Unit1 Studio
Category: AI in Media / Gaming / Entertainment
UK startup producing relocatable, AI-driven hyperrealistic avatar concerts that let artists (living or deceased) perform across multiple venues at a fraction of the cost of one-off productions like ABBA Voyage. Unit1 Studio was founded in 2025. The company is led by Barney Wragg. Based in London, United Kingdom. Team size: 11-50. Total funding raised: $20M. Latest round: Venture Round. Key investors include Balderton Capital (lead), Mercuri, Gilston Music, Paul McGuinness.
- Founded
- 2025
- Headquarters
- London, United Kingdom
- Team size
- 11-50
- Total funding
- $20M
Value proposition
Unit1 makes avatar concerts commercially viable at scale by making productions relocatable between venues (demonstrated moving a KT Tunstall show between venues in four days), breaking the economics that previously locked the format to single fixed venues like ABBA Voyage.
Products and solutions
End-to-end avatar concert production: artist relations, talent sourcing, creative direction, photorealistic avatar production (Metahuman-based systems), staging, venue partnerships, marketing, event operations, and production financing
Unique value
First independent avatar concert producer able to relocate full productions between venues in days rather than months, dramatically lowering the cost floor for hyperrealistic AI avatar concerts of both living and deceased artists.
Target customer
Music artists, artist estates/rights-holders, concert promoters, and venue owners
Industries served
AI in Media / Gaming / Entertainment, Live Entertainment / Music Industry
Technology advantage
Proprietary relocatable staging and avatar production pipeline (Metahuman-based digital doubles) enabling multi-venue touring economics previously impossible in the avatar-concert format; deep industry relationships via CEO Barney Wragg's rights/IP background.
How they differentiate
Focuses on relocatable, multi-venue avatar productions versus competitors' fixed-installation hologram/avatar shows, aiming to open the format to legacy artists beyond a single flagship venue economics model.
Main competitors
Base Hologram, Eyellusion, Hologram USA / ABBA Voyage (Pophouse/Layered Reality) as the fixed-venue incumbent model
Key partnerships
ROE Visual (LED display), Woodroffe Bassett Design (lighting), Richard Brooker (sound design), Hive (AV/media control), Goldcrest (post-production), Brompton Technology (LED processing), artist partnership with KT Tunstall, investor/advisor Paul McGuinness (U2's longtime manager)
Notable customers
KT Tunstall (artist ambassador/first production)
Major milestones
Company launched October 2025, staged inaugural KT Tunstall avatar concert, achieved first cross-venue relocation of an avatar production in four days, raised £20M/€23.3M ($20M) led by Balderton Capital in September 2026, featured on BBC News Tech Now
Growth metrics
Launched October 2025; completed first full relocation of an avatar concert production (KT Tunstall show) between venues in four days, moving from a testing facility in Gunnersbury to a permanent studio at Tileyard London
Market positioning
Premium end-to-end avatar concert producer positioned as the scalable successor to the single-venue ABBA Voyage model, targeting broader artist catalog and touring economics.
Geographic focus
UK-based with global touring ambitions for avatar concert productions
About Barney Wragg
Ex-CEO, Really Useful Group (Andrew Lloyd Webber's company, now LW Entertainment); senior digital roles at AEG, EMI, Universal Music Group. Raised over £500M in equity and debt financing across his career.
Latest news about Unit1 Studio
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Official website: https://unit1.studio