What AFRO VFX does

AFRO VFX is a privately held, non-profit educational initiative founded in 2022 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire by co-founders Dédy Bilamba and Éric M'Boua. The organization provides free professional training in visual effects and 3D animation to aspiring African artists, using industry-standard tools including Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Unreal Engine, Golaem, CLO3D, and Adobe Substance 3D. It operates a portfolio of programs: the core AfroVFX Training (56 students trained from 700+ applicants), Coordinator Training (GES PROD. VFX with Canal+ University), Animazones (women-focused initiative), Mission Atlas (pan-African creative competition), KITENDI 3D LAB (digital fashion training), and the annual LISOLO event.

The organization has built an international ecosystem spanning Côte d'Ivoire, Canada (Montreal), Portugal, USA, South Africa, and Kenya, with core partners including Orange Digital Center, Autodesk Media & Entertainment, Canal+ University, Rodeo FX, DNEG, Hybride, VES Montréal, NAD School, Chocolate Tribe, Trojan Horse Was a Unicorn, Global Affairs Canada, Bureau du Québec à Abidjan, and UNESCO. The Montreal foothold positions the organization within one of the world's leading VFX and animation hubs, enabling mentorship and internship pathways for alumni at major studios.

AFRO VFX does not generate revenue from training fees. Operations are sustained through grants, sponsorships, and institutional support from corporate and government partners. The organization's economic value proposition centers on developing the African talent pipeline for the global VFX industry—a model that creates social impact while addressing a structural shortage of skilled VFX artists in the global production ecosystem. Distribution occurs through the Orange Digital Center facility, online platforms (CGAfrica.com), the annual LISOLO event, and competition-based outreach.

Name

AFRO VFX

Legal name

AFRO VFX

Website

https://afrovfx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AFRO VFX is a non-profit educational initiative founded in 2022 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, providing free professional VFX and 3D animation training to aspiring African artists through industry-standard tools and an international studio partnership ecosystem spanning West Africa, Canada, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Visual Effects and 3D Animation Training

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG) (MPADAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

VFX Production & Shot Work (CG Integration, Matte Painting, FX) (MPAHABAB)

Keywords

• VFX training programs
• 3D animation education
• Digital fashion training
• Creative talent development
• Visual effects mentorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Abidjan

HQ country

Côte d’Ivoire

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Free Training Programs: AfroVFX provides free professional 3D and VFX training to African talent. The organization operates as a nonprofit initiative, funded through partnerships with corporations (Orange Digital Center, Autodesk, Canal+), government institutions, and international development agencies. Revenue is not generated from training fees; instead, the organization sustains operations through grants, sponsorships, and institutional support from partners who benefit from developing the African talent pipeline for the global VFX industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AFRO VFX provides free professional 3D and VFX training to aspiring African artists, delivering intensive instruction on industry-standard tools such as Maya, Houdini, Nuke, and Unreal Engine through in-person cohorts at the Orange Digital Center in Abidjan and online programs across Africa. The initiative builds a talent pipeline connecting graduates to international VFX studios, complemented by the Mission Atlas competition, the LISOLO industry event, the KITENDI 3D LAB digital fashion program, and the Animazones women-in-VFX initiative.

Product overview

AfroVFX is an African VFX and 3D animation training initiative operating primarily from Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, with partnerships spanning Montreal, Portugal, South Africa, and Kenya. The organization offers a unified ecosystem of programs: its core offering is the AfroVFX Training program providing free professional 3D and VFX education using industry-standard tools (Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Unreal Engine). Supporting programs include Animazones (women-focused initiative), Coordinator Training with Canal+ University, and the Mission Atlas creative competition. The organization also hosts the annual LISOLO Africa event and runs the KITENDI 3D LAB digital fashion program, all connected through alumni networks and international studio partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Animazones: An Afro VFX initiative promoting and developing the place of women in the animation and VFX industries in Africa and around the world through workshops, conferences, and creative competitions.
• GES PROD. VFX
• Mission Atlas
• LISOLO
• KITENDI 3D LAB

Products and services

• AfroVFX Training Free professional 3D and VFX training program for aspiring African artists, providing intensive hands-on training on Autodesk Maya, Houdini, Nuke, and Unreal Engine. 56 students have been trained from over 700 applicants since the first cohort.
• Animazones An AFRO VFX initiative promoting and developing the role of women in the animation and VFX industries in Africa through workshops, conferences, masterclasses, mentoring programs, and creative competitions.
• Coordinator Training (GES PROD. VFX) Free online training program in VFX and animation project coordination, teaching tools such as ShotGrid, work organization, coordination skills, and soft skills, conducted with support from Canal+ University.
• Mission Atlas Pan-African creative competition inviting 3D artists to celebrate African football through short videos using AFRO VFX's free 3D assets and Autodesk tools, with prizes including a $500 cash prize, trips to Morocco, and LISOLO 2026 attendance.
• LISOLO Africa Event Annual event in Abidjan bringing together international experts, institutions, and technology leaders in digital creative industries, featuring panels on Digital Fashion, 3D, phygital, and innovation. The 2026 edition focuses on virtual clothing creation.
• KITENDI 3D LAB Free Digital Fashion training program using CLO3D and Adobe Substance 3D tools, sponsored by fashion industry experts Cristina Souto Caviglia and France-Lise Aguiar, with its closing ceremony held at LISOLO 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 56 students trained from 700+ applicants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Orange Digital CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Since conception in 2022, AfroVFX has benefited from the support of Orange Digital Center where training classes are hosted in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Orange Digital Center provides free and inclusive resources supporting artists, creators, and local start-ups using digital technology. This is AfroVFX's primary training location and a core strategic partner.
• Autodesk Media & EntertainmentcoreTechnology or IntegrationAutodesk is a sponsor of Mission Atlas competition, providing participants access to the Autodesk Media & Entertainment Collection including Maya, as well as training on crowd simulation software Golaem. The company also supports LISOLO events and provides the Autodesk Media & Entertainment Suite license as a prize.
• Canal+ UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanal+ University supports the GES PROD. VFX coordinator training program, an online training initiative to develop a generation of VFX and animation project coordinators across Africa. The first cohort welcomed 19 participants from 7 African countries.
• Rodeo FXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Montreal-based VFX studio that is part of AfroVFX's ecosystem. Provides mentorship, internship opportunities for AfroVFX alumni, and contributes instructors for training programs. Alumni have interned at RodeoFX's CFX department.
• VES Montréal (Visual Effects Society)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisual Effects Society chapter in Montreal that is part of AfroVFX's international ecosystem, providing professional connections and industry representation.
• HybrideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal-based VFX studio part of AfroVFX's ecosystem, contributing expertise and potentially mentorship or training support to the initiative.
• DNEGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor international VFX studio (London, Toronto, Vancouver, Mumbai, Los Angeles) that is part of AfroVFX's ecosystem, providing industry connections and potential mentorship opportunities.
• NAD School (School of Digital Arts, Animation and Design)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal-based digital arts school that participates in AfroVFX's coordinator training program, contributing curriculum expertise and training resources.
• Trojan Horse Was a Unicorn (THU)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPortugal-based creative organization that runs the Sony Talent League competition. THU provides mentorship for competition finalists (including AfroVFX's Djossi Heroes team who traveled to Spain and Japan) and serves as a key marketing and talent discovery partner.
• Ikweta ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenyan arts organization that is part of AfroVFX's African ecosystem, contributing to the network of partners across the continent.
• Chocolate TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African VFX and animation studio that is a key African partner in AfroVFX's ecosystem. Contributes to the Mission Atlas jury as co-founder Nosipho Maketo Van Den Bragt serves as jury member.
• ActionVFXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVFX-focused company and ecosystem partner that has featured AfroVFX in its blog content, helping to raise awareness of the initiative.
• Ministry of Culture and Francophonie (Côte d'Ivoire)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIvorian government ministry providing technical and institutional contribution to LISOLO 2026 event, supporting the development of African creative industries.
• Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training (Côte d'Ivoire)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIvorian government ministry collaborating on the Formation panel at LISOLO 2026, focused on skills, professions, and training for African fashion.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization providing technical and institutional contribution to LISOLO 2026, lending international legitimacy to the event.
• CGECI (Confédération Générale des Entreprises de Côte d'Ivoire)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber of Commerce of Côte d'Ivoire collaborating with AfroVFX on the Business panel at LISOLO 2026, focused on entrepreneurship, business models, and opportunities.
• KITENDI 3D LABcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital fashion initiative organized by AfroVFX with Orange Digital Center support. KITENDI 3D LAB provides free training in digital fashion using CLO3D and Adobe Substance 3D, with the 2026 cohort sponsored by industry experts Cristina Souto Caviglia and France-Lise Aguiar.
• CGAfrica.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfrican CG platform that serves as the competition platform for Mission Atlas semifinalists to present their applications to the jury, facilitating access to the competition for African 3D artists.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Andela: Andela runs a free/trained-in-Africa talent-development model placing African technical talent into global firms. It mirrors AfroVFX's free-training-for-African-talent-into-global-industry business model — adapted from software engineering to creative-technical VFX and animation.
• Think Tank Training Centre: Think Tank is a Vancouver-based school delivering professional diplomas in 3D animation, VFX, and game arts using industry-standard pipelines. It is a near-direct functional analog to AfroVFX's core 3D/VFX training program in terms of curriculum, tools used (Maya, Houdini, Nuke), and career-pathway orientation.
• Gobelins, l'école de l'image: Gobelins is a Paris-based school specializing in animation, VFX, and digital arts at a professional standard, with strong industry placement outcomes. It is comparable to AfroVFX as a globally recognized craft school driving talent into international studios.
• Vancouver Film School (VFS): VFS runs one-year industry-focused VFX, Animation, and Film Production programs closely aligned with AfroVFX's training content and 1-year intensive format. VFS represents a scaled, fee-based version of the same professional-creative talent-development model AfroVFX offers.
• Lost Boys Studios: Lost Boys is a Vancouver studio-school combining VFX production with a diploma program taught by working artists, paralleling AfroVFX's instructor-as-practitioner model. Both use industry mentors from major studios to deliver program content and placement pathways.
• The Animation Workshop: A Denmark-based, publicly funded professional animation/VFX school producing award-winning graduates, structurally similar to AfroVFX as a non-tuition / subsidized creative-talent program. Comparable in its mission to grow a regional talent pool into the global animation industry.
• NAD School (School of Digital Arts, Animation and Design): NAD is a Montreal-based school teaching VFX, animation, and digital arts, and is explicitly listed as a curriculum and training partner of AfroVFX for the GES PROD. VFX coordinator program. Both institutions focus on professional-grade VFX/animation training with industry-instructor delivery models.
• CGMA (CG Master Academy): CGMA is an online mentor-led VFX/animation school using the same industry-standard tools (Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Unreal) that AfroVFX teaches. It is comparable as an online-and-self-paced VFX upskilling channel that competes for the same global learner market segment.

Broad incumbents

• Moringa School: Moringa runs employer-aligned, project-based tech training across multiple African countries with employer placement as the closing deliverable. It is structurally similar to AfroVFX's coordinator training and Animazones programs in delivering free/discounted African skills-training with career outcomes as the core metric.
• Rodeo FX: Rodeo FX is a Montreal-headquartered full-service VFX studio hosting AfroVFX alumni interns in its CFX department. It is the principal downstream employer in AfroVFX's placement pathway and therefore a critical partner-peer's industry counterpart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afro-vfx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 AFRO VFX