As of December 2024
(scroll horizontally to see all)
Studio | Launch Date | Leadership | Ownership/Backing | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asteria Film | 2023 (Late Night Labs); Sep ’24 (acquired by XTR) | Bryn Mooser, CEO & cofounder; Benjamin Michel, Eric Day, Nick Confalone, cofounders | 30 | Traditional animators, producers, VFX specialists, filmmakers; TBA partnership with AI research firm | XTR backed by General Catalyst | Narrative and nonfiction feature films and TV, primarily animation though pursuing live action | TBA | “Artists-led” AI studio developing film and TV, working with big-name filmmakers, animators and animation directors (e.g., formerly at Pixar, DreamWorks, Disney, Hanna-Barbera) and VFX artists (e.g., formerly ILM, Lucasfilm), both distributed themselves or with studios. |
Promise | Jul ’24 | George Strompolos, CEO & cofounder; Jamie Byrne, cofounder; Dave Clark, cofounder | 12 | Gen AI artists and directors, creative technologists, VFX artists | The North Road Company, Andreessen Horowitz | Original films, TV series and new formats | MUSE | Gen AI studio that will develop original films, TV series and new formats in collaboration with gen AI artists and storyellers, building partnerships with a range of Hollywood creatives, rights holders and distributors (e.g., streamers, networks, film studios, social platforms). May also independently seek its own distribution on a territory-by-territory basis |
TCL Studios | Jan ’24 | Chris Regina, chief content officer; Daniel Smith, chief creative officer | 50 | Traditional visual artists, digital matte artists, character designers, editors, traditional VFX artists, software/computer engineers; AI researchers; colorists, sound designers, motion graphics | Owned by TCL North America | Original film shorts, primarily animation though pursuing live action; transitioning to long-form in 2025 (movies, scripted series, specials) | TCL AI (internal workflow solution) | Gen AI content studio inside TCL North America, developing its own original programming for TCLtv+ (FAST app and website, available in NATAM on TCL Roku TVs, all Roku devices, TCL Google TV, TCL Fire TV) as well as developing projects for studios, mini-majors, production companies (e.g., creating a scene with AI VFX for indie film where the project can't afford traditional VFX) and indie or hired filmmakers who are developing features or TV shows for traditional cable networks and streamers |
Pigeon Shrine | 2022 (Pigeon Shrine); Feb ’24 (AiMation) | Tom Paton, CEO | 9 | VFX artists, prompt engineers, traditional editors, musicians, writers, actors | Private equity, with a larger funding round expected in early 2025 | Original animation though pursuing photoreal animation (i.e., live action) | Gen AI content production arm AiMation Studios developing original content, operating out of a soundstage in England | |
Secret Level | 2023 | Eric Shamlin, CEO; Jason Zada, chief creative officer & founder; Monica Monique, EP, head of production | 6 | C-suite, EP and another lead artist; traditional roster of directors; outside artists (e.g., VFX artists, CG artists) | Currently open seed round, with some commitments | Commercials and brand work, primarily animation though pursuing live action with VFX techniques | Liquid Studio (internal workflow solution; expecting to offer as SAAS) | AI-native independent entertainment studio, initially developing commercials and work with brand clients, with plans to develop original IP as film, TV, gaming and immersive (XR) content; plans to hire engineers to help build out tech stack and transition to original IP development |
Invisible Universe | 2020 (creative studio); Aug ’24 (gen AI software) | Tricia Biggio, CEO & cofounder | 10 | Machine learning/software engineers, traditional artists & animators, social media managers, business development executives | Seven Seven Six, Serena Williams, Jennifer Aniston | Social media content based on original animated character IPs | Invisible Studio (internal workflow solution; expecting to offer as SAAS) | Digital-first animation studio developing, launching and cultivating original animated character IP on social media (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, soon Roblox), some built in partnership with celebrities (e.g., Serena Williams), and began integrating generative AI into content creation in last 12-15 months to create high-fidelity animated content at the speed of social; owns and operates 8 original IPs and launches 2-4 new IPs a year. |
Toonstar | Mar '15 (studio); 2021 (gen AI) | John Attanasio, CEO & cofounder; Luisa Huang, chief operating officer & cofounder | 20 | Traditional artists and animators; producers, writers, social content creators; engineers | Founders Fund, Snap, Greycroft | Social media content based on original animated character IPs | Proprietary AI engine, exclusively trained on owned IP assets | Digital-first animation studio developing, launching and cultivating original animated character IP on social media (YouTube, Snap, elsewhere) using machine learning and generative AI in content production and localization processes; owns and operates 5 original IPs |
EDGLRD | Aug '23 | Harmony Korine, founder; Jonathan Lutzky, chief operating officer | 40 full-time; 60 total | VFX artists (e.g., from Marvel, HBO), creative directors, content producers, engineers, software developers | Reuben Brothers and Samizdat | Films, short-form content, social media, interactive, brand marketing content and consumer products | Tech stack of AI, CGI, VFX and other technologies | Digital-first original IP content studio developing feature films, short-form social content, interactive and video games as well as a commercial/creative services agency producing work for brand clients and a consumer products vertical; all supported by gen AI, CGI and VFX tech. Some projects developed in-house; greenlights third-party projects (e.g., from content creators, film or TV writers); or develops content and distribution strategy for social content creators |