Cheehoo, a Los Angeles-based startup, recently raised $10 million to develop a groundbreaking platform, often referred to as a “creative engine,” designed to revolutionize animation and interactive storytelling. Launched at the production company Rideback, which was known for its animated films like “The LEGO Movie” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” Cheehoo was incubated by a team of professionals bridging Hollywood and Silicon Valley. The round, led by Point72 Ventures, included participation from companies like Greycroft, Basis Set, and Headline Asia, along with Rideback co-CEOs Michael LoFaso and Jonathan Eirich.
The founding leadership team, which didn’t exactly blend the typical splits between Hollywood and Silicon Valley, included established figures like former DreamWorks Animation President Chris deFaria and AI scientists from Apple and Stanford. Rideback cofounder Dan Lin also joined as a co-founder. This early-stage company was focused on professional studios, IP owners, and individual artists participating in a closed pilot program.
Cheehoo’s primary goal was to create a modular, AI-driven animation platform that significantly accelerated production processes while maintaining compatibility with industry standards such as Maya, Unreal Engine, and Blender. The company emphasized empowerment, aiming to reduce friction for artists by offering better tools and systems, particularly without resorting to scraping the internet for training data, a controversial approach among some AI firms.
The company generated its own proprietary 3D assets internally and allowed clients to retain ownership of any content they contributed, implementing metadata to enhance the process of searching, repurposing, and building upon these assets. As studios and creators produced more work, this generated a growing “data flywheel,” fueling further automation and innovation.
Cheehoo initially targeted enterprises, but the company had a long-term vision of expanding the platform to include smaller studios, prosumers, and eventually, user-generated content creators. However, the primary focus was on offering versatile and high-quality creative solutions, particularly in 3D animation and interactive products.
The company aimed to address the long-term need for a centralized platform to create franchises by providing consistent, high-quality output, not just big-tentpole events. At its initial stage, Cheehoo would announce plans for the first creative partners and project slate.
This summation consolidates the key points of Cheehoo’s successful launch, its approach to blend AI and human creativity, its expansion to various audiences, and its foundation in a successful AI project. The company targets artists, animators, and IP owners with a focus on high_fidelity, 3D animated content, offering a flexible and nimble workflow to accelerate production while maintaining industry standards. The platform’s modular design and use of proprietary assets allow for customization and scalability, making it a valuable tool for creators seeking to produce high-quality, repetitive content for platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and streaming services.
