Wonder, an AI-native creative studio, has raised €2.6 million in pre-Seed funding to enable the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers to craft visual content and bring concepts to life faster – improving the efficiency of the content creation process.
Backed by LocalGlobe and Blackbird, the round also saw participation from Mati Staniszewski (Co-founder, ElevenLabs), Laura Modiano (Head of Startups, OpenAI), Ross Dinerstein (CEO, Campfire Studios), Ammaar Reshi (Design Lead, Google DeepMind), Mika Salmi (Founder, AtomFilms), Andre Haddad (CEO, Turo), and Peter Hepworth (former COO, Activision Blizzard EMEA), among others.
“We’re at an inflection point in history where the power to craft and create visually striking stories is being rapidly democratised through technology,” said Xavier Collins, Co-founder and CEO of Wonder. “Storytelling should be about creativity, not overcoming financial and logistical barriers. We’re unearthing the next generation of talent and partnering with the traditional industry to unlock new avenues of creativity and empowering them to do more with less.”
“The cost of high-end TV and film production typically ranges from $500k to $1 million per minute, and using AI, we can bring that down to $10k–$20k per minute,” said Justin Hackney, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at Wonder. “Traditional creative pipelines are too slow, expensive, and gatekept for the pace of AI-native storytelling. Wonder is being built to enable faster production at scale, global collaboration, and fairer ownership for the next generation of creators and entertainment.”
Founded in 2025, Wonder is an AI-powered creative studio that looks to harness the creative power of AI to develop a new model for filmmaking, storytelling, and the production of original content. Founded by Xavier Collins and Justin Hackney, Wonder is committed to innovation, inclusivity, and redefining the future of storytelling by bridging the gap between classic filmmaking and AI.
“AI is fundamentally changing how film is produced, and Wonder is operating at the forefront of this shift,” said Ziv Reichert, Partner at LocalGlobe. “We believe they’re building what a 21st century studio should look like: capital-light, AI-first, and built to elevate creative talent rather than replace it. Their model empowers an entirely new generation to tell stories – ones that would otherwise never see the light of day.”
According to figures provided by Wonder, €213 billion were spent globally on film and TV production in 2023, but Wonder argues that outdated systems are a bottleneck for creativity, and industry pros frequently cite that 90% of scripts never get made because of budget demands or gatekeeping. With AI in media and entertainment projected to reach €87 billion by 2030 – and €25 billion in advertising by 2033 – the market opportunity is potentially vast.
“Blackbird is honored to be partnering with Xavier and Justin as they bring their global film, tech, and AI experience together to form Wonder,” said Sam Wong, Partner at Blackbird. “We love partnering from the very beginning and are excited by their human-centred approach to creative output, augmented by AI.”
“Wonder is building a future where technology amplifies human storytelling, giving rise to voices and stories that were previously impossible to tell,” said Mati Stanszewski, Co-founder of ElevenLabs. “This is exactly the kind of bold, forward-thinking studio the industry needs, and I’m excited to see them shape the next era of entertainment.”
Existing partnerships with production companies and directors include: ElevenLabs, Campfire Studios, Ravensbourne University, Freepik, and others.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/04/london-based-ai-creative-studio-wonder-raises-e2-6-million-for-genai-visual-content/
