Pixar Co-Founder Joins Odyssey’s Mission to Revolutionise 3D Worlds with AI

Odyssey, an AI startup led by CEO Oliver Cameron, has announced the launch of Explorer, a generative world model capable of transforming text or images into detailed 3D worlds. 

Alongside the product announcement, the company shared that Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar, is joining Odyssey’s board and has also invested in the company. “Ed co-founded Pixar with the belief that the story must shape the technology—not the reverse,” Cameron said, adding that this aligns with Pixar’s mission and Odyssey’s focus on generative world models.

Explorer is described as an image-to-world model designed for photorealistic 3D environments. It generates output in the form of Gaussian splats, a technique gaining traction among vision researchers for its ability to represent highly detailed 3D scenes. 

These splats are compatible with industry-standard tools such as Unreal Engine, Blender, and After Effects, enabling seamless integration for artists. “Although early, generative world models like Explorer offer the promise to significantly accelerate the creation of film and gaming-compatible worlds, in addition to enabling brand new applications or forms of entertainment,” said the company in its blog post. 

Odyssey has already tested Explorer’s capabilities at Garden Studios in London, projecting the generated worlds onto a virtual production stage used for filmmaking. “The conclusion: they worked, and looked incredible,” Cameron said.

The company is now expanding access to Explorer, inviting collaborators to apply through its website. Cameron expressed optimism about the potential of generative world models, saying, “A brand new medium is being created as we speak.”

Adding Catmull to Odyssey’s board is expected to provide strategic guidance as the company navigates this emerging frontier. 

Odyssey, founded in 2023 by Cameron and Jeff Hawke, veterans of the self-driving car industry, emerged from stealth mode after almost a year of operating in secrecy. The generative AI startup focuses on building cinematic worlds and visual effects for the film and gaming industries.

Odyssey has raised a total of $27 million to support its goals. This includes $9 million in seed funding from GV (Google Ventures), DCVC, Air Street Capital, and individual investors, followed by an $18 million Series A round led by EQT Ventures.