Utopai Studios
Category: Generative Media (Image / Video)
AI-native film and TV studio (formerly Cybever) that develops, finances, and produces original films and series using its PAI production system and Utopai X video model. Utopai Studios was founded in 2022. The company is led by Cecilia Shen. Based in Mountain View, United States. Team size: 51-100. Latest round: Strategic Investment. Key investors include Creative 7 Productions (Carmelo Anthony), Tom Ryan.
- Founded
- 2022
- Headquarters
- Mountain View, United States
- Team size
- 51-100
Value proposition
Combines a professional studio with its own AI production stack. PAI keeps script, characters, scenes, shots and revision history linked across a project. This makes large-scale or costly productions feasible while directors and writers keep creative control.
Products and solutions
PAI (Production Assistive Intelligence) director-first AI production system, including PAI 2.0 Pro Mode, Story Agent and 3-minute 4K generation, Utopai X post-trained text-to-video-with-audio model, ranked #2 on the Artificial Analysis audio T2V leaderboard (1150 Elo, Sept 2026), PAI Code, Enterprise offering, original slate: Cortés, Half Moon, The Most Serious Fart (2027 theatrical), Space Nation, and Journey to the West: The Lost 500 Years
Unique value
Positioned by Variety as the world's largest independent AI-native film & TV studio. It owns both the IP slate and the AI production engine, and its real productions feed back into model training.
Target customer
Its own theatrical, streaming and broadcast slate; external film/TV/animation studios and production companies (B2B PAI licensing); athletes and IP holders building entertainment properties
Industries served
Film, Television, Animation, Streaming, Sports Entertainment
Technology advantage
Uses project memory and continuity across multi-shot, long-form production. Utopai X is post-trained on open-source models with a focus on spatial consistency, physics, and audio-visual sync. Output exports to Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. Director selection data from real productions is used as a training signal. The company also owns its IP and distribution relationships.
How they differentiate
Operates as a full studio with a theatrical slate and owned IP, rather than as a generative video tool vendor. Its proprietary PAI workflow plus the Utopai X model target feature-length continuity instead of single-shot generation.
Main competitors
Asteria Film Co. (Moonvalley), Promise, Runway (AI Studios)
Key partnerships
DeNA Entertainment Development Business Unit (AI animation, Japan), Huace Film & TV (Journey to the West), Stock Farm Road / Brian Koo (Utopai East JV), Carmelo Anthony's Creative 7 Productions (strategic partner and investor), James Harden (animated short), Ex Machina Studios, K5 International, Globoplay, In Good Company, Paper Barn Studios, Epic Games Unreal Engine (Cybever era)
Notable customers
DeNA, Huace Film & TV, Globoplay (buyer of Space Nation)
Major milestones
2022: founded as Cybever (AI 3D world generation). Jan 2024: Unreal Engine tie-up. Aug 2025: rebranded as Utopai Studios. Nov 2025: Utopai East JV with Stock Farm Road. Feb 2026: Utopai East acquired Alquimista Media (Seoul). Mar 2026: PAI public release. Apr 2026: Story Agent with 3-minute 4K generation. May 2026: Creative 7 investment at a reported ~$1B valuation. Jun 2026: PAI 2.0. Aug 2026: Half Moon principal photography was scheduled to begin in Germany in the first week of September. Sep 2026: DeNA partnership, Utopai X ranked #2 on the Artificial Analysis audio T2V leaderboard.
Growth metrics
Reported ~$110M in booked revenue across territories for its projects (Forbes, Aug 2025). PAI reportedly reached $11M ARR within 60 days of its March 2026 release. Reported ~$1B valuation (2026). 25 original projects on its slate.
Market positioning
Claims the highest reported valuation (~$1B) for a pure-play AI-native film/TV studio. It has 25 projects in development or production and three wide theatrical releases planned for 2027. Delivering a feature-length AI-assisted film is still unproven.
Geographic focus
Global: US (Hollywood), Europe (Spain/Germany/France productions), APAC (Korea via Utopai East/Alquimista, Japan via DeNA, China via Huace)
About Cecilia Shen
Ex-Google / X, the moonshot factory (AI projects); Ex-RBC Data Scientist; University of Waterloo. Co-founded Cybever (2022) and rebranded it as Utopai Studios (2025); profiled by Forbes (May 2026) as a 25-year-old aiming to become Hollywood's first AI movie mogul.
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Official website: https://www.utopaistudios.com