Birmingham-based animation studio and production house, Second Home Studios Ltd (SHSL), has secured a six-figure funding package that will support its expansion and see it creating 16 new jobs.
Located in the city's creative quarter in Digbeth, the firm has received a £250,000 funding package from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (“MEIF), managed by Maven Capital Partners and backed by the UK Government's Recovery Loan Scheme.
SHSL was founded in 2004 by Christopher Randall, who opened the studio in Birmingham’s creative quarter. Since its inception, the business has won a host of accolades, including four Royal Television Society awards and two British Animation Awards, whilst also producing BAFTA-winning work for CiTV.
SHSL has recently been commissioned by Channel 5, BBC Alba (Scotland), S4C (Wales) and TG4 (Ireland) to produce a pre-school stop-motion animation series called Tweedy & Fluff. This new series is a great opportunity for the studio to expand its horizons into long-form production and the business has moved into new studios in Digbeth to accommodate the series.
The studio has a reputation for its innovative, stop-motion animation, but is currently making strides into Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) animation experiences.
The company has a diverse portfolio working with a range of notable companies including the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, WaterAid, National Express, Sky, Sony, and German educational channel Da Vinci Learning.
The funding will enable SHSL to renovate its new premises and obtain the equipment and fittings necessary to be able to film the long-term animation series. The series will also generate 16 additional jobs at SHSL, further boosting the local economy.
Christopher Randall, founder and creative director of SHSL, said: “Once produced, the upcoming Tweedy & Fluff series will be the first of its kind to come from the city. With so little support around for an expansion of this scale, we’re incredibly grateful to Maven for offering this fund which will make a huge impact on building the studio facility we need.”
Sajid Sabir, Investment manager for Maven, said: “It’s great to have such an innovative and creative business expanding its portfolio and bringing new, exciting opportunities to the region. I have no doubt that Second Home Studio will continue to evolve and succeed and I am glad Maven can join them on their growth journey.”
Maven manages the Midlands Engine debt fund on behalf of the British Business Bank - the economic generation bank of the UK Government.
Mark Wilcockson, senior investment manager at the British Business Bank, said: “Backing innovative companies, who impact on the region's overall growth by creating local jobs and helping businesses scale up is part of MEIF’s core values. MEIF’s investment in a creative business like Second Home Studios Ltd is a perfect example that showcases its commitment to the Midlands business community.”
