MHS junior founder of international software venture

Maricopa High School junior Vaughn Kosmatka has his own company, employees in Russia and Ireland and is graduating early to get a jump start on the business world.

“I want to build a great software company, one that will change many things in the industry,” he said. “By graduating early I can get a head start on my competition.”

Kosmatka, 16, founded Kosmicsoft in June. It focuses primarily on making video games for mobile platforms.

“We write code, make art and write plots to create games that are fun for a broad audience to play,” he said.

MHS counselor Tara Roy said Kosmatka wrote a letter to the school principal to get approval explaining why he wanted to graduate early, how it would benefit him and his post-graduation plans.

He had to take classes online and pass Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards’ (AIMS) assessment to graduate early.

“His leadership qualities, academic achievements and initiative will be an asset to any university and the community he serves,” Roy said.

Kosmatka said the biggest challenge, so far, in creating Kosmicsoft was financing it.

His mom, Tamela Harris, said her son used his own money from birthdays, allowance and his job at McDonald’s the previous year to start his company. 

“It was enough to acquire the most basic tools I needed,” Kosmatka said. “My parents helped me buy the correct licenses for access to mobile markets, such as the Apple Store and the Google Play Store.”

Harris said he took an Apple course in ninth grade that certified him to create mobile apps for the company. 

Before creating Kosmicsoft, Kosmatka produced software under his own name, he said.

“Eventually I realized that if I wanted to maximize profit and make the best of my own skills, forming a team and starting a company would help me do just that,” he said.

Kosmatka said he still needs to purchase some resources and put money toward advertising.

“Right now I am looking for a sponsor to help give my company that last push,” he said. “Until we find one I do not think it will be possible for our products to be fully explicated.”

Harris said her son began playing educational games on the computer when he was 3 and played games on the Xbox when he got older.

“When he began taking serious interest in computers in sixth grade, I wasn’t completely shocked,” she said.

Her son began writing computer code for video games in seventh grade, so Harris bought him computer software programming books and gave him a 2005 Dell computer he took apart and put back together. 

“Every electronic device in our home quickly became suspect to Vaughn’s curiosity,” she said.

Kosmicsoft’s current project is a game called Sky Father.

“It is a 2-D game in which the player becomes a god-like hero whose goal is to uncover the murder of the god before him,” he said. 

Kosmicsoft has two employees in Ireland, one in Russia and one in the United States who are working on Sky Father. 

“I hope that number grows larger as the project becomes more mature.” 

Harris said her son’s early graduation and college plans are bittersweet for her.

“I know that the current school system has had a difficult time keeping him challenged, yet I also know he will only be 17,” she said.

***ADVERTISEMENT***However, she said she tries to focus on her son’s talent and drive to be successful.

“I want my son to pursue his dreams and continue to be a person set aside from the norm.”

Kosmatka said he had a lot of support toward his graduation a year ahead of his class.

“I was helped by countless teachers and counselors who all tried their best to get me where I am,” he said. “I could not have done it without them.”

Kosmatka also applied for the National Federation of Independent Business Young Entrepreneur Foundation’s scholarship, which offers scholarships recognizing young people who have demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit and initiative.

“I want to get the scholarship in order to continue my studies in computer science and business to be able to better run my company,” he said.