. 'We're excited to support their mission to improve outcomes and quality of life for millions of women.' 'At Cosm, we're not just building a product—we're redefining an entire category of women's health. Our Gynethotics™ platform is more than just technology; it's a commitment to precision, personalization, and dignity in care. With the support of iGan Partners and our investors, we're accelerating a future where women are no longer underserved – where every solution is tailored, and true innovation means changing lives. This is just the beginning.' – Derek Sham, Founder & CEO of Cosm Medical. 'We were impressed with Derek's experience in commercializing medical devices, as well as COSM's extraordinary team, depth of intellectual property and thoughtfulness of the go-to-market strategy, said Olivia Hornby, Managing Partner at Spring Impact Capital. 'As impact investors, we were excited by COSM's mission of building customized and data centric Gynethotics solutions – providing better care for the huge percentage of women who suffer from pelvic floor disorders. GynethoticsTM pessaries are approved for sale in both Canada and the U.S., and Cosm is actively expanding its presence across North America. The company is also building its clinical dataset and advancing its product pipeline to support new applications beyond pessary support, including postpartum and post-surgical recovery. About Cosm Medical Cosm Medical is a medical device company developing a hardware and software platform to personalize the treatment of pelvic floor disorders (PFDs), such as incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Its first product, GynethoticsTM, is a made-to-measure gynecological prosthetics platform that combines imaging, AI, and 3D printing to improve pessary performance, enhance patient comfort, and reduce complications. Cosm is redefining care for a long-overlooked area of women's health through precision medicine and digital innovation. Learn more at About iGan Partners iGan Partners is a North American venture capital firm focused on investing in emerging leaders in medical technology and digital health. We partner with founders building transformative solutions to improve patient outcomes, reduce system inefficiencies, and enable the future of data-driven care. iGan provides capital and strategic support to early commercial-stage companies across MedTech, digital health, diagnostics, and health IT. Our team brings deep sector expertise, a strong cross-border network, and a track record of scaling healthcare ventures from early growth to successful exit. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE iGan Partners
South China Morning Post
05-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Why go to the cinema? ‘Shared reality' experience makes viewers feel they're in the movie
In a Los Angeles cinema, a trench-coat-wearing Neo bends backwards to dodge bullets that spiral over the viewer's head, as the sound of gunfire erupts from everywhere. This new immersive experience is designed to be a red-pill moment that will get film fans off their sofas at a time when the movie industry is desperate to bring back audiences. Cosm, which has venues in Los Angeles and Dallas in the United States, is launching its dome-style screen and 3D sets in June with a 'shared reality' version of The Matrix , the cult 1999 film starring Keanu Reeves as a man who suddenly learns his world is a fiction. 'We believe the future will be more immersive and more experiential,' said Cosm president Jeb Terry at a recent preview screening. Neo (Keanu Reeves) appears on screen with an extended display of the power plant towers during the first 'shared reality' screening of the movie The Matrix on an immersive dome screen inside Cosm Los Angeles. Photo: AFP 'It's trying to create an additive, a new experience, ideally non-cannibalistic, so that the industry can continue to thrive across all formats.'
