Cheehoo, a startup founded by a mix of Hollywood executives and technologists, has raised $10 million in funding to create an AI-powered tool that streamlines the animation process. The company’s founding team includes Michael LoFaso and Jonathan Eirich, co-CEOs of the production company Rideback, which produced the Lego Movie franchise. Other founding members are Dan Lin, co-founder of Rideback, Chris deFaria, former president of DreamWorks Animation, and Yao-Hung Hubert Tsai and Wei-Cheng Kuo, ex-Apple AI researchers.
LoFaso said that Cheehoo aims to make it easier for creators to bring their animation to life. “What we found through Rideback is that in Hollywood, the process of creating animation was getting expensive and complex,” he stated. “It was starting to become tougher for creators to get their ideas out into the world.
We wanted to create a tool that was native to the workflows of creators and make their lives easier.”
Cheehoo’s tools allow creators to prototype and iterate on animations rapidly by assisting with tasks such as data annotation, file conversions, and format consistency. The company’s workflow, which can integrate with existing platforms like Maya or Unreal, enables users to make changes in animation and see the results immediately. Creators can toggle AI features on or off to maintain control over the editing process.
Cheehoo’s innovative animation tool
The startup uses in-house AI models to assist with character and asset creation and allows users to integrate third-party models from OpenAI, Runway, and others for tasks such as post-generation, motion stylization, and scene composition. Although Cheehoo didn’t announce specific launch partners, the company indicated it is already working with several IP holders, studios, and creators.
Cheehoo’s $10 million funding round included participation from Point72 Ventures, Basis Set, Headline Asia, Powerhouse Capital, Playground Productions, and Rideback. Brentt Baltimore expressed enthusiasm for the investment, noting the importance of supporting companies creating “new age” media. “Cheehoo has the right mix of Hollywood, media, and technology DNA to solve problems in animation pipelines,” Baltimore said.
“Cheehoo has an opportunity to reduce the cost of animation production overall,” Baltimore added. “That means sophisticated creators can easily produce animated films without requiring an expensive studio setup. By using AI, the company is trying to bring enterprise or big studio-level workflows within reach of independent filmmakers, allowing them to be creative with animation features while maintaining creative control.”
Looking ahead, LoFaso mentioned that while Cheehoo is currently working mainly with enterprises and prosumers, the company intends to roll out more consumer-focused products.
This strategy may help Cheehoo compete against other startups that are also building tools to simplify animation production.
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Cameron is a highly regarded contributor in the rapidly evolving fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. His articles delve into the theoretical underpinnings of AI, the practical applications of machine learning across industries, ethical considerations of autonomous systems, and the societal impacts of these disruptive technologies.
