AI tech startup Electric Sheep has secured Innovate UK’s prestigious 拢500,000 Smart Grant.
The award is to recognise the London-based firm鈥檚 advancements in AI-driven visual effects (VFX) technology.聽
The funding will support the development of Spotlight V3, Electric Sheep’s next-generation rotoscoping tool, which is set to launch in early 2025.
The MediaTech’s team has bridged the gap between AI, cloud, and VFX with Spotlight V2, automating rotoscoping at a speed 24 times faster than traditional methods.
Rotoscoping is an animation technique that animators use to trace over motion picture footage.
Spotlight V3, the firm’s most advanced and fastest rotoscoping tool to date, aims to enhance the video segmentation process for VFX and beyond.
Manchester health and sports startup bags Innovate UK backing
鈥淲e want to make rotoscoping so easy that VFX artists can have their shots ready in a few clicks,鈥� said Richie Murray, co-founder of Electric Sheep.聽
鈥淲e’re so pleased the UK government shares our vision for innovation in the creative industry.
鈥淩otoscoping is one of many time consuming and repetitive tasks faced by artists that gets in the way of creativity. We’re focusing on the tedious parts of the job, so artists can focus on telling spectacular stories.鈥�
Angelo Burgarello, partner at Look AI Ventures, an AI-focused VC fund backing Electric Sheep in the pre-seed round, added: 鈥淎rtificial intelligence is not just a game-changer for the VFX industry; it’s a catalyst for a new era of creative efficiency and innovation.聽
鈥淎s investors, we see transformative potential in companies like Electric Sheep, whose technology is set to redefine production timelines and cost structures. By cutting down rotoscoping time dramatically, Electric Sheep frees up artists to focus on what truly matters – creative storytelling.聽
鈥淚nvesting in such innovative solutions positions us at the forefront of a revolution that balances AI’s power with human ingenuity.鈥�