Belfast-based creative tech startup RETìníZE emerges from stealth with $2.6M seed round to transform 3D animation production process

RETìníZE is a Belfast, Northern Ireland-based creative tech startup. Since 2019 the company has been in stealth mode developing Animotive, an immersive animation production tool that harnesses the latest VR technologies to transform the 3D animation production process.

Today, RETìníZE announced it has closed a $2.6 million (£2 million) seed funding to drive the next two-year step in its growth journey and the global rollout of Animotive. The round was led by Sure Valley Ventures with a £1 million investment. This is the first investment from Sure Valley’s recently announced £95 million UK Software Fund, which included a cornerstone £50 million investment from the British Business Bank.

Other backers include TechStart Ventures, VGC Partners, Clarendon/Co-fund NI, Ben Morrow – Senior Product Manager, Adobe Aero (Adobe’s AR creation tool), and angel investor association of founders in the Netherlands.

Founded in 2019 by father and son team Phil Morrow (CEO), and Jack Morrow (CTO), RETìníZE’s roots and reputations were formed in high-end global film & television. The company originally spun out of Wild Rover Productions, formerly one of Ireland’s leading independent TV producers. RETìníZE clients include BBC, National Geographic, World Health Organisation, Save the Children, BMW, Tourism NI, and Seagate.

In a statement, Phil Morrow said: “We are thrilled to have Sure Valley on board as our lead investor – they have a deep knowledge of the creative tech sector and what impressed us most was the time they took to really understand and challenge our long-term goals and objectives.  This investment will supercharge our growth trajectory and will allow us to take Animotive to the international market.”

“We are delighted to support RETìníZE hot on the heels of launching our new software fund, as this innovative company enters an exciting new phase. We recognize that the immersive software sector is poised for exponential growth, and the plans that RETìníZE has for Animotive will position the company at the forefront of this expansion. We will continue to identify new opportunities in Metaverse, AI, and Cybersecurity as we deploy our Fund II capital, with a focus on UK companies that are bringing disruptive innovation to market, like RETìníZE,” Sure Valley Ventures Principal, Isabelle O’Keeffe said.