Cheehoo Raises $10M to Revolutionize AI Animation | Greycroft Funding

Streamlining Animation Production with Artificial Intelligence

The creation of animation is inherently a lengthy undertaking, demanding a series of intricate stages. These include storyboarding, rendering, composition, and lighting, all necessary to complete even a single scene.

Should a director desire to explore alternative interpretations of a scene, the animation team is required to revisit and refine their work before finalization can occur.

Introducing Cheehoo: An AI-Powered Solution

Cheehoo, a newly established company founded by individuals with backgrounds in both Hollywood and technology, aims to develop an AI-driven tool designed to simplify animated content creation for professionals.

The company originated from Rideback, the production firm behind the successful Lego Movie franchise. Rideback’s co-CEOs, Michael LoFaso and Jonathan Eirich, are key members of Cheehoo’s founding team, alongside Rideback co-founder Dan Lin.

Further bolstering the team are former DreamWorks Animation president Chris deFaria, and ex-Apple AI researchers Yao-Hung Hubert Tsai and Wei-Cheng Kuo.

Addressing the Challenges of Modern Animation

In discussions with TechCrunch, LoFaso articulated Cheehoo’s ambition to pioneer new methods for studios and creators to realize their animated visions.

“Our experience at Rideback revealed that animation production was becoming increasingly expensive and complex within Hollywood,” LoFaso explained. “It was becoming more difficult for creators to share their ideas with the world. We set out to build a tool that seamlessly integrates into existing creative workflows and simplifies the process.”

Cheehoo’s Core Functionality

Cheehoo’s suite of tools empowers creators to rapidly prototype and iterate on animation projects.

These tools assist with crucial tasks such as data annotation, file conversions, and ensuring format consistency, facilitating smooth transitions between the various phases of animation production.

The company’s workflow, compatible with industry-standard platforms like Maya and Unreal, enables users to implement changes and immediately view the resulting effects. Creators retain control by selectively activating or deactivating AI features throughout the editing process.

Cheehoo utilizes proprietary AI models for character creation and asset development, and also supports the integration of third-party models from providers like OpenAI and Runway for tasks including post-generation, motion stylization, and scene composition.

Partnerships and Funding

While specific launch partners haven’t been publicly announced, Cheehoo confirms ongoing collaborations with several intellectual property holders, studios, and individual creators.

The company has secured $10 million in funding, co-led by Greycroft and Point72 Ventures, with additional investment from Basis Set, Headline Asia, Powerhouse Capital, Playground Productions, and Rideback.

Industry Perspective

Brentt Baltimore, a principal at Greycroft, emphasized the firm’s consistent interest in investing in companies that are shaping “new age” media.

He believes Cheehoo possesses a unique combination of Hollywood expertise, media understanding, and technological innovation, positioning it to effectively address challenges within animation pipelines.

“Cheehoo has the potential to significantly reduce the overall cost of animation production,” Baltimore stated. “This will allow creators to produce sophisticated animated films without the need for costly studio infrastructure. By leveraging AI, the company aims to provide independent filmmakers and individual artists with access to workflows previously reserved for large studios, all while preserving creative control – a key priority for artists.”

Future Outlook

Looking ahead, LoFaso indicated that while Cheehoo’s initial focus is on enterprise clients and professional users, plans are in place to introduce more consumer-oriented products.

This expansion could position Cheehoo as a competitor to other startups in the animation simplification space, such as Accel-backed Cartwheel and Naver-backed Cinamon.

This article has been updated to reflect the co-lead investment by Greycroft and Point72 Ventures.