DNEG Group’s Brahma acquires AI developer Metaphysic

Metaphysic’s tools were recently used to age and de-age Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in Robert Zemeckis’ 2024 feature Here.

DNEG’s recent work on Dune: Part Two won a BAFTA at the weekend and is VFX Oscar nominated. Brahma was launched in 2024 after a $200m investment in DNEG Group by Abu Dhabi-based investor United Al Saqer Group.

DNEG said the acquisition will accelerate the development of Brahma’s AI-powered products for enterprise, IP rights-holders, and content creators.

The company said that, following the deal, Brahma’s global team will include more than 800 engineers and creative technologists in DNEG Group’s creative technology portfolio. 

This includes Ziva, a technology for the creation of digital human and character simulations, Metaphysic’s AI technology, and AI platform CLEAR.

Brahma’s management team is headed by Executive Chairman Prabhu Narasimhan; Founder and CEO of the DNEG Group Namit Malhotra, who continues as interim CEO of Brahma; and Metaphysic CEO Thomas Graham, who also serves as President of Brahma. Following Metaphysic’s integration with Brahma’s technology and team, Graham will transition to become CEO of Brahma.

Other members of the Brahma executive leadership team include: Prime Focus Technologies CEO & Cofounder Ramki Sankaranarayanan, who will also serve as the President of CLEAR ; DNEG Group CTO Paul Salvini, who will also serve as CTO of Brahma; and Ziva Director of Character Tools and Workflows Crawford Doran, who becomes Vice President of Ziva.

Narasimhan said: “With Brahma, we are taking DNEG’s multiple Academy Award-winning visual effects and animation toolsets and marrying them with the incredible power of generative AI to create a suite of AI content products, including what we believe will be the industry’s leading photorealistic AI video creator. I am excited to take Brahma from a niche user base focused on high-end movie and TV production to enterprise and content creators across every industry.”

Malhotra said: “Brahma’s acquisition of Metaphysic turbocharges the development of a truly game-changing suite of content creation and management products, fuelled by the limitless potential of AI. IP rights holders and content creators across every sector—from media and entertainment, to retail, to healthcare, to education and beyond—will be empowered to create incredible content at a scale and fidelity that is currently reserved only for those with the highest budgets.”