Humanstudio
Humanstudio is a Sheffield-based creative studio founded in 2007 that designs VR, AR, and mixed-reality experiences, animation, and branding for universities, cultural institutions, music artists, and global brands via commissioned project work.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSheffield, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Humanstudio does
Humanstudio, operating as "Human," is a Sheffield-based creative studio founded in 2007 by Dr Nick Bax that designs and produces extended reality (VR, AR, mixed reality), animation, branding, and immersive digital experiences for academic, cultural, and commercial clients. Its core technology stack leverages gaming engines and real-time rendering to build bespoke VR galleries, AR art trails, mixed-reality interactive exhibits, animated films, and live-performance visuals, with named projects including the Centre for Impossible Media VR gallery (Universal Everything), Look Up AR art trail (Niantic/Megaverse), LifePathXR mental-health storytelling tool, and Sheffield Castle virtual 3D reconstruction. The studio serves four primary verticals: academic and research institutions (led by a long-running University of Sheffield relationship including Festival of the Mind 2012-2024), music industry clients (Dubfire, SCI+TEC, CPU Records), cultural institutions and museums, and global brands (IAM Cloud, Niantic).
Revenue is generated through commissioned, project-based creative engagements with quote-based pricing and no public rate card; a significant share of recent work is co-funded through UK public research and innovation bodies including UKRI, Innovate UK, AHRC, EPSRC, NERC, and XR Stories, alongside direct fees from brands and artists. Go-to-market is referral-driven direct sales, with no outbound marketing channels disclosed. The studio is privately held, founder-led, with no institutional investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no app or platform productization, making it a services-led boutique rather than a software or product business.
Humanstudio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Humanstudio
- Legal name
- Humanstudio Ltd
- Website
- https://humanstudio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Humanstudio is a Sheffield-based creative studio founded in 2007 that designs VR, AR, and mixed-reality experiences, animation, and branding for universities, cultural institutions, music artists, and global brands via commissioned project work.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Humanstudio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Immersive Experience Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)
Keywords
Where Humanstudio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sheffield
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Humanstudio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Commissioned Creative Projects: The studio generates revenue through commissioned creative projects including design, animation, immersive experiences, and extended reality work for clients including universities, cultural institutions, global brands, and artists.
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Humanstudio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Humanstudio is a creative studio that designs and produces bespoke design, animation, branding, and immersive digital experiences (virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) for clients including universities, research councils, cultural institutions, music labels and artists, and global brands. Work is delivered through commissioned projects for venues, live performances, festivals, exhibitions, and online platforms, combining storytelling with extended reality and animation technologies.
Product overview
Humanstudio is a creative studio (not a software product company) that provides design, animation, and immersive experience services. The company creates bespoke projects rather than a unified product platform. Their portfolio includes extended reality experiences (VR, AR, mixed reality), animated films, interactive installations, live performance visuals, branding, and creative direction services. Projects are typically commissioned by academic institutions, cultural organizations, and brands, working with academics, artists, institutions and global brands on creative projects for venues, live performances and online. Key offerings include LifePathXR (immersive mental health tool), virtual world experiences (IAM Cloud), AR artworks (Look Up), VR galleries (Centre for Impossible Media), animated films (BioFest, Black Hole Superradiance), and various other immersive experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Animation Services
- Branding Services
- Extended Reality Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Work exhibited at venues across Europe, Brazil, China, Japan, Canada and United States
Companies that use Humanstudio
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Humanstudio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Humanstudio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- University of SheffieldcorePrimary academic partner; Humanstudio has collaborated extensively with multiple departments including Festival of the Mind (biannual since 2012), materials science, physics, health research, and more across dozens of projects.
- MegaversecoreTechnology partner for mobile web app development, used for UK/China Music Textile Tree project and Look Up AR artwork app creation using Niantic technology.
- NianticcoreAR technology provider powering the Look Up augmented reality artworks app created by Megaverse for Sheffield city centre rooftop art trail.
- Universal EverythingcoreCollaboration on Centre for Impossible Media project featuring bespoke VR gallery space with retrospective exhibition of Universal Everything's UE VR: Beyond Human work.
- TWENTY65 (EPSRC)majorEPSRC-funded research consortium focused on future water networks. Humanstudio created concept designs, animated films, VR and AR experiences exploring pipe inspection and autonomous robotic systems in 2065.
- NERC (Natural Environment Research Council)majorResearch council supporting the Biomass project to weigh Earth's forests from space. Project displayed at Natural History Museum London and COP26 Glasgow.
- UKRI (UK Research and Innovation)majorHigher Education Innovation Funding supporting Vida & Hank virtual character project developed with University of Sheffield and Dead Earnest Theatre to stimulate behavioral changes toward climate change.
- Innovate UKmajorFunding LifePathXR immersive mental health tool as part of Mindset: Extended Reality (XR) for Digital Mental Health Programme, in collaboration with University of Sheffield, AMRC and Sheffield Flourish.
- AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council)majorFunded Sheffield Castle virtual 3D model based on University of Sheffield academic research, with subsequent AR installation for Festival of the Mind 2018. Also funded UK/China Music Textile Tree project.
- XR StoriesmajorXR research initiative supporting The Neon Pack 360° experience (match-funded) and Space, Time and Streets in the Sky VR research project.
- University of LeedsmajorSchool of Performance and Cultural Industries commissioned UK/China Music Textile Tree mixed reality mobile app, funded by AHRC.
- Dead Earnest TheatrecoreTheatre partner collaborating on Vida & Hank virtual character project developing narrative that stimulates empathy and behavioral changes toward climate change.
- Dr Maisha WestercoreAcademic collaborator on Coded Black narrative-driven experience exploring histories of anti-Blackness in US and UK, drawing from primary sources and scholarly analysis.
- Marketing Sheffield / Sheffield City CouncilmajorCommissioned Look Up AR art trail across Sheffield city centre rooftop locations.
- City of IdeasmajorCommissioned design of graphic identity and wayfinding scheme for Sheffield's Cultural Industries Quarter.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Humanstudio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- teamLab: Japan-based interdisciplinary art collective producing large-scale immersive digital installations globally. Operates in the same immersive experience category but at materially greater scale, with proprietary platforms and venue-based business model.
- Second Story (Publicis Experience): US-based experience design studio (now part of Publicis) building interactive installations and immersive environments for museums, brands, and cultural institutions. Competes for similar institutional XR commissions, with broader agency resources.
- Framestore: Global VFX and immersive experience studio with offices in London and beyond. Competes for the same brand and cultural XR/AR commissions but operates with significantly greater scale and a broader portfolio including film and advertising.
Direct peers
- Ars Thanea: Award-winning digital art and CG studio producing cinematic visuals, animation, and immersive experiences for global brands. Comparable in animation-led immersive commercial work, although based in Poland rather than the UK.
- HERE BE DRAGONS: Immersive content studio producing VR, AR, and interactive narrative experiences for brands and cultural institutions. Closely comparable in commissioned immersive storytelling and XR production.
- Universal Everything: Sheffield-based creative studio producing immersive digital art, animation, and large-scale installations. Directly comparable to Humanstudio in scope (animation, XR, live visuals), geography, and client mix; the two have already collaborated on the Centre for Impossible Media VR gallery.
- dotdotdash: Boutique experience design studio working across interactive installations, XR, and brand experiences. Similar boutique scale, multi-disciplinary creative offering, and project-based commercial model.
- Marshmallow Laser Feast: London-based experiential design studio specialising in immersive VR, AR, and mixed-reality installations for cultural and brand clients. Closely comparable offering in commissioned immersive experiences and a similar boutique scale.
- Nexus Studios: London-based studio producing animation, interactive, and immersive work for advertising, music, and cultural clients. Overlapping in animation, branded XR, and short-form interactive storytelling for music labels and global brands.
- Random International: London-based contemporary art and immersive technology studio known for large-scale interactive installations. Comparable in immersive experience design for cultural and public-facing contexts.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Humanstudio social profiles
Digital presenceHumanstudio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Humanstudio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Humanstudio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Humanstudio 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 Humanstudio
What does Humanstudio do?
Humanstudio is a creative studio that designs and produces bespoke design, animation, branding, and immersive digital experiences (virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) for clients including universities, research councils, cultural institutions, music labels and artists, and global brands. Work is delivered through commissioned projects for venues, live performances, festivals, exhibitions, and online platforms, combining storytelling with extended reality and animation technologies.
Is Humanstudio a public or private company?
Humanstudio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Humanstudio founded?
Humanstudio was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Humanstudio based?
Humanstudio is headquartered in Sheffield, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Humanstudio make money?
One revenue line is on record: commissioned Creative Projects.
Who are Humanstudio's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are teamLab, Second Story (Publicis Experience) and Framestore. Direct peers are Ars Thanea, HERE BE DRAGONS, Universal Everything, dotdotdash, Marshmallow Laser Feast, Nexus Studios and Random International.
Does Humanstudio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Humanstudio.
What industry is Humanstudio in?
Humanstudio's product category is Creative Immersive Experience Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAD, Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX). Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7311.