Ride FX

What Ride FX does

Ride FX SAS is a boutique immersive design agency and digital production studio headquartered in Vannes, Brittany, France (with a registered siège social at Theix). Founded in 2020 and structured as a Société par Actions Simplifiée with €15,000 capital social, the studio operates with a 1–10 person core team supplemented by freelance collaborators. Its core offering is what the company terms "spatial storytelling," a unified pipeline that combines projection mapping, XR (extended reality), interactive installations, immersive scenography, VFX, 3D animation, and location-based VR (LBVR) production. The primary technology stack is Unreal Engine 5 for real-time 3D environments, lighting, and animation, supported by photogrammetry and motion capture for high-fidelity reconstruction of real-world subjects, as demonstrated in the Pompei — Le dernier jour project. Generative AI tools (ComfyUI, Midjourney, Veo, Adobe Firefly, 11Labs, Kling) are integrated into the creative pipeline for moodboards, concept art, and motion content. The studio also offers turnkey video mapping installations for permanent and event-based projects.

Ride FX generates revenue through bespoke project-based engagements (custom quotes per brief, with multi-year contracts possible) and through VR experience licensing to museums and cultural venues internationally. Its primary customer segments are French and international film studios (VFX and 3D animation services, with expertise in navigating French tax rebates and regional grants), museums and cultural institutions (permanent and temporary immersive exhibitions and VR productions), location-based entertainment operators, and global brands seeking premium immersive experiences. Notable clients and partners include Tempora (Pompei VR), the D-Day Omaha Museum (Echoes of Bravery – Omaha VR, translated into 7 languages), Cinéfrance (La Réparation, directed by Academy Award winner Régis Wargnier), Films Grand Huit (Les Fantômes/Ghost Trail), and the MC Escher Foundation (the MC Escher Experience, in development as a flagship touring hybrid exhibition). The studio is led by Tom Walsh (CEO) and Elia Vermander (Président), with commercial operations executed through direct outreach, referrals, and industry events.

Name

Ride FX

Legal name

Ride FX SAS

Website

https://ride-fx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ride FX is a French boutique immersive design agency and VFX studio delivering spatial storytelling, video mapping, VR, and 3D animation projects for film studios, museums, and cultural institutions internationally, with key clients including the D-Day Omaha Museum, Tempora, and the MC Escher Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immersive Design & Visual Effects Services

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Animation Services for VFX (Creature/Character, Crowd, Simulation Support) (MPADAHAF), VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG) (MPADAHAA), VFX Supervision & On-Set VFX Services (MPAHABAA), Simulation & FX Animation (Cloth, Hair, Particles) (MPAHACAH)

Keywords

• Immersive design services
• Visual effects production
• 3D animation
• Video mapping
• Location-based VR

Headquarters

HQ city

Baden

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project-Based Creative Production: Ride FX generates revenue primarily through bespoke project engagements, providing immersive design, VFX, 3D animation, video mapping, and LBVR production services to film studios, museums, cultural institutions, and entertainment venues. Fees are quoted per project based on scope, complexity, and deliverables. The studio retains ownership of deliverables until full payment is received (per terms and conditions).
2. VR Experience Licensing: The studio licenses VR experiences (e.g., D-Day Omaha VR, Pompei) to museums and cultural venues internationally. The translated VR experience has received hundreds of five-star reviews and is being rolled out to museums across the world.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ride FX is a boutique immersive design agency and VFX studio that delivers bespoke creative production services including video mapping, XR and interactive installations, immersive scenography, cinematic VFX and 3D animation for film productions, and location-based VR (LBVR) experiences for museums and cultural venues. The studio operates as a full-cycle production house, from creative concept through on-site execution, and licenses completed VR experiences to museums internationally. It supports clients in accessing French tax rebates and regional grants for qualifying productions.

Product overview

Ride FX is an immersive design agency offering a unified portfolio of spatial storytelling services that combines video mapping, XR, interactive installations, and immersive scenography with cinematic VFX and 3D animation production. The core offerings include Immersive Design (video mapping, XR, interactive installations), VFX & 3D Animation for film studios, and Turnkey Video Mapping Installations. These services are delivered through a team of seasoned professionals at their Vannes, Brittany studio, supporting both permanent installations (museums, zoos, aquariums) and event-based projects. Notable projects include Pompei VR (360° immersive room), MC Escher Experience (hybrid exhibition with LBVR), and Omaha Beach VR, alongside feature film VFX work for international productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spatial Storytelling / Immersive Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Translated into 7 languages — hundreds of five-star reviews for D-Day Omaha VR upon launch
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 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 capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MC Escher FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Ride FX is executive producer on the MC Escher Experience, a full hybrid immersive exhibition format developed in partnership with the MC Escher Foundation. The project combines authentic prints, monumental lightboxes, video mappings, an infinity room, physical interactive installations, and a mind-blowing LBVR experience. This is a flagship, high-profile cultural project in development for 2025.
• D-Day Omaha MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production and experience design partnership for Echoes of Bravery – Omaha VR. Ride FX designed the unique immersive experience for the museum located at Vierville-sur-Mer near Omaha Beach. The VR experience is being licensed to museums internationally and has received hundreds of five-star reviews.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Framestore: UK-based global VFX and immersive experience studio behind tentpole film work and large-format immersive IP such as ABBA Voyage. Comparable on both the VFX pipeline and immersive experience side, but at substantially larger scale and broader portfolio than Ride FX.
• MPC (Moving Picture Company): Global, award-winning VFX house within the Technicolor network producing visual effects for blockbuster films and high-end commercials. Comparable on VFX production capability and feature film focus, but at vastly greater scale than Ride FX.
• Mikros Animation: French animation and VFX studio (part of Technicolor) serving feature, episodic, and advertising clients. Compares on the French VFX/3D production footprint and tax-rebate-eligible work, but operates at significantly higher headcount and capacity.

Direct peers

• Luma Pictures: Independent VFX studio delivering feature film and episodic work with a reputation for selective, boutique-scale engagements. Comparable to Ride FX as a boutique creative VFX partner competing for higher-end feature work without the size of MPC or Framestore.
• Halon Entertainment: Previsualization and virtual production studio serving feature film, episodic, and immersive experience projects. Comparable as a technology-forward boutique specialising in previs-to-production pipelines, similar in spirit to Ride FX's Unreal Engine-driven pipeline.
• The Third Floor: Los Angeles-based previsualization, virtual production, and VFX studio working across film, episodic, games, and immersive experiences. Comparable on the technology-led approach to cinematic visualisation and as a boutique-to-mid-size creative house.
• Cosm: US operator of immersive dome and shared-reality venues delivering large-format sports, entertainment, and cultural programming. Comparable on the LBVR/immersive-venue distribution model that Ride FX's museum-licensed VR experiences emulate.
• BUF Compagnie: Paris-based boutique VFX house with a long track record in high-end VFX and motion design for film and advertising. Closely comparable to Ride FX as a French boutique VFX/animation shop working on international productions.
• Excurio: French producer of large-scale, location-based virtual reality experiences distributed to museums and cultural venues worldwide (e.g. 'Horizon of Khufu', 'Pompeii'). Highly comparable to Ride FX as a French boutique VR/immersive studio monetising cultural IP through museum licensing and touring exhibitions.
• Rodeo FX: Canadian boutique VFX studio known for film work (Dune, Game of Thrones) and immersive/installation projects. Comparable as a mid-sized VFX boutique delivering high-end shots for major productions while running branded immersive experiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ride-fx
• Instagraminstagram.com/ride_fx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Ride FX