Cinesite Funding, Investors & Competitors

Cinesite has raised $182M across 2 funding rounds, most recently a $112M undisclosed-stage round in December 2019.

Last Cinesite funding round

$112M

Undisclosed stage · Dec 2019

Cumulative funding Cinesite raised

$182M

across 2 funding rounds

Key investors in Cinesite

  • Barclays
  • NatWest Bank
  • Gryphion Capital Investments
  • Pemberton

Cinesite Overview

About Cinesite

Cinesite is a London-headquartered visual effects studio founded in 1994 with facilities in Montreal, Vancouver, and Strasbourg. The company delivers digital effects for feature films, television, and commercials, contributing to projects like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Lion King, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Its artists specialize in creature animation, environments, and compositing, serving major studios such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Netflix.


Founded

1991

HQ

United KingdomLondon

Status

Privately held

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Services

Cinesite Funding History

Cinesite has raised a total of $182M across 2 funding rounds.

Cinesite's first fundraising round was a $70M undisclosed-stage round in January 2018. The most recent completed round was a $112M undisclosed-stage round in December 2019.

Cinesite funding rounds

Cinesite funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedDeal Summary
Dec 2019Undisclosed stageGryphion Capital Investments (lead); NatWest Bank; Barclays$112MCinesite is a global VFX and animation studio conglomerate providing services for major film and TV projects including The Witcher, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. The company operates multiple studios across countries and has diversified into immersive services to mitigate reliance on film and TV VFX. Financial filings for fiscal year ending April 30, 2024, report gross sales of £126,149,795 (down 39% from £175,140,969 in 2023), a £23.4 million loss, and total debt around £111 million, with debt-to-income ratio rising to 88%. Cinesite indicates financial stability with banker and shareholder support despite challenges from industry strikes, expecting recovery in feature animation sales for fiscal 2025. The company employs 501-1000 people and maintains operations amid VFX sector disruptions, owning or holding majority interest in numerous studios critical to global workforce stability.
Jan 2018Undisclosed stagePemberton (lead)$70MCinesite Studios, a London-headquartered independent digital entertainment company specializing in award-winning feature animation and visual effects for film and television, secured a $70 million financing package on January 29, 2018, led by Pemberton Asset Management. Pemberton provided an initial $40 million in senior term facilities for general funding and acquisition finance, supported by $4 million in revolving credit facilities from Barclays Corporate Banking, with an additional $26 million in future flexible facilities. The deal facilitated growth, new facilities, technology investments, talent acquisition, and partnerships with leading studios and filmmakers. The financing supported Cinesite's expansion amid 40% year-on-year revenue growth since 2014, driven by client trust in its creative and technical capabilities on major projects like Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Skyfall, Thor, Fantastic Beasts, and The Commuter. Management, led by CEO Antony Hunt, highlighted Pemberton's experience in financing growth businesses, aligning with Cinesite's ambition for steady growth and innovation in original projects. Pemberton, backed by Legal & General, praised Cinesite's sustained impressive growth and tailored the finance for high-quality European companies. Cinesite was advised by Tomorrow Partners, with terms not disclosed. This 2018 activity preceded acquisitions like Germany's Trixter and Vancouver's Image Engine Design, enhancing its global VFX presence on titles such as Avengers: Infinity War and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Who has invested in Cinesite?

4 investors have backed Cinesite across its funding rounds, including Barclays, NatWest Bank, Gryphion Capital Investments and Pemberton.

Lead investors include Gryphion Capital Investments and Pemberton.


Cinesite Investors

Investors in Cinesite by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
NatWest BankUnited KingdomLondon1ParticipantDec 2019
Gryphion Capital InvestmentsNetherlandsAmsterdam1LeadDec 2019

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Acquisitions by Cinesite

Cinesite has acquired 6 companies to date.

Last acquisition by Cinesite was on November 21st 2022. Cinesite acquired Assemblage Entertainment for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by Cinesite

Assemblage Entertainment
FX3X
Squeeze Studio Animation
L'atelier Animation
Description
Assemblage Entertainment is a Mumbai-headquartered studio producing 3D animation and visual effects for feature films and interactive media. Established in December 2013, it partners with Hollywood studios and independent producers on high-end content for global release. The team handles full production pipelines including modeling, rigging, lighting, and compositing from its base in India.
FX3X is a visual effects and animation studio headquartered in Los Angeles that produces high-end CGI for films, commercials, and digital content. The company delivers services in 3D modeling, compositing, motion graphics, and character animation for clients in entertainment and advertising sectors. FX3X employs advanced tools like Houdini and Nuke to create assets for projects including feature films and video games via fx3x.com.
Squeeze Studio Animation is a Montreal-based animation studio that produces 2D and 3D content for television, advertising, and digital media. Founded in 2001, the studio has created series like "The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!" for PBS Kids and commercials for brands such as McDonald's and Coca-Cola, employing 50 artists across projects broadcast in over 100 countries. Squeeze Studio Animation specializes in character design, storyboarding, and motion graphics using Toon Boom Harmony software.
L'atelier Animation is a Montreal-based animation studio producing films and series for theatrical release and streaming platforms. Founded in 2014, the company created 'The Breadwinner' and contributes to projects like Netflix's 'Rilakkuma and Kaoru.' It employs artists specializing in 2D and 3D techniques for international co-productions.
HQ CountryIndiaNorth MacedoniaCanadaCanada
HQ City
Mumbai
Skopje
Montreal
Montreal
Deal Date21 Nov 202231 Aug 202229 Jul 202220 Jul 2022
Valuationundisclosed$15Mundisclosedundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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Cinesite Competitors

Cinesite competitors include listed companies like Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal Music, and private ones like Epic Games and Kakao Entertainment.

Public and private companies comparable to Cinesite
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
NetflixUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$45B$30B$314B6.4x
DisneyUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$94B$19B$182B2.3x
Warner Bros. DiscoveryUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$37B$21B$71B2.8x
Universal MusicNetherlandsNetherlandsPublicly listed$14B$3B$31B2.4x
Epic GamesUnited StatesRaleigh, NCPrivate$5.7B-$23B3.9x
Kakao EntertainmentSouth KoreaSeongnamPrivate$1.2B-$7B5.8x

Cinesite Public Comps

Cinesite is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Universal Music, Liberty Media, Warner Music Group, TKO, Paramount Skydance, Toho and Bilibili.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Netflix$45B$30B7.1x6.4x10.6x19.8x
Disney$94B$19B2.4x2.3x12.3x10.3x
Warner Bros. Discovery$37B$21B2.7x2.8x4.8x12.0x
Universal Music$14B$3B2.5x2.4x11.9x11.5x
Liberty Media$4.5B$1.4B6.2x5.9x20.1x23.3x
Warner Music Group$6.7B$1B2.9x2.6x18.6x11.0x
TKO$4.7B$1.3B4.9x4.2x17.5x11.1x
Paramount Skydance$29B($5.1B)0.9x0.9x(5.4x)7.6x

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Common questions about Cinesite

When was Cinesite founded?Cinesite was founded in 1991.
Where is Cinesite headquartered?Cinesite is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Is Cinesite publicly listed?No, Cinesite is a private, VC-backed company.
How much funding has Cinesite raised?Cinesite has raised $182M across 2 funding rounds.
What was Cinesite's last funding round?Cinesite's last funding round was a $112M undisclosed-stage round in December 2019, led by Gryphion Capital Investments.
Who are Cinesite's investors?Cinesite's investors include NatWest Bank, Gryphion Capital Investments, Barclays and Pemberton.
Which companies are comparable to Cinesite?Companies comparable to Cinesite include Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Universal Music, Epic Games and Kakao Entertainment.
How many companies has Cinesite acquired?Cinesite has acquired 6 companies, including Assemblage Entertainment, FX3X, Squeeze Studio Animation, L'atelier Animation and Trixter.
What was the largest acquisition by Cinesite?The $15M acquisition of FX3X in August 2022 is the largest acquisition Cinesite has made to date.

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