Cheehoo Revolutionizes Animation Production with AI-Powered Creative Tools

Creating animation traditionally involves multiple complex steps such as storyboarding, rendering, composition, and lighting, making the process time-consuming and costly. When directors want to try different takes, the animation team must revisit and adjust the work, further extending production timelines.

Cheehoo is a startup founded by a team combining Hollywood executives and technologists, including Rideback co-CEOs Michael LoFaso and Jonathan Eirich, DreamWorks Animation’s former president Chris deFaria, and ex-Apple AI researchers Hubert Tsai and Wei-Cheng Kuo. The company aims to create AI-powered tools that simplify and accelerate animation production workflows.

Cheehoo’s tools enable creators to rapidly prototype and iterate on animations by automating tasks such as data annotation, file conversions, and maintaining format consistency. This allows seamless movement between different production stages and faster feedback on changes.

The workflow integrates with existing industry-standard platforms like Maya and Unreal Engine, allowing users to toggle AI features on or off for greater creative control. Cheehoo also supports third-party AI models from OpenAI, Runway, and others to enhance post-production, motion stylization, and scene composition.

Although Cheehoo has not announced official launch partners, it is collaborating with several intellectual property holders, studios, and creators. The startup recently raised $10 million in funding led by Greycroft, with participation from Point72 Ventures, Basis Set, Headline Asia, and others.

Brentt Baltimore of Greycroft highlighted that Cheehoo’s blend of Hollywood, media, and technology expertise positions it to reduce animation production costs significantly. This democratizes animation creation, enabling sophisticated projects without expensive studio setups while maintaining creative freedom.

Looking ahead, Cheehoo plans to expand beyond enterprise and prosumer markets to offer consumer-focused products. This will position it to compete with startups like Cartwheel and Cinamon, which also aim to simplify animation production through AI.

The Broader Significance of AI in Animation

Animation has traditionally been resource-intensive, limiting access to large studios with deep pockets. AI-powered tools like those developed by Cheehoo can transform the industry by lowering barriers, speeding up production, and enabling more creators to bring their visions to life. This democratization fosters innovation, diversity of storytelling, and new business opportunities across entertainment and media sectors.

By integrating AI seamlessly into existing workflows and offering flexible creative controls, Cheehoo exemplifies how technology can empower rather than replace human creativity. This approach ensures that artistic intent remains central while benefiting from automation and efficiency gains.

As AI continues to evolve, its role in creative industries like animation will expand, opening new frontiers for storytelling and content creation. Companies like Cheehoo are at the forefront of this transformation, setting new standards for how animation is produced and experienced worldwide.