What Mainframe does

Mainframe is an independent London-based motion design and CGI studio that produces high-end visual content for global enterprise brands. The studio specializes in 3D animation, CGI production, fluid and particle simulation, motion design, live-action direction, and 2D animation, with AI-assisted workflows integrated into its production pipeline. Core services span four stages: Creative Direction (brief shaping and concept development), Storytelling (storyboarding and previs), Production & Animation (3D, CGI, motion design, complex liquid/particle simulation, AI-assisted asset creation, live-action production, audio and editing), and Delivery (scalable asset systems, project templates, language and format versioning for broadcast, cinema, social, OOH, and experiential). A dedicated Medical Animation service line addresses pharmaceutical brands, biotech companies, and medcomms agencies with mechanism-of-action videos, disease awareness campaigns, and HCP education content requiring scientific accuracy and MLR compliance.

Mainframe serves enterprise clients across six vertical specializations: Luxury Brand CGI (Harrods, Augustinus Bader, Mulberry, Aston Martin), Tech Product CGI (Apple, Google Pixel, Oppo, Dyson), Beverages CGI (Glenfiddich, Bowmore), Product CGI (Walkers, Galaxy), Sports & Fitness CGI, and Medical/Pharmaceutical Animation (GSK, Haleon, Panadol, Advil, Alexion, SK-II, Polident, Theraflu). It also partners with creative agencies including SuperUnion, Love Creative, and Fingerpaint as a specialist production partner for client projects.

The studio operates a pure project-based B2B services model: pricing is determined by scope, timeline, and deliverables (explicitly not hourly), with custom proposals delivered after discovery calls. Engagement cadence includes multi-year contracts, and the GTM motion is consultative enterprise field sales with inbound via contact form, email, or phone. Founded circa 1997 and incorporated as Mainframe Ltd in the United Kingdom, the company is founder-led (Adam Jenns), wholly independent with no external funding or parent company, and reports a headcount of 11-50 employees at its single London headquarters at 117 Farringdon Road.

Name

Mainframe

Legal name

Mainframe Ltd

Website

https://mainframe.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mainframe is an independent London-based motion design studio that produces high-end CGI, 3D animation, and visual content for global enterprise brands across luxury, technology, beverages, medical/pharmaceutical, product, and sports/fitness sectors, plus partner agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Motion Design and CGI Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

VFX & Motion Graphics (CGI, Compositing, 2D/3D) (MPAAAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

CG Asset Creation (Modeling, Texturing, Lookdev, Rigging) (MPAHABAE), Simulation & FX Animation (Cloth, Hair, Particles) (MPAHACAH), Versioning & Mastering (IMF, Mezzanine, Textless, Deliverables) (MPAHAFAF)

Keywords

• Motion design studio
• 3D animation production
• CGI production services
• Medical animation services
• Creative production studio

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Creative Services - Project Fees: Custom project-based engagements for CGI, animation, and motion design services. Pricing based on scope, timeline, and deliverables - never by the hour. After discovery calls, they provide custom proposals aligned with client goals and budgets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mainframe is an independent London-based motion design studio that produces CGI, 3D animation, and motion design content for enterprise brands, creative agencies, and pharmaceutical companies. The studio specializes in photorealistic product visualization, brand films, medical and pharmaceutical animation, and the construction of scalable asset toolkits that enable multi-market campaign versioning. Deliverables span broadcast, cinema, social, OOH, print, and experiential platforms across luxury, technology, beverages, product, sports, and healthcare sectors.

Product overview

Mainframe is an independent motion design studio offering a unified suite of visual content services built around CGI, 3D animation, and motion design. The core offerings include Motion Design Services, 3D Animation & CGI, Medical Animation Services, Creative Direction, and Storytelling & Previs. These are delivered across specialized industry verticals including Luxury Brand CGI, Tech Product CGI, Beverages CGI, Product CGI, and Sports & Fitness CGI. All services are supported by Scalable Asset Systems for multi-market versioning and delivery. The studio operates as a single integrated creative production service rather than a modular software platform, with Creative Directors supporting clients from brief shaping through to final delivery across broadcast, cinema, social, and OOH platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Motion Design Services Core motion design service including 2D logo and type animation, visual storytelling, and pacing and transitions for brand campaigns across broadcast, cinema, social, OOH, and print. Delivered for enterprise brands and creative agencies.
• 3D Animation and CGI High-end 3D CGI and motion design, including product visualization and complex particle and liquid simulation, used to produce photorealistic visual content across all platforms for global brands and creative agencies.
• Medical Animation Services Design-led 3D medical and pharmaceutical animation for pharma brands, healthcare companies, and medcomms agencies, specializing in Mechanism of Action (MoA) videos, disease awareness campaigns, medical device visualization, and HCP education. Built for MLR compliance and multi-market versioning.
• Creative Direction Strategic creative direction service in which Creative Directors work alongside client teams throughout a project, shaping briefs into clear visual ideas through narrative structure, concept development, and visual exploration.
• Storytelling and Previs Storyboarding, animatic, and previs animation services that establish visual storytelling, pacing, clarity, and effectiveness early in the production process for brand campaigns and product launches.
• Scalable Asset Systems Builds reusable asset systems, project templates, and toolkits designed for multi-market versioning and adaptation across formats, languages, markets, and omnichannel rollout, supporting broadcast, cinema, print-ready imagery, social assets, experiential, and OOH delivery.
• Luxury Brand CGI Premium CGI and motion design for luxury brands across beauty, fashion, automotive, and spirits sectors, delivering cinematic product visualization, brand films, and scalable asset systems for print, digital, social, OOH, and experiential environments.
• Tech Product CGI High-end CGI, 3D animation, and motion design for technology brands that makes complex products desirable and understandable while maintaining technical accuracy, delivered as hero films, cutdowns, social assets, and product stills.
• Beverages CGI Photorealistic CGI for drinks brands featuring CG bottles, glass materials, liquid simulation (pours, fizz, foam, condensation), and label detail with lighting crafted to feel authentic and desirable for premium spirits and beverage campaigns.
• Product CGI Photoreal CG-built product visuals with full control over lighting, materials, and camera to deliver effects and camera moves impossible in real life, matched to existing product photography for seamless campaign integration across food, confectionery, and consumer goods.
• Sports and Fitness CGI Visual content for sports, fitness, and wearable technology brands that translates complex performance innovation into compelling content through launch films, product explainers, performance videos, data visualization, and fitness assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• #1 concept out of 12 tested; 72% aided brand recall; 69% purchase intent; +23% revenue per 100 shelf browsers (Panadol case study)

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SuperUnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal brand design agency collaboration. SuperUnion is a worldwide brand agency formed from the merger of Brand Union and Siegel+Gale. Mainframe partnered with SuperUnion on BBC2 project, providing CGI and motion design production capabilities.
• Love CreativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative agency partnership for Glenfiddich whisky brand work. Love Creative collaborated with Mainframe on premium spirits visual content production.
• FingerpaintcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedcomms agency partnership for medical and pharmaceutical CGI projects. Fingerpaint is a healthcare communications agency, and Mainframe provides specialized medical animation and CGI capabilities as a production partner.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• MPC (Moving Picture Company): Premium VFX and CGI studio with advertising, episodic, and film divisions, producing high-end photoreal CG for commercial campaigns. Compares to Mainframe's photoreal product CGI and luxury/automotive brand work, though at much greater scale.
• The Mill: Long-established global VFX and design studio specializing in CGI, motion design, and digital experiences for advertising and brand content. Direct functional overlap with Mainframe's CGI/3D animation and motion design offering for enterprise brand campaigns.
• Framestore: Global VFX and CGI powerhouse producing commercial, film, and immersive content for the same Fortune 500 brand clients (luxury, automotive, tech). Compares to Mainframe on CGI/motion design craft but operates at vastly larger scale across offices worldwide, making it the upper-bound competitor for flagship briefs.

Direct peers

• Nexus Studios: London-based independent studio producing CGI, animation, and narrative-driven film content for global brands and agencies. Closely matches Mainframe's positioning: independent, London-based, projects across luxury, tech, and consumer; competing for similar brand-direct and agency-routed commercial briefs.
• Buck: Independent design-driven animation and motion graphics studio with comparable boutique scale, specializing in CGI, brand films, and motion design for tech, beverages, and lifestyle clients. Strongest side-by-side craft comparison with Mainframe's core 3D animation and CGI production.
• Psyop: Award-winning independent animation and motion design studio with deep experience in CGI and CG-led commercials for top-tier brands. Compares to Mainframe on creative-driven CGI commercial work and luxury/tech brand rosters.
• Tendril Design + Animation: Boutique CGI and motion design studio specializing in premium photoreal and stylized CG for advertising, branding, and entertainment. Similar in scale and creative positioning to Mainframe, with overlapping client profile in tech, beverages, and lifestyle sectors.
• Saddington Baynes: Independent London CGI studio with a 25+ year heritage in commercial CGI, product visualization, and advertising imagery. Directly comparable on luxury, beauty, and tech-product CGI campaign work, with similar boutique UK positioning.
• Glassworks Barcelona / London: Multidisciplinary creative studio with strong CGI, VFX, and motion design capabilities for commercial advertising and brand content. Comparable offering on CGI commercial production, though larger multi-office footprint than Mainframe.

Regional players

• Jelly London: London-based design and animation studio producing CGI and motion content for advertising, broadcast, and digital. Direct UK competitor to Mainframe's London motion design market, particularly for mid-tier brand briefs and agency overflow work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mainframe/posts/?feedView=all&viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/mainframe.co.uk
• Xx.com/mainframeuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mainframe