The boundary between live music and digital entertainment is becoming increasingly flexible, and UK company Unit1 Studio is building technology around that shift. The company, which creates mixed reality concerts featuring digital avatars of artists, has secured £20 million in new funding to expand its production capabilities and develop a larger roster of avatar based shows.
Major funding round
The financing includes an oversubscribed equity round led by Balderton Capital, alongside additional production financing for concerts currently in development. Existing backers Mercuri, Gilston Music and artist manager Paul McGuinness also participated.
The new capital gives Unit1 greater capacity to develop, produce and operate immersive concert experiences while pursuing its goal of making avatar performances more accessible across different locations.
Unit1 describes its work as bringing together real venues, virtual performers and live production techniques to create new forms of concert experiences. Its production process covers artist relationships, talent sourcing, creative direction, avatar production, staging, venue partnerships, marketing, event operations and financing.
Making avatar concerts easier to scale
Avatar concerts have attracted significant attention from the entertainment industry, with productions such as ABBA Voyage demonstrating how digital representations of performers can become the centrepiece of a live show.
However, developing a large scale avatar production can require substantial investment in technology, creative production and venue infrastructure. Moving an established production to another location can also require significant redevelopment.
Unit1 is targeting this challenge by developing technology and production methods designed to make shows faster and more economical to create and replicate. The company believes that reducing these barriers could allow a successful production to operate in multiple venues and markets.
Founder and CEO Barney Wragg has described the company’s ambition as expanding the connection between artists and their audiences regardless of time or geography.
Combining virtual and physical performance
Unit1’s productions are designed around a combination of computer generated imagery, visual effects, physical staging, lighting, sound and live performance techniques.
Rather than presenting an avatar as a simple screen based attraction, the company aims to create an immersive environment in which the virtual performer becomes part of a wider live entertainment production.
The approach can also create new opportunities for artists whose touring schedules are limited, who are no longer able to perform live or whose audiences are spread across different parts of the world.
Unit1’s website highlights its work with artist ambassador KT Tunstall and its wider focus on creating virtual performers while preserving the creative identity and relationship between artists and their audiences.
Building a repeatable production model
A major part of Unit1’s strategy is making avatar concerts repeatable rather than treating every production as a completely separate project.
The company is developing a model in which the same underlying technology and production expertise can be adapted for different artists, venues and audiences. This could reduce the time and expense involved in bringing future shows to market.
Unit1 also works with specialist partners across areas such as LED display technology, lighting design, sound, media control, post production and LED processing. Its production ecosystem includes companies such as ROE Visual, Woodroffe Bassett Design, Richard Brooker Sound Design, Hive, Goldcrest and Brompton Technology.
Expanding the avatar concert pipeline
The latest funding will support Unit1’s continued development of mixed reality concerts and help finance productions already in development. The company intends to expand its roster while improving the technology and operational infrastructure required to deliver shows at scale.
For the music industry, the model could create another route for artists to reach audiences without relying entirely on conventional touring. For fans, it offers a way to experience familiar performers through productions that combine music, technology and theatrical design.
With fresh capital and a growing production pipeline, Unit1 is seeking to move avatar concerts from a specialised entertainment format toward a more scalable model for live music experiences.