Crafty Apes, a full-service visual effects powerhouse with eight global studios in New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Canada and London, among others, received a strategic investment from a consortium of institutional investors led by investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Camberline Capital Management.
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The investment focuses on Crafty Apes’ strategic growth in the areas of global facility expansion, increasing headcount in key markets, and production infrastructure. The strategy and capital investment were developed in close partnership with the Crafty Apes board and executive leadership team, including the original founders and the company’s officers. The capital is designed to strengthen operations, ensure long-term growth, and enhance service offerings in response to the evolving needs of the entertainment industry.
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CEO Alana Newell commented on the investment: “Our investors are global leaders in strategic investment, and we are thrilled that this partnership will enable Crafty Apes to be where our clients need us most while strengthening our existing teams and infrastructure across North America and Europe. As the industry begins to recover from recent challenges, content creation is beginning to crescendo again, and we will continue to serve the creative needs of our clients as the industry picks up globally. This investment is a testament to Crafty Apes’ resilient business model and our commitment to navigating industry challenges with strength and agility.”
Beginning as a VFX studio for film and TV, Crafty Apes has grown to include a talented roster of creative and production supervisors that offers AI and machine learning research, development and production, virtual production consultation and asset creation, set supervision, plate photography and scanning, concept design and direction for broadcast commercials, 3D CGI previs, environment creation and effects, and high-quality 2D compositing.
Jonathan Spivak, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, said: “We believe Crafty Apes has a reputation for delivering top-tier digital work on many of the most well-known IP’s. As we have watched and worked with management for several years, our confidence in the team has only strengthened with their navigation of the business during the industry’s recent strikes.” Jens Ernberg, Managing Partner at Camberline Capital Management added: “We look forward to continuing to support the management team as they capitalize on the entertainment sector’s recovery and participating in Crafty Apes’ long-term success.”
About Crafty Apes
Crafty Apes is a global visual effects company with offices in Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Albuquerque, Vancouver, Baton Rouge, Montreal, and London. We have over 550+ talented artists and production staff working to build and share in Crafty’s success. The company celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year and was founded by three visual effects veterans, Chris LeDoux, Tim LeDoux, and Jason Sanford.
