E1 Studios
E1 Studios is a boutique NYC creative production studio that produces broadcast, 3D, online, and 2D animated advertising for major consumer-goods, pharma, and consumer-health brands, and has launched a Make Believe consumer-app division using AI and VFX for family entertainment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What E1 Studios does
E1 Studios is a privately held, founder-operated boutique creative production studio headquartered at 37 West 37th Street in Manhattan, New York. Founded in 2005 and operating for approximately 20 years, the studio employs between 11 and 50 people and serves as a B2B agency producing advertising creative for major consumer brands across broadcast television, 3D animation and visual effects cinematics, online/digital platform content, and 2D animated test commercials used for market testing. The studio's underlying technology stack centers on traditional animation, VFX, and post-production workflows, organized around four core service lines: Broadcast, 3D Cinematics, Online Content, and 2D Test Commercials.
The company's commercial client roster spans enterprise advertisers in consumer goods (Pringles, Butterfinger, Swiffer, Charmin, Purina, Centrum, Advil, Lovesac), pharmaceutical (Jardiance, Fasenra, Stelara, Vitafusion, Otezla, Rexulti, Elevidys, Apellis, Pfizer), consumer health (Blistex, Icy Hot, Flonase, Excedrin, Dr. Scholls, Monistat), beverage (Michelob Ultra), financial services (Capital One), healthcare (NY Presbyterian), and government (New Jersey state Covid campaigns). The studio positions itself as boutique and nimble, claiming the ability to deliver high-quality creative at lower cost than larger production competitors while maintaining long-tenured creative staff.
In 2025 E1 Studios launched Make Believe, a new consumer-facing division creating AI- and VFX-powered digital products for families with young children. The division distributes through the Apple App Store and has shipped or scheduled three products: Caught on Camera: Santa (December 2025), Midnight Magic (December 2025), and Caught on Camera: Tooth Fairy (2026). These consumer apps represent the company's first move beyond B2B agency services and leverage generative AI for image transformation, opening a direct-to-consumer revenue stream separate from the agency's project-based one-time-license model.
E1 Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- E1 Studios
- Legal name
- E1 Studios
- Website
- https://e1studios.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- E1 Studios is a boutique NYC creative production studio that produces broadcast, 3D, online, and 2D animated advertising for major consumer-goods, pharma, and consumer-health brands, and has launched a Make Believe consumer-app division using AI and VFX for family entertainment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
E1 Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)
Keywords
Where E1 Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
E1 Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Creative Agency Services: Project-based creative production services for brands including broadcast commercials, 3D cinematics, online content, and 2D test commercials. Revenue generated through client projects with no stated pricing model.
- Digital Consumer Products: Make Believe division creates digital products for families including 'Caught on Camera: Santa', 'Midnight Magic', and 'Caught on Camera: The Tooth Fairy'. These consumer apps are distributed through the App Store.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
E1 Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
E1 Studios is a boutique creative production studio that produces broadcast commercials, 3D cinematics, online content, and 2D test commercials for major consumer brands and agencies. In 2025, the studio launched the Make Believe sub-brand, a consumer division that creates family-oriented digital products using AI, visual effects, and animation, including apps distributed via the Apple App Store.
Product overview
E1 Studios is a boutique creative agency with 20 years of experience producing advertising content for global brands. The company offers a portfolio of production services organized into four core offerings: Broadcast (television advertising), 3D Cinematics (three-dimensional animated content), Online Content (digital platform-optimized campaigns), and 2D Test Commercials (animated pre-production testing). In 2025, the company launched Make Believe as a new consumer-facing division creating digital products powered by AI and animation for family entertainment, including apps like Caught on Camera: Santa, Midnight Magic, and Caught on Camera: Tooth Fairy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Make Believe: A division of E1 Studios dedicated to creating digital products that spark wonder, fuel imagination, and help parents keep the magic alive for children. Products include Caught on Camera: Santa and Midnight Magic apps.
Products and services
- Broadcast Production Professional broadcast television advertising production services for major consumer brands, producing full broadcast commercial campaigns.
Companies that use E1 Studios
Customer profileNamed customers29 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
E1 Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
E1 Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
E1 Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Radical Media: Award-winning New York-based creative production company producing broadcast commercials, branded content, and digital campaigns. Directly comparable in boutique positioning and global brand client roster.
- BUCK: Design and animation studio producing motion graphics, broadcast, and digital content for global brands. Closely comparable in format mix (broadcast, 3D, online creative) and enterprise client base.
- Hornet Inc. Animation and motion design studio producing commercials and branded content for major global brands. Comparable boutique creative production model with similar broadcast and digital capabilities.
- Gentleman Scholar: Boutique creative studio combining design, animation, and storytelling for advertising and branded content. Closely comparable in size, format mix, and enterprise brand client base.
- Psyop: New York-based creative studio specializing in animation, VFX, and 3D cinematics for advertising. Directly competes with E1's 3D Cinematics and Online Content lines for major brand assignments.
- Tool of North America: New York-based boutique commercial production company with a comparable boutique model producing broadcast, digital, and experiential content for major brands. Closely matches E1's size, format mix, and client type.
Broad incumbents
- Framestore: Global creative studio with VFX, animation, and advertising capabilities. Competes for the same premium brand budgets as E1 but offers a much broader service portfolio and international presence.
- Anonymous Content: Creative content studio with directing, production, and branded content capabilities. Overlaps with E1's broadcast and online content production for major brand advertisers.
- The Mill: Global VFX and creative content studio serving major brands with a much broader footprint and deeper bench. Overlaps significantly with E1's 3D and broadcast work but operates at meaningfully larger scale.
- MPC (Moving Picture Company): Global VFX and advertising production studio, part of Technicolor. Competes for the same major brand creative budgets as E1, especially in 3D/animation, but at significantly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
E1 Studios social profiles
Digital presenceE1 Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
E1 Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
E1 Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
E1 Studios M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about E1 Studios
What does E1 Studios do?
E1 Studios is a boutique creative production studio that produces broadcast commercials, 3D cinematics, online content, and 2D test commercials for major consumer brands and agencies. In 2025, the studio launched the Make Believe sub-brand, a consumer division that creates family-oriented digital products using AI, visual effects, and animation, including apps distributed via the Apple App Store.
Is E1 Studios a public or private company?
E1 Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was E1 Studios founded?
E1 Studios was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is E1 Studios based?
E1 Studios is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does E1 Studios make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Creative Agency Services are the primary driver. The others are digital Consumer Products.
Who are E1 Studios's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Radical Media, BUCK, Hornet Inc., Gentleman Scholar, Psyop and Tool of North America. Broad incumbents are Framestore, Anonymous Content, The Mill and MPC (Moving Picture Company).
Does E1 Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for E1 Studios.
What industry is E1 Studios in?
E1 Studios's product category is Creative Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAAAF, Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio), with a secondary code of BPAFAIAJ, Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams). Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.