Whether it’s buying a rare comic, connecting with fellow comic fans or finding out about nearby events, nerds have a new online hangout called Cosmunity that just hit the app stores today.

Developed in Dallas by former University of Texas at Dallas students, the app fills a void in the nerd world.

“The whole pop culture universe has exploded and it’s driven by the strength of the community.”
Zac Cooner

“There was no centralized platform for all the experiences that one would have at the convention,” said Zac Cooner, COO and co-founder of Cosmunity Inc. said. “The whole pop culture universe has exploded and it’s driven by the strength of the community. We really put all of those experiences onto one platform.”

The free app launched on Android, iOS, and web with four main features: a social feed with people you follow, a popular feed with what’s trending, an online marketplace, and an event section.

Cooner had a full scholarship at UTD but put that on hold to focus on Cosmunity. He teamed up with co-founders Cole Egger, CEO, and Chance Hudson, CTO. 

They’ve been working on this for about six months, burning the midnight oil to get the app launched on three platforms simultaneously.

“Let’s face it — we all have an inner geek and are fans of something,” Egger said. “So why isn’t there a place where the community can all connect with like-minded individuals.”

To generate buzz for the launch, Cosmunity is offering $1,000 and two free tickets to any convention. To enter, users need to share a Cosmunity post on an external social network with the #Cosmunity tag.

“We’re connecting the community 24/7/365 so you don’t have to be at a convention to be with your friends who also go there,” Cooner said.

SOCIAL FEED

The social feed allows people to follow their friends, tag people and keep up with the news they are interested in.

Topics include video games, movies, cosplay, celebrities, and friends. Users can build their own following.

The trending section features the most popular topics and threads from the day.

With a new blockbuster film coming out almost every month, there’s no shortage of nerdy things to talk about.

MARKETPLACE

The marketplace features comics, artwork, props, jewelry, full cosplay costumes and collectibles for sale by local shops and individuals.

Cosmunity has items ranging from $5 all the way up to ultra rare comics selling for $38,000.

“It’s basically Comic Con in the palm of your hand.” 
Brandon Pierce Peck

The marketplace uses PayPal and AfterShip to ensure secure payment and shipping.

Metropolis Comics partnered with Cosmunity so it can sell items on the marketplace.

“We love Cosmunity because it’s easy to use and provides a terrific marketplace for us to list our collectibles for sale,” Brandon Pierce Peck, internet sales director for Metropolis Comics. “There’s no other place where fans can gather online to interact, trade collectibles, and pretty much just geek out. It’s basically Comic Con in the palm of your hand.”

EVENTS

While Cosmunity gives comic fans their own cyber community, there’s no substitute for meeting in person. That’s what the events tab does.

The app uses geolocation to find events that are going nearby so users can easily find Comic Cons, Anime Expos or other things of interest. People can even do meet ups for cosplay.

More than 900 events are listed nationwide at launch and that’s expected to grow fast.

FUNDING SOURCES

So far, Cosmunity has raised $300,000 from investors mostly outside of Texas. They’ve traveled to both coasts and to Louisiana to get funding.

“There are a lot of people who aren’t aware of the big tech community Dallas has grown to be.”
Cole Egger

Egger said he wishes there was more funding available here.

“There are a lot of people who aren’t aware of the big tech community Dallas has grown to be,” Egger said. “There’s a lot of money in Dallas but it hasn’t moved into the tech startup scene.”

UP NEXT

The next step is to seek Series A funding.

Cosmunity will be free to use for at least the first year, but there are plans to monetize it in the future, Egger said.

“For us, it’s about bringing on users,” he said.

Future features could include hotel arrangements for Comic Cons, exclusive deals for content creators and sponsorship opportunities.

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