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Sheffield animation studio plans 40 new jobs after loan boost

stardogandturbocat-guardmuseum1

A Sheffield animation studio is planning to create 40 jobs over the next two years after securing a £100,000 loan from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

Red Star 3D creates its own films which are shown in cinemas, theme parks, museums and other venues. Its most recent creation, StarDog and TurboCat, opened in cinemas last December and is currently available on Amazon.

Founded in 2004 by Ben Smith and Jan Rogowski, Red Star – which currently employs 10 people – has won dozens of awards and nominations at film festivals and is now expanding its services overseas.

Watch a trailer for StarDog and TurboCat


SheffiSmith said: “We’re delighted Mercia have chosen to support our expansion plans. While this is a challenging time for many business owners, demand for our animation production services is booming. The funding will allow us to take advantage of the opportunities it brings.”

Pete Sorsby, Investment Manager with Mercia, said the funding “will enable it to take on new projects and create new skilled jobs to expand Sheffield’s growing digital sector.”

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

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