Back in 2017, a startup named Essential released the Essential Phone, a device that was celebrated for its design and long-term software support but o

OSOM, the company formed from Essential’s ashes, is apparently in shambles

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2024-08-31 21:00:36

Back in 2017, a startup named Essential released the Essential Phone, a device that was celebrated for its design and long-term software support but otherwise received mixed reviews and sold poorly. When Essential shut down in early 2020, many of its former employees came together to form a new venture named OSOM Products. After two product launches, it now appears that the company is in shambles, with a former executive alleging that the founder has been misusing company funds to pay for two Lamborghinis and his lavish lifestyle.

OSOM Products rose from the ashes of Essential in late 2020. Its founder and “Chief Hooligan,” Jason Keats, wanted to build something new without the involvement (and associated baggage) of Essential’s previous founder, Andy Rubin. The company hired several people who previously worked at Essential, including camera engineer Nick Franco, programmers Gary Anderson and Jean-Baptiste Théou, and marketing officer Wolfgang Muller.

OSOM, which the company says stands for “Out of Sight, Out of Mind,” stated that one of its goals was to create privacy-focused products. To lead those efforts, the company hired Mary Stone Ross in early 2021 to be their “Chief Privacy Officer.”