Utopai Studios raises $60M at $1B valuation for AI films
The AI film startup says it has about 20 projects in progress and plans to release its films in roughly 3,000 North American theaters.
Utopai Studios has raised a $60 million funding round at a $1 billion valuation, according to The Information. Cecilia Shen, a former Google X executive, is CEO of the company.
The startup says it has about 20 AI video projects in progress, including two TV series and three feature films slated for theatrical release next year. It plans to release those films in roughly 3,000 theaters in North America.
Utopai uses multiple external video models and has also built its own by modifying the open-source model MiniMax H3. That in-house model ranks second on Artificial Analysis' text-to-video leaderboard.
The company says its AI tools can cut scene planning and CG costs by 80-90% compared with conventional filmmaking.
Follow-on offers reported
According to The Information, Utopai has already received follow-on investment offers valuing it at $2-3 billion. The report also lists Kling AI, Runway, Luma and Higgsfield among the video AI companies active in the space.
In August 2025, Higgsfield's valuation quadrupled to $5.4 billion, and in September 2025 its annualized revenue surpassed $1 billion. Kling AI recently raised close to $3 billion at a $15 billion valuation. Hollywood figure Jeffrey Katzenberg has set out to found an AI film company with a former head of OpenAI's Sora app.
Quick answers
How much did Utopai Studios raise?
Utopai Studios raised a $60 million funding round at a $1 billion valuation.
Who is the CEO of Utopai Studios?
Cecilia Shen, a former Google X executive, is CEO.
What films does Utopai Studios have planned?
The company says it has about 20 AI video projects in progress, including two TV series and three feature films slated for theatrical release next year, with plans for roughly 3,000 theaters in North America.