The All-In-One Studio
The global visual effects and animation industry is projected to grow by $10.5 billion annually at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.2% from 2023 to 2028. Despite this growth, 25-39% of visual effects studios close every year, with many new studios failing to survive beyond their first year due to the high upfront costs — which can range from $600k to $1.2 million CAD — and the significant overhead required to operate. Vancouver’s Cassiar Technologies is tackling this volatility by creating a cost-effective and sustainable way to run creative studios, empowering artists worldwide by reducing barriers to entry and ongoing operational costs.
The SaaS startup offers an all-in-one studio creation platform, similar to how Shopify revolutionizes online retail. Their platform includes high-end cloud-based computers, collaborative pipelines for artists, and AI tools designed to enhance productivity. By leveraging cloud infrastructure, Cassiar can reduce upfront costs by up to 85% — providing flexible and cost-saving solutions for studios of all sizes. This innovative approach allows creative studios to focus on content creation rather than the financial and logistical challenges traditionally associated with running a studio.
Netflix and New Ventures
Cassiar has made significant strides as they prepare to go to market. Their product has been successfully tested by eight studios, resulting in three Letters of Intent worth $270,000 USD. These tests included high-profile projects like “The Morning Show” on Apple TV, “The Decameron” on Netflix, and commercials for Microsoft which helped them sign their first customer for a VFX-heavy commercial. These early successes demonstrate the robustness and appeal of their studio-in-the-cloud platform, providing Cassiar with the confidence that they can become the leading cloud studio provider for professional artists and studios within the next three years.
Looking ahead, the Vancouver startup aims to solidify its market position by expanding its platform to become a hub where production companies can post jobs for commercials, movies, or TV shows, and talented artists can bid for the work. They plan to focus initially on the English-speaking markets of Canada, the US, India, and the UK, as Hollywood makes up about 40% of the global market.
A key part of their journey includes competing in this year’s New Ventures BC Competition, where they hope to access the mentorship and resources they need to refine their business and go to market. Cassiar knows that placing among the top companies will be invaluable as they launch their product and transform a rapidly growing industry.
From Pune to Westeros
Ashish Dani, the CEO and Co-Founder of Cassiar Technologies, has a journey marked by perseverance and passion that’s shaped his current venture. In 2004, while studying computer science at the University of Pune, Ashish dreamed of working on Hollywood movies. His first job was teaching guitar in Pune, which allowed him to save enough money to buy a flight ticket to Canada. Despite numerous hardships, he broke into the VFX industry, eventually leading high-profile projects like “Game of Thrones” and “Thor: Ragnarok.”
In 2019, he founded his first company, a boutique VFX studio. This experience exposed him to the exorbitant costs and seemingly insurmountable challenges of building a professional studio. Drawing on his artistic and technical expertise, Ashish developed the studio-in-the-cloud product, driven by a dream to empower fellow artists and studios to run professional studios more efficiently and sustainably.
About the Founders
Ashish Dani, CEO & Co-Founder
Fun Fact: Ashish loves nature and has hiked up and down several beautiful mountains across BC. His life goal is to climb the Himalayan Mountain or the K2 Peaks.
Rose Wang, COO & Co-Founder
Fun Fact: Rose has travelled to Japan over 12 times on vacation and plans to go again next year.
Company Cheatsheet:
City: Vancouver
Founded: August 17, 2023
Sector: SaaS
