Unit1 Studio Raises $20M for Commercial Avatar Concerts, Expanding Tours

Unit1 Studio, by its own description an “end-to-end avatar concert producer,” announced it secured a $20 million investment that’ll fuel its work, which consists of “creating and operating mixed reality avatar concerts.” The company has successfully moved its flagship show from one London venue to another, effectively proving that these shows can be taken on the road.

Unit1 Studio technology removes the barriers currently associated with avatar shows like ABBA Voyage, or KISS Forever, scheduled to open in Las Vegas in 2028 , mainly “the eye-watering costs of development,” as the London-based studio puts it.

The aforementioned shows, for instance, required the construction of dedicated venues.

Thanks to its technology, Unit1 Studio says it has “the ability to rapidly and economically transfer avatar concert productions between venues – effectively breaking a huge barrier to market adoption of avatar concerts.”

Unit1 sees the successful move of its KT Tunstall avatar show from its former home in Hammersmith, London, to a new purpose-built studio at Tileyard London, as proof of concept. By the studio’s own admission, the move completed “the first ever relocation of an avatar concert.”

The $20 million equity investment round – led by Balderton Capital, who are joined by existing investors Mercuri, Gilston Music, and legendary artist manager Paul McGuinness – will support the work Unit1 is doing, including additional production financing “to expand the roster of concerts currently in development.”

The company also announced a few new hires, including John Kennedy, former CEO/Chairman of Universal Music UK and IFPI, joining as a non-executive director; and hyper-real avatar creators Greg Meeres Young (Planet of the Apes, Lord of the Rings) and Sefki Ibrahim (ABBA Voyage). They solidify the producer’s ability “to pioneer new developments in VFX and AI-enhanced CGI,” according to the press announcement.

It concludes, “Unit1’s shows break the ‘fourth wall’ between screen content and live experience, giving fans from the ‘TikTok & Netflix generation’ the concert experience of artists they discover from the 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond, while offering longtime fans a new and exciting way to connect with the artists they’ve always loved.”

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Comments:

Barney Wragg, Unit1 Studio founder, “Unit1 is, and will always be, about expanding the connection between fan and artist regardless of time or geography. ABBA Voyage proved audiences love avatar concerts but the development and relocation costs have meant the opportunity of avatar concerts is not being realised. Our ability to develop these shows at a fraction of the cost and replicate them to any location finally makes these shows a commercial reality. The combination of our technology, new financing and our growing team, means we can develop shows for artists and fans worldwide.”

Daniel Waterhouse, General Partner at Balderton, “Until now, avatar concerts have been locked behind the economics of ABBA Voyage – a one-off, one-location proposition. Unit1’s innovative new technology will fundamentally change that, opening up the genre to a whole generation of legacy artists. Barney is hugely respected in the industry and has managed to solve a structural problem that everyone knew existed but nobody had cracked. As a founder, Barney brings a unique blend of creative vision and commercial nous to every project that he sets his mind to, and having followed his journey for many years I couldn’t be more delighted to formally partner for the next chapter of Unit1.”

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_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/09/22/unit1-studio-secures-20m-investment-towards-commercial-adoption-of-avatar-concerts-and-taking-them-on-the-road/)._