Unit1 Raises $20 Million to Stage Digital Avatar Concerts Without Dedicated Venues
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 20
Unit1 Raises $20 Million to Stage Digital Avatar Concerts Without Dedicated Venues
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 20
Summary
$20 million in new funding will let UK startup Unit1 expand a concert format that uses hyper-realistic digital avatars of living and dead musicians alongside live players on stage.
The company says its model can recreate classic performances without building an Abba Voyage-style permanent venue, potentially allowing the same show to tour or run in multiple countries at once.
A pilot with KT Tunstall used motion-capture filming in London to recreate her two-decade-old Later... with Jools Holland performance while updating the avatar to her current appearance.
Unit1 plans to spend the money on research and development and on licensing and intellectual-property deals with artists and estates, a key step as digital resurrection of dead performers still draws fan backlash.