UNOMi

UNOMi sells software that helps creates efficiently develop animated content.

Its patent-pending software is designed to automate the more challenging tasks of animation product, and enable creators of all skill levels to save money and time in design and production.

This is a big opportunity. According to Precedence Research, the global animation industry was valued at nearly $400 billion in 2022. This is due to an increase in popularity of streaming services and the use of mobile devices that enables consumers to access this type of content more easily.

Large movie and television studios are developing animated content. And so are tens of millions of individuals who share their work across Internet platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitch. In fact, in 2016, these independent creators earned nearly six billion dollars producing animated content.

Professional investors have turned their attention to this market’s potential, too. Venture capitalists have invested at least three billion dollars into the animated content industry every year since 2015. In 2018, capital investment reached a record of more than $7.5 billion.

The problem is, creating animated content can be costly and time-consuming. Studio Pigeon, a video production company, estimates that it takes an average of roughly six weeks to produce an animation of just sixty to ninety seconds. The average cost is nearly $8,000.

UNOMi provides an affordable, faster solution to these problems with its suite of software products. The company is led by CEO Obi Onyejekwe, who has experience working for media companies like Spike TV and Nickelodeon, and sold his last company to AOL in 2016.

UNOMi’s initial product, released in September 2019, is a 2D/3D lip syncing application enabling creators to automatically sync animated mouth poses to voice-over recordings. Here’s how it works:

Users can “drag and drop” voice-over recordings onto an animation, created animated mouth poses for each character, and insert a text script of what each character is saying.

The software uses all three of these variables to create an accurate talking animated mouth. For example, if a character is saying a word that begins with the letter “L,” UNOMi’s software syncs the character’s mouth movements to match what a human mouth looks like when saying that letter.

UNOMi has since created the Avatar Creator Plugin, designed to facilitate the creation and animation of 3D characters.

With compatibility across platforms like Adobe Creative Cloud, Apple Final Cut Pro, and Motion, this software provides pre-existing moves and motion-tracking software for creating custom animations. Its interface aims to simplify character creation, while the motion-capture function enables users to track and replicate movements from footage. Additionally, the creator employs AI technology to automate lip-syncing.

UNOMi operates under a software-as-a-service business model. Customers purchase services and are charged either a monthly subscription, a one-time fee based on the number of seats they require, or a combination of both.

Pricing for its Avatar Creator is $299 per seat, while its 3D Lip Sync service is $24.60 a month. 2D Lip Sync service is $18.50 per month. UNOMi has generated minimal revenue to-date.

Since inception, UNOMi’s software has been used by more than 1,100 customers. In 2022, the company gained 610 new users, representing a year-over-year increase of around 122%.

UNOMi is in early-stage discussions with employees from BET, Nickelodeon, and Central Michigan University to use its animation software. And its software is currently used by Los Angeles-based Pixel Pirate Studio and The Players’ Tribune, a media platform founded by baseball player Derek Jeter.

Furthermore, UNOMi is in partnership discussions with Maxon, a software company that produces various solutions for filmmaking, motion design, and animation. The company is looking to integrate several of its animation products into Maxon’s Cinema 4D, a 3D computer animation and simulation software.

In November 2022, UNOMi was accepted into NVIDIA’s Inception Program. This is designed to help expedite the evolution of startups by offering them access to NVIDIA’s technology and opportunities to engage with venture-capital firms. UNOMi has already completed two startup-accelerator programs: Backstage Accelerator and the Preccelerator Program

Most recently, in July 2023, UNOMi formed an agreement with FxFactory, an online marketplace that offers a collection of visual-effects plugins and apps for video editors. Through this agreement, UNOMi’s Avatar Creator plugin is listed on FxFactory’s website. This company receives approximately 70,000 monthly visits to its website and is used by notable clients like Disney, Google, and HBO.

Team Background

Arama Brown - Co-Founder & Lead Software Engineer

Arama joined UNOMi in 2018 as the company’s Lead Software Engineer.

Before that, she was a solutions architect for OpenX, an advertising technology company. In addition, she gained five years of experience in the software consulting business by working for technology companies.

Arama earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Illinois.

Obi Onyejekwe - Co-Founder & CEO

In addition to his role with UNOMi, Obi is a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Pixel Pirate Studio. This production company develops animated content and mobile games for brands.

Prior to that, he was Founder and CEO of Nito, a content branding startup that was acquired by AOL in 2016.

Throughout his career, Obi has worked in the media and entertainment industries, developing multimedia campaigns for clients including Spike TV, Nickelodeon, and BET.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Georgia State University.

Co-Investors