DNEG Group's Brahma acquires Metaphysic to enhance AI content tech

Brahma, a division of Mumbai-based VFX firm Prime Focus, announced on Wednesday its acquisition of London-based artificial intelligence (AI) content firm Metaphysic (formerly Metaphysic AI). Brahma is a unit of DNEG, a visual effects and animation company based in London that Prime Focus acquired in 2014. The company said that the acquisition raises Brahma’s post-transaction valuation to $1.43 billion.

This acquisition incorporates Metaphysic’s generative AI capabilities, which produce hyper-realistic digital content, into Brahma’s technology portfolio. This merger aims to enhance Brahma's ability to deliver AI-powered tools for enterprises, IP rights-holders, and content creators, thereby enabling high-quality content production at scale. Brahma has been developing AI-native products across video, image, and audio content. The integration will strengthen Brahma's offerings by combining Metaphysic’s advancements with DNEG’s expertise in visual effects and animation, the company said.

Notably, DNEG’s recent projects include the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer, Dune: Part Two, animated films The Garfield Movie and That Christmas, and the forthcoming hybrid remake of How to Train Your Dragon, among others.

Founded in 2024 after a $200 million investment from Abu Dhabi’s United Al Saqer Group (UASG), Brahma will receive an additional $25 million from UASG post-acquisition. Metaphysic's existing investors, including Liberty Global, S32, Rakuten Capital, TO Ventures, and 8VC, will also become shareholders in Brahma, reinforcing the company's financial stability for future growth. The DNEG Group, which owns Prime Focus and Ziva, a 3D character technology firm acquired last year, remains a privately held entity.

Following the acquisition, Brahma’s global team will exceed 800 engineers and creative technologists, merging the technological strengths of DNEG and Ziva with Metaphysic’s AI expertise. The company plans to use the Clear AI platform, developed over eight years for content discovery, creation, and management, to enhance its product suite. Namit Malhotra, founder and CEO of DNEG Group, will serve as interim CEO of Brahma, with Metaphysic’s CEO, Thomas Graham, becoming Brahma's president. Graham is expected to transition to CEO post-integration. Other leadership positions include Ramki Sankaranarayanan as president of Clear, Paul Salvini as CTO, and Crawford Doran as vice president of Ziva, the company said.

This announcement follows Ziva’s recognition with a 2025 SciTech Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and Metaphysic’s AI neural performance toolset being honoured at the Visual Effects Society Awards with the Emerging Technology Award.

Namit Malhotra Founder and CEO of the DNEG Group and interim CEO of Brahma, said, “The acquisition of Metaphysic significantly accelerates the development of a revolutionary suite of content creation and management products, driven by the boundless potential of AI. Intellectual property rights holders and content creators across all sectors—from media and entertainment to retail, healthcare, and education—will benefit immensely.”

The AI content market is rapidly expanding, with businesses increasingly leveraging AI-powered tools for efficient content creation, encompassing text, image, and video generation. Research firm IDC estimated the global AI content market was valued at $1.108 billion in 2023, with projections estimating it will reach $5.958 billion by 2030, reflecting a CAGR of 27.3%.