The Retinize founders with some investors. Image: Retinize
The start-up has created a VR product Animotive, which helps to remove technical and financial barriers to 3D animation production.
Retinize, a creative technology software company has secured £1.6m in funding to accelerate the growth of its 3D animation platform.
The Belfast-based start-up closed a £1.3m equity funding round with investments from QUBIS, the commercial arm of Queen’s University Belfast, and Innovation Ulster from Ulster University.
The round also included investments from Sure Valley Ventures, Techstart Ventures and Co-Fund NI, with additional backing from angel investors. This was then supplemented with an additional £300,000 in grant funding.
Founded in 2019 by father-and-son team, Phil and Jack Morrow, Retinize has developed its flagship virtual reality (VR) product Animotive, which aims to harness spatial computing, generative AI and real-time rendering technology to streamline the 3D animation production pipeline, lowering technical and financial barriers.
The founders have a combined four decades of senior experience in high-end global film and television production and Animotive has gained traction in the industry, including with Rob Kutner, a former writer on The Daily Show and Conan, as well as with John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky, co-creators of television show Silicon Valley.
Closer to home, the W5 Discovery Centre in Belfast is using Animotive for live animation, while Ulster University has secured a three-year licence to use it in a learning environment. The Belfast company previously raised £2m in seed funding in 2022.
Phil Morrow, the CEO of Retinize, said the funding will help to strengthen Animotive’s market position, expand the team and “continue pushing the boundaries” in 3D animation.
“We are thrilled by the confidence our new and existing investors have shown in our mission to revolutionise the field of real-time 3D animation, transforming how digital experiences are created and enjoyed,” he said.
Barry Downes, managing partner at Sure Valley Ventures, said the firm has been “consistently excited” by Retinize’s ability to disrupt the animation space.
“Retinize is empowering creators to develop high-quality animations more efficiently, and the team’s focus on pioneering AI research promises to elevate their platform to a whole new level.”
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