Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite and the Unreal Engine, has acquired the digital human company Meshcapade for an undisclosed sum.
Meshcapade produces AI-based products that claim to provide the “industry’s most accurate 3D motion and body shape data” from a video source. “Our AI transforms footage–from subtle social gestures to intense dynamic movements–into precise, high-fidelity 3D data ready for immediate integration,” the company said.
Co-founder Naureen Mahmood said the goal from the beginning was to make “developing digital humans easier, more expressive, and more accessible for creators.”
The Meshcapade technology uses machine learning and AI to model humans with what they claim is more nuance than what was previously possible. A key differentiator for Meshcapade is how it can model 3D human motion straight from standard videos. This is said to be more cost-effective and faster than earlier and different systems for creating digital humans.
Meshcapade’s other founder, Talha Zaman, said new clients came knocking on their door without the company doing much to market themselves, and instead by word of mouth.
“The Meshcapade booth at industry events soon became a star attraction for animators from leading game and film studios,” Zaman said.
Meshcapade spun out from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany. “This is truly remarkable,” Max Planck president Patrick Cramer told MPG. “It shows how quickly insights from basic research in this field can find their way into practical applications–with global impact.”
As part of the sale, the Meshcapade developers will join Epic Games, and the Fortnite studio will open a new office in Tübingen, marking Epic’s first operation in Cyber Valley.
“This acquisition is a clear signal that ‘AI Made in Germany’ can scale locally and compete on a global stage,” Max Planck Innovation’s Bram Wijlands said.
Epic’s chief technology officer Kim Libreri said, “Bringing Meshcapade’s talented team and industry-leading technologies to Epic will help give creators across gaming, film, and virtual production industries new specialized tools for developing digital humans.”