Panono Files For Bankruptcy; Straight Off What?

Panono announced yesterday that they've filed for bankruptcy. What volition tumble out now?

Panono is the highest resolution all-in-one 360 camera, alongside 36 lenses in addition to 108 megapixels (in fact, the equirectangular stitched photograph is 134 megapixels). I lately showed its spectacular picture quality.

Despite beingness an fantabulous product, Panono is quite costly. It used to live on $1,500 which was already expensive, so they raised the cost to $2,000. With such a high price, at that topographic point could entirely live on so much need for it.

Yesterday, Panono announced that they were filing for bankruptcy (I saw the statement entirely this morning).

NOW WHAT?

Bankruptcy doesn't necessarily hateful that Panono volition unopen shop. I'm non a bankruptcy lawyer, so own got this alongside a grain of salt: inward bankruptcy, a companionship declares that it cannot pay its debts equally they come upwardly due. The courtroom appoints an administrator to command the companionship for the best interests of the creditors. In Germany, equally inward the US, at that topographic point are 2 kinds of bankruptcy filings: 1 for liquidation in addition to 1 for reorganization. With liquidation, the assets are sold to pay creditors. With reorganization, debts are renegotiated so that the concern tin give-up the ghost on to operate. My agreement is that Panono filed for a reorganization.

For existing Panono users, the concern is almost the cloud stitching program. Unlike almost all other 360 cameras, Panono stitches its images inward the cloud rather than through a desktop app. With the bankruptcy filing, it is non clear whether this service volition continue, nor has Panono said whether they volition loose the stitching program.

MY SPECULATION
Please understand: what follows is merely my speculation. I could live on totally wrong.

I don't retrieve they volition merely discontinue the stitching service because that would own got a huge negative affect on the value of their inventory of Panonos, equally good equally the value of the intellectual belongings for the Panono's design.

But the query is, how volition the stitching service continue, moving forward? My jurist is that the intellectual belongings for the stitching in addition to processing algorithm is valuable in addition to hence I doubtfulness that they volition merely hand away the stitching program. More likely, they volition notice a means to hold the condition quo, or it volition live on a paid service, or they volition sell the stitching programme separately.

But inward the worst illustration scenario, if the stitching service is discontinued completely, it is nonetheless possible to run upwardly Panono alongside a tertiary political party program. See my exclusive tutorial.

As for the Panono itself, I retrieve they volition conclude that it is non economical to create the Panono inward express quantities. It drives the cost likewise high. There would probable live on to a greater extent than overall turn a profit if the cost were $1,000 or less. The occupation is that would take away a large investment -- in addition to risk.

It's possible that Panono would courtroom investors, or they could sell their technology. It would live on dainty if Ricoh would create the Panono because at that topographic point is a large divergence betwixt Panono in addition to the Theta, so they would complement rather than compete alongside each other. Unfortunately, Ricoh Pentax is a small-scale companionship that I would jurist is likely non inward a fiscal seat to brand such an investment.

There are other possible candidates alongside larger fiscal resources that are also interested inward 360. GoPro mightiness live on one. They're a large companionship alongside the resources to brand the investment. The occupation is that GoPro seems to a greater extent than interested inward video rather than photo. So I doubtfulness they would footstep in.

So... a large companionship that is also interested inward 360.... Are yous thinking what I'm thinking?

Yes, Samsung fits that description. Samsung is 1 of the largest companies inward the world. An investment inward Panono would live on a drib inward the bucket for them. They've also been rattling interested inward 360, alongside the Samsung Gear 360 in addition to Samsung Gear VR. Perhaps they could live on interested.

What almost the backers for the Kickstarter? Unfortunately, they're likely on the lowest spot on the totem pole. Panono has no obligation to pay them anything (it's non fifty-fifty a loan). It's rattling unlikely that they tin fighting that Panono intended to defraud them (I doubtfulness whatever lawyer would own got that case). The bankruptcy administrator volition likely merely cancel their "orders," which would meliorate the fiscal condition of Panono correct away at rattling piffling cost. Backers mightiness larn a token such equally a discount on Panono if they guide to purchase it at MSRP.

Anyway, similar I said, this is all speculation. We'll own got to await in addition to see. I would dearest to encounter Panono come upwardly out of this stronger because it's nonetheless the best 360 photographic boob tube camera I've constitute for photography.

In the meantime, yous may also live on interested inward Panohero. For amount disclosure, I'm non satisfied alongside the stitching errors on the Yi alongside the Panohero. I've gotten a GoPro in addition to volition endeavor it out alongside Panohero for GoPro.

P.S. It appears that Ocam, the companionship that makes Staro, is non currently inward active operations, exactly inward illustration yous were thinking of that.