What Refinery Media does

Refinery Media is a Singapore-based production studio founded in 2009 that produces scripted and unscripted television, feature films, vertical drama, and branded content for global streamers, broadcasters, and corporate brands. The studio's flagship IP assets include SupermodelMe (6 seasons, 2009-2021, International Digital Emmy nominee) and The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition (Netflix, 2021-2024, two Asian Academy Creative Award wins). It is currently in production on a 10-title vertical drama slate launching in June 2026, with title sponsorship from Shopee and Nippon Paint and distribution through FlareFlow's global mobile platform (33 million registered users across 200 countries). The studio is founder-led by Karen Seah, who is also the founder of sister studios X3D Studio and Gengis.ai.

The studio operates as an integrated production stack. X3D Studio provides virtual production services through the largest LED volume in Southeast Asia, supporting real-time virtual sets and in-camera VFX. Gengis.ai provides AI-assisted workflows for scripting, pre-visualization, editing, and post-production, positioned as built into the pipeline rather than bolted on. Together with the main production entity, these three units offer buyers a single accountable vendor from development through delivery, with proprietary tooling in both virtual production and AI-enabled post.

Revenue is generated through four streams: production fees for long-form content commissioned by global streamers (Netflix, Amazon, Disney+) and broadcasters (FOX, AXN, NBC, Sony, Warner Brothers Discovery); branded content and campaign films for enterprise clients (Louis Vuitton, Chopard, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, DBS Bank); format licensing of proven reality IP; and vertical drama production with integrated brand sponsorship. The go-to-market motion is sales-led direct outreach to commissioners and brand clients, supplemented by event-driven deal-making at industry events such as Hong Kong's FilMart and channel partnerships with FlareFlow. Pricing is quote-based across all services and is not publicly disclosed. The company is private, has no disclosed institutional investors, and does not publish revenue figures.

Name

Refinery Media

Legal name

Refinery Media

Website

https://refinery-media.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Refinery Media is a Singapore-based, founder-led production studio (founded 2009) producing scripted and unscripted television, films, vertical drama, and branded content for global streamers, broadcasters, and brands, supported by sister studios X3D Studio (virtual production) and Gengis.ai (AI-enabled production).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Production Services

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Localization Project Management & Vendor Services (Workflow, Scheduling, Vendor Management) (MPAHAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distribution Feeds & Syndication (Partner Delivery, APIs, Feeds) (MPAHALAJ), Stock Media, Asset Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms (BPAMAJAM)

Keywords

• Television production
• Film production
• Virtual production
• Vertical drama
• Branded content

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Long-form Production Services: Scripted and unscripted television and film production for global streamers, broadcasters, and theatrical release. Revenue generated through production fees for commissioned content.
2. Branded Content & Campaign Films: Multi-episode brand-led storytelling, campaign films, and integrated content for sponsors across luxury, lifestyle, consumer, travel, F&B, finance, real estate, and telecommunications sectors.
3. Format Licensing: Licensing of proven reality TV formats like SupermodelMe (6 seasons) and The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition to broadcasters and streaming platforms globally.
4. Vertical Drama Production & Sponsorship: Production of vertical microdrama series for mobile-native platforms with title sponsorship, integrated brand worlds, and distribution through FlareFlow.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Refinery Media is a Singapore-based boutique production studio that produces scripted and unscripted television, feature films, vertical (mobile-native) drama series, and branded content for global streamers, broadcasters, and corporate brands. The studio operates with proprietary virtual production capabilities (via sister studio X3D Studio, the largest LED volume in Southeast Asia) and an AI-enabled production pipeline (via sister studio Gengis.ai). It also licenses proven reality TV formats (SupermodelMe, The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition) to broadcasters and streaming platforms worldwide.

Product overview

Refinery Media is a Singapore-based boutique production studio offering Scripted Television & Film, Unscripted Television, Vertical Drama, Virtual Production, and AI-Enabled production services. Core products include the Emmy-nominated reality franchise SupermodelMe (6 seasons), Netflix series The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition, and a ten-title Vertical Drama slate for mobile-native platforms. Sister studios X3D Studio (largest LED volume in Southeast Asia) and Gengis.ai (AI-native production stack) provide virtual production and AI-assisted workflows. Brand services include Branded Series, Campaign Films, and Vertical Drama Sponsorship integrations. Since 2009, the studio has produced content for Netflix, Amazon, Disney, FOX, and other global platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scripted Television and Film Production End-to-end original drama production for global streamers, broadcasters, and theatrical release, including episodic and feature-length content.
• Unscripted Television Production Reality, competition, and factual entertainment production with 17 years of broadcast credits and International Digital Emmy nomination, serving global streamers and broadcast networks.
• Vertical Drama Production Premium short-form vertical drama series for mobile-native platforms, with seamless brand integration built into scripts. Ten-series slate in production for 2026, distributed through FlareFlow and other vertical platforms.
• Virtual Production Services (X3D Studio) Virtual production services via sister studio X3D Studio featuring the largest LED volume in Southeast Asia. Provides real-time virtual sets, in-camera VFX, and full LED volume capabilities for scripted and branded content.
• AI-Enabled Production Services (Gengis.ai) AI-native production stack providing AI-assisted scripting, pre-visualization, editing, and post-production workflows engineered into the production pipeline rather than bolted on.
• Branded Series Production Multi-episode brand-led storytelling with long-form integrated narratives, scripted, cast, shot, and posted in-house for brands investing in audience engagement over impressions.
• Campaign Films High-concept hero, launch, and anthem short films for brand launches and category moments, with cinematic execution and vertical-and-horizontal delivery.
• Format Licensing Licensing of proven reality TV formats (e.g., SupermodelMe, The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition) to broadcasters and streaming platforms globally.

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• ShopeeflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2026Title sponsor of Slate 01, Refinery's 10-title vertical drama slate. Shopee brand integration across all 10 vertical series including SupermodelMe: The Next Generation, Bad Influence, Night Beauty, and others.
• Nippon PaintflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2026Title sponsor of Slate 01, Refinery's 10-title vertical drama slate. Brand integration across 10 vertical drama series.
• COL Group Intl.flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 March 2026Partnership to adapt reality modeling competition franchise SupermodelMe into vertical microdrama series 'SupermodelMe: Make It or Break It' for FlareFlow's global mobile platform. Marks the first established reality TV franchise to be fully retooled for mobile-native vertical storytelling at this scale. Partnership includes three additional Singapore-produced vertical series.
• Gengis.aicoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Sister studio for AI-enabled production. Provides AI-assisted scripting, pre-vis, edit, and post workflows integrated into the production pipeline.
• X3D StudiocoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Sister studio for virtual production with the largest LED volume in Southeast Asia. Provides real-time virtual sets, in-camera VFX, and full LED volume capabilities for Refinery's scripted and branded content.
• ONE ChampionshipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Co-production partnership for The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition reality series. Features 10 global candidates competing for a one-year US$250,000 job offer at ONE's Singapore headquarters. Show won Asian Academy Creative Awards in 2021.
• Louis VuittonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLuxury brand integration in branded content and campaign films over 17 years.
• Singapore AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTravel brand partnership in branded content series and campaign films.
• DBS BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinance brand integration in branded content and campaign films.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• HBO Asia: Premium-content arm of Warner Bros Discovery producing and commissioning original Asian series (and an active Refinery Media customer). Comparable as a regional commissioner-distributor of premium Asian content targeting global streamers.
• iQIYI: Chinese streaming platform and original-content producer expanding across Southeast Asia. Comparable on the streamer-as-producer model and on the bet that regionally-authentic Asian content drives subscriber engagement in Asian markets.
• Fremantle: Global production and format house (part of RTL Group) producing unscripted entertainment, drama, and branded content with operations across Asia. Comparable as an established format-and-production competitor with similar relationships to global streamers and broadcasters.
• Banijay: World's largest international content producer and distributor (formed from the Endemol Shine merger), with deep format-licensing operations across Asia including MasterChef, Big Brother, and Deal or No Deal. Directly comparable on the global format-licensing and production-services model that drives Refinery's SupermodelMe and The Apprentice: ONE business.
• CJ ENM: Korean entertainment major behind Mnet, tvN, and global K-content exports including Oscar-winning Parasite. Comparable as an Asian content powerhouse that combines in-house production, format ownership, and global distribution partnerships.
• All3Media: UK-based international production and distribution group with 50+ production labels globally producing premium scripted and unscripted content. Comparable on the multi-label, format-driven production model that supplies global streamers and broadcasters.

Regional players

• Viu: PCCW-owned pan-Asian streaming service combining licensed content with local original productions across Southeast Asia. Comparable on the regional OTT commissioning and original-content investment thesis that Refinery serves.

Direct peers

• Beach House Pictures: Singapore-based boutique production studio producing unscripted, factual, and branded content for global platforms including Netflix, Amazon, Discovery, and National Geographic. The most direct comparable by geography, scale, and business model.
• mm2 Asia: Singapore-listed film and TV production and distribution company with regional content operations across Asia. Comparable as a Singapore-headquartered production studio of similar vintage and scale operating in the regional content production and distribution market.

Emerging players

• ReelShort: Vertical microdrama app from Crazy Maple Studio that defined the mobile-native short-form drama category with hundreds of titles. Comparable as a competitor in the same vertical-drama category that Refinery is entering with the 10-title Slate 01 on FlareFlow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@refinerymediaRM
• Facebookfacebook.com/RefineryMedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refinery-media
• Instagraminstagram.com/refinerymedia
• Xx.com/refinerymedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Refinery Media