Cheehoo, an ambitious startup blending Hollywood creativity with cutting-edge technology, is making waves in the animation industry. Founded by executives from Rideback—the studio behind The Lego Movie—alongside DreamWorks Animation’s former president Chris deFaria and ex-Apple AI researchers, Cheehoo aims to radically simplify and accelerate animation production.
Cheehoo’s platform leverages proprietary agentic AI models to streamline the traditionally time-consuming animation pipeline. From storyboarding to final composition, creators can now iterate quickly, integrating tools like Maya and Unreal Engine while maintaining full creative control. Whether it’s character creation, motion stylization, or scene rendering, Cheehoo’s system allows users to make real-time adjustments, significantly cutting down production time and cost.
The platform is already being used by top IP holders and studios, and its $10 million seed round—led by Greycroft and supported by Point72 Ventures and Rideback—signals strong investor confidence. Cheehoo isn’t just helping large studios; it’s empowering independent filmmakers to produce high-quality animated content without massive budgets.
As Cheehoo expands toward consumer-focused tools, it’s positioning itself as a transformative force in creative production. For creators, this is more than innovation—it’s liberation. And for Cheehoo, it’s only the beginning.