Right Hemisphere

About Right Hemisphere

Right Hemisphere, founded in 1997 by Mark Thomas, carved a niche in the 3D graphics software market before its strategic acquisition by SAP AG in September 2011. Initially established in Auckland, New Zealand, the company also maintained a significant presence in San Ramon, California. Right Hemisphere specialized in visual enterprise solutions, developing software that allowed companies to transform complex CAD data into more accessible and lightweight 2D and 3D visual formats.

The company's core business centered on providing tools for creating, authoring, and publishing visual product information. This catered to a wide range of enterprise clients, enabling departments beyond engineering—such as sales, marketing, and service teams—to utilize and interact with product designs. The technology allowed users to generate photorealistic images, animated scenes, and interactive 3D documents from existing CAD files. Revenue was generated through the sale of its software products, which included notable titles like Deep Paint 3D, Deep Exploration, and Deep View. These products were designed to streamline workflows, improve communication across teams, and accelerate the delivery of product graphics for various business processes.

A significant milestone in Right Hemisphere's history was its acquisition by SAP, with whom it already had a technology partnership and shared numerous customers. The deal was a strategic move for SAP to enhance its own business suite and mobile technology offerings by integrating Right Hemisphere's 3D visualization capabilities. This integration aimed to provide SAP's clients with the ability to visually navigate and interrogate product data in a unified environment, improving efficiency in areas like product development, manufacturing, and customer service. At the time of the acquisition, Michael Lynch served as the CEO of Right Hemisphere, and Mark Thomas, the founder, was the Chief Technical Officer. The acquisition marked the absorption of Right Hemisphere's technology and assets into the larger SAP ecosystem.