Spitz

What Spitz does

Spitz, Inc., founded in 1947 by Armand Spitz and headquartered in a 47,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, designs, fabricates, and installs projection domes and complete planetarium systems for science museums, theme parks, giant-screen cinemas, and architectural projects worldwide. Its product portfolio centers on three dome tiers (Standard Lap Seam, Premium Seam, and the proprietary NanoSeam, which renders panel seams invisible under projection), the SciDome digital planetarium built on Digistar software from sister company Evans & Sutherland, plus architectural domes, NanoCove LED cove lighting, 5.1 audio systems, and proprietary powder coating. Specialized manufacturing equipment including a custom 5-axis large-bed router and stretch press enables precision-form aluminum dome panels; over 2,000 Spitz dome installations have been delivered across six continents, and IMAX sources its domes exclusively from Spitz since 1973.

The company operates an enterprise field-sales go-to-market with direct engagement on custom projects; pricing is by quote and not publicly disclosed. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of dome structures and complete planetarium systems, recurring service contracts (System Protection Plans and Preventive Maintenance Agreements covering 200+ active sites), and licensing of fulldome content through Spitz Creative Media. Customers include Disney, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, Volkswagen, IMAX, Zeiss, Griffith Observatory, Adler Planetarium, California Academy of Sciences, Liberty Science Center, U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Stiftung Planetarium Berlin, European Southern Observatory, and the Shanghai Astronomy Museum. Since 2020, Spitz has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cosm, a global immersive-technology group, alongside E&S; the combined E&S + Spitz platform positions itself as the only turnkey provider of complete dome theaters integrating dome, software, projection, content, and integration services.

Name

Spitz

Legal name

Spitz, Inc.

Website

https://spitzinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spitz designs, manufactures, and installs projection domes, complete planetarium systems, and architectural domes for science museums, theme parks, giant-screen cinemas, and commercial builders worldwide, operating since 1947 as a subsidiary of Cosm alongside sister company Evans & Sutherland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chadds Ford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Projection Domes Sales: Sale of projection dome screens including NanoSeam, Premium Seam, and Standard Lap Seam options. Domination of market with over 2,000 installations worldwide for planetariums, giant screen cinema, and theme park attractions.
2. Planetarium Systems: Complete planetarium systems including Digistar software from Evans & Sutherland, projection equipment, automation, lighting, and audio systems.
3. Service & Support Contracts: Annual service agreements including System Protection Plan (SPP) for digital systems and Preventive Maintenance Agreements (PMA) for opto-mechanical systems. Over 200 planetariums currently on coverage programs.
4. Fulldome Content: Licensing of fulldome shows and educational content for planetarium theaters through Spitz Creative Media.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Spitz designs, fabricates, and installs projection domes (NanoSeam, Premium Seam, and Standard Lap Seam), complete planetarium systems (SciDome with Digistar software), architectural dome structures, and supporting theater components (NanoCove LED lighting, audio systems). Combined with sister company Evans & Sutherland, Spitz acts as a turnkey provider of complete dome theaters for science museums, planetariums, giant screen cinemas, and theme park attractions worldwide.

Product overview

Spitz, a Cosm company, is a turnkey provider of complete dome theaters and immersive experience solutions. The core product portfolio centers on projection domes (Standard Lap Seam, Premium Seam, and proprietary NanoSeam technology), planetarium systems (SciDome with Digistar software), architectural domes, and specialized theater components including NanoCove LED lighting, audio systems, and powder coating services. The company also offers comprehensive design/engineering services and maintains a 47,000 sq ft manufacturing facility. Key products include NanoSeam seamless projection domes (over 200 delivered since 2007), DomeX LED immersive domes (8K resolution), and the complete SciDome digital planetarium platform. Spitz operates as part of Cosm alongside sister company Evans & Sutherland, combining dome screen manufacturing with projection technology and content production for planetariums, giant screen cinemas, and theme park attractions worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NanoSeam: Revolutionary seaming technique and powder-coat finish making NanoSeam the most uniform projection surface available, with seams completely invisible under projection conditions
• NanoCove LED Lighting
• SciDome

Products and services

• NanoSeam Projection Domes Revolutionary seaming technique producing the most uniform projection surface available with no folds, overlaps, or irregularities. Seams completely disappear under projection conditions. Available in multiple sizes for science museums, planetariums, and immersive attractions.
• Projection Domes (Premium Seam and Standard Lap Seam) World's leading projection dome screens with over 2,000 installations across six continents. Includes Premium Seam and Standard Lap Seam options for planetariums, giant screen cinemas, and theme park attractions.
• SciDome Planetarium Systems Complete digital planetarium solutions combining Digistar software from Evans & Sutherland with Spitz projection systems. Features real-time 3D rendering, fulldome video, astronomy simulation, and integration with projection, automation, lighting, and audio systems.
• Architectural Domes, Spheres and Freeform Structures Custom curved structures including exterior domes, ceilings, spherical panels, and architectural treatments. Used in museums, theme parks, malls, military installations, and private buildings. Provides precision curved structures with seamless surfaces and invisible attachment hardware.
• DomeX LED Dome LED-based immersive dome technology that delivers brightness and contrast far exceeding conventional projection, heightening the sense of presence for sports, entertainment, and educational experiences.
• NanoCove LED Lighting High-quality LED cove lighting systems for dome theaters including NanoCove RGB with ChromaBlend color mixing technology and NanoCove White for low-energy room illumination. Provided in partnership with ChromaCove.
• Dome Theater Audio Systems Stereo and 5.1 channel sound systems designed for dome theaters, including compact consoles with mixers, amplifiers, hearing assistance systems, and various audiovisual components.
• Powder Coating Services Proprietary epoxy powder coating applied electrostatically by robotic process for uniform finish with precise dome gain control. More durable than paint, washable with solvents, and allows perfect panel matching for repairs.
• Dome Theater Design and Engineering Comprehensive theater design services from concept development through construction support, including dome size and placement, equipment layout, acoustic considerations, and ADA requirements for planetarium and dome theater projects.
• Service and Support Contracts Full customer support, training, and field service including the System Protection Plan (SPP) for SciDome digital systems and Preventive Maintenance Agreement (PMA) for opto-mechanical systems. Over 200 planetariums are currently enrolled in coverage programs.
• Fulldome Show Licensing Licensing of fulldome content through Spitz Creative Media for planetariums and science centers, including productions such as Atlas of a Changing Earth, Birth of Planet Earth, and Black Hole: First Picture.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 dome installations delivered worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and supporting.

• CosmcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2024Parent company (a Cosm company) enabling people to experience entertainment in immersive ways across Sports and Entertainment, Science and Education, and Parks and Attractions markets. Cosm acquired E&S and Spitz in 2020.
• Baobab StudiosnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2022Exclusive agreement for Cosm Studios to distribute Namoo to planetarium and fulldome theaters globally. Baobab Studios created 360 fulldome experience adapted from VR version of Namoo for Cosm.
• Evans & SutherlandcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Sister company within Cosm. E&S provides Digistar planetarium software and DomeX LED dome technology. Spitz and E&S together form the world's only turnkey provider of complete dome theaters, combining projection domes, computing systems, and content.
• Zygote MedianotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2015Partnership to create 3D biology simulation content for dome theaters, enhancing educational fulldome programming.
• ChromaCovesupportingTechnology or IntegrationProvider of NanoCove RGB and NanoCove White LED cove lighting systems for dome theaters. ChromaCove's ChromaBlend technology provides color mixing for lighting effects.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Evans & Sutherland: Sister company within Cosm and the leading supplier of digital planetarium projection systems and software (Digistar). Directly comparable to Spitz: both target the same planetarium buyers with complementary products and together form a turnkey offering.
• GOTO Inc. Japanese manufacturer of opto-mechanical and digital planetarium projectors (e.g., GSS-Helios, CHIRON). Directly competes with Spitz and E&S for global planetarium installations, especially in Asia.
• Konica Minolta Planetarium: Operates the Infinium S and MEDIAGATE planetarium product lines serving science centers and commercial domes worldwide. Direct competitor to Spitz in digital planetarium systems.
• Carl Zeiss (ZEISS Planetarium Division): German manufacturer of premium opto-mechanical and hybrid planetarium projectors (e.g., UNIVERSARIUM, SKYMASTER). Competes with Spitz for high-end science center installations and is also a Spitz partner for optics.
• RSA Cosmos: French designer and manufacturer of digital planetarium systems and dome screens. Directly competes with Spitz in Europe, the Middle East, and emerging markets for turnkey planetarium solutions.
• Sky-Skan: US-based integrator of digital planetarium systems (DigitalSky, Definiti) and dome theaters. Direct competitor to Spitz/SciDome for science museum and university planetariums.
• Global Immersion: UK-based provider of large-format immersive dome theaters and fulldome content. Comparable to Spitz in serving science centers and large-format cinematic venues in EMEA.

Broad incumbents

• Christie Digital Systems: Major projection and image-processing vendor for large-venue, cinema, and simulation markets. Competes broadly with Spitz/E&S projection stack and supplies projectors used in dome theaters.
• Barco: Global projection and visualization company serving cinema, events, and simulation. Overlaps with Spitz in large-format immersive projection and competes for large-venue display budgets.

Others

• IMAX Corporation: Both a long-standing Spitz customer (IMAX uses Spitz domes exclusively since 1973) and an adjacent operator of large-format dome/film theaters. Comparable as a major force in giant-screen dome cinema that influences dome theater demand and standards.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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• Facebookfacebook.com/spitzinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spitz