ORA Story
From vision to reality.
The Inspiration
I had a life-changing moment during a work trip where I spent hours in an Air France lounge,
gazing at a world map with half of it plunged in darkness and half illuminated. This sparked
the idea for ORA - a live map represented on a globe. After trials and research, the solution of a
projector and “fisheye” lens was found. With the advancements in projector technology, we
were able to create a stunning image of a rotating, half-lit earth. Our device is not limited to
earth representation, it’s suitable for a variety of uses - from museums to corporate spaces.
That’s the start of the ORA journey.
- Philippe Walter, CEO
Team
Uniting creativity and technology.
ORA team combines technical and creative expertise, from creative directors, motion graphic designers to optical engineers.
PHILIPPE WALTER
President & Founder
After preparing at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS), Philippe co-founded Les Films du Kiosquewith François Kraus, producing over 30 feature films. He also created a company focused on training for new technologies, which was acquired by Eurosites in 2002. Philippe then became marketing and IT director for Eurosites, playing a key role in its 2017 merger with Châteauform. With over 20 years of experience in event production and digital industries, Philippe launched ORA in 2022. The company specializes in a groundbreaking spherical projection system, offering an innovative, immersive user experience.
JEAN LUC WALTER
CTO
Jean-Luc Walter, a graduate of
ENS Ulm with a Ph.D. from the
University of California, founded
Artech in 1992, a Business
Intelligence company later
renamed Reportive, which
raised 17 million euros in
funding. Over the years, he
became a serial entrepreneur,
founding Cy-Code in 2011 and
Fantasiapp in 2019, a Contech
development company utilizing
AI advancements. In 2022, Jean
Luc joined ORA as Chief
Technology Officer (CTO). He
brought his extensive expertise
in technological innovation and
algorithms to help drive the
company's growth, enhancing
its products with cutting-edge
AI solutions to revolutionize user
experiences.
Pâris Douady
Leader Developer
Pâris Douady is a software
developer with dual degrees in
Mathematics and Computer
Science from the University of
Paris-Sud. He worked at
Leboncoin, improving search
technologies and creating
innovative tools. A winner of
several programming
competitions, Pâris has
competed in events like Google
Hashcode, Google Code Jam,
and ACM-ICPC. At ORA, he
develops the spherical
rendering engine and tactile
detection system, ensuring
high-quality real-time rendering
with the GPU. His expertise in
software development and
passion for technology make
him a key asset, driving the
company’s technological
advancements.
CASSIOPÉ WALTER
Operations Manager
With a solid scientific
background, Cassiopé Walter
has built a diverse career in the
start-up world, always seeking
new challenges and innovation
opportunities. She has
contributed to several growing
companies, refining her skills in
project management and
strategy. Passionate about
progress, Cassiopé joined ORA
to apply her operational
expertise. As Head of
Operations, she coordinates
teams and projects, ensuring
smooth communication and
efficient workflows. Her ability to
streamline internal processes
and manage complex tasks is
essential in supporting the
company’s growth and creating
a collaborative, productive work
environment for the team.
MARINE MINEIRO
Sales and Marketing
Since March 2024, she has been
responsible for sales and
marketing at ORA, managing
client relationships and
marketing activities. In
November 2023, she worked
temporarily in the
administrative services at the
University of Paris-Cité. From
September 2022 to April 2023,
she worked as a health liaison at
the SUMMPS at Sorbonne
University, promoting student
health. During the summers of
2021, 2022, and 2023, she worked
as a medical secretary at the
Paul Picquet Clinic in Sens,
handling administrative tasks,
welcoming patients, setting up
ultrasound rooms, and
managing the phone
switchboard.
MARION GAILLARD
Sales and Marketing
Marion Gaillard has been
responsible for sales and
marketing at ORA since
February 2024, managing client
relationships and marketing
activities. Previously, she worked
as a production and
administration assistant at
Retors Particulier, overseeing
production, tour management,
and communications for artistic
companies. Marion also served
as a distribution assistant
for L’Éternel Retour and assisted
with accreditation at the Cannes
Film Festival. Her diverse
experience in production,
administration, and
communication equips her with
valuable skills, enabling her to
contribute significantly to client
relations and marketing
strategies at ORA.
FRANÇOIS MAUGE
Graphic Designer
François Mauge is a 3D graphic
designer and illustrator with
over 15 years of experience in
motion design for TV and video
games. His expertise includes
graphic research, computer
generated animations, and
designing virtual environments.
Collaborating with the
development team, he creates
content for interactive
experiences on the ORA sphere,
including exploration menus,
educational games, and
immersive adventures. He also
helps introduce the sphere to
new audiences through films
showcasing its assembly, use,
and real-time simulation.
Passionate about scientific
discoveries, ORA allows him to
explore air and space through
science fiction.
NISRINE OULALITE
Graphic Designer
Nisrine Oulalite is a graphic
designer and motion designer
apprentice at ORA,
where she creates animations
for the spheres and manages
the artistic direction for social
media and communications.
Passionate about drawing, she
began her training in graphic
design and animation before
joining the Gobelins School of
Paris for motion design. She
worked as a graphic design
assistant in post-production.
Nisrine has contributed to major
advertising projects for brands
like L’Oréal, Carrefour, and Dacia
and later expanded her skills as
a motion designer for cultural
and non-profit clients, handling
all stages from pre-production
to post-production.
GILLES TOMBEUR
Product Designer
A graduate of the École des
Beaux-Arts in Marseille Luminy,
Gilles Tombeur is a renowned
interior architect and designer
since 1997. Initially working
independently, he completed
several embassy projects before
partnering with Ozone in 2009
to design luxury lighting. In 2011,
he founded his own interior
architecture and design studio,
specializing in restaurant and
residential projects. At the
Boulle School, where he has
taught for a decade, Gilles has
developed a unique sensitivity
to student interactions. For ORA,
he designed the innovative ORA
spherical projection system,
bringing his distinctive touch
and expertise to the project.
ERIC MUNCH
Sound Designer
Graduating from the Louis
Lumière School of Sound in 1982,
Éric Munch began his career in
short films and documentaries,
including a musical road movie
in Africa with Ghetto Blaster. He
later worked as a director for
Radio Nova and produced the
Afro-funk album Tam Tam. In
1995, he co-founded the studio
Son pour Son, mixing films
including the color version of
Jacques Tati’s Jour de Fête. Éric
collaborated with Luc Jacquet
on March of the
Penguins and Antarctica. At
Virtuel Audio, he developed
Dolby Atmos and VR 360
technologies, culminating in the
ORA sphere, a headset-free
immersive VR experience.
FRÉDÉRIC PODETTI
History-Geography
Teacher
Frédéric Podetti, a teacher,
filmmaker, and writer,
graduated from the École des
Hautes Études en Sciences
Sociales. He teaches History and
Geography in Paris and Nîmes
while pursuing a career in
documentary filmmaking.
Starting as a producer, he later
transitioned to directing,
applying his extensive expertise
to the field. Frédéric is also an
author, having published a novel
inspired by the character of
Marie-Anne Collot. His deep
cultural knowledge, combined
with his storytelling experience,
makes him a vital contributor to
content and animation creation
for the ORA sphere, enhancing
its immersive and educational
experiences.
DAMIEN VALLO
Scientific Content
Manager
Damien Vallo, a passionate
Biology teacher, specializes in
Life and Earth Sciences (SVT)
and is dedicated to educational
innovation. He is bi-admissible
for the SV-STU aggregation and
has a strong background in
biology, having taught at both
middle and high school levels.
As an author for
Lelivrescolaire.fr, Damien
creates educational resources
for various school levels. He has
also worked as an instructional
designer on the Lavicebio
project and contributed to the
SVT range at Equascience. At
ORA, Damien is responsible for
the scientific content associated
with the ORA sphere, ensuring it
aligns with educational goals.
Partners
Shaping the future of product innovation.
Saclay Institute of Optics
The Saclay Institute of Optics is part of the ParisTech alliance of top engineering schools and is recognized as one of the world leaders in photonics.
