Journey acquires Dimension Studio

Immersive experiences business Journey has acquired VFX and virtual production company Dimension Studio.

Dimension’s UK base, international reach, and production infrastructure to support clients worldwide have been named as the drivers behind the deal, which was supported by private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners, which targets investments in tech-enabled creative businesses and had made a multi-million pound investment in Dimension last year. In addition, Journey entered into a new lending relationship with Eldridge, an asset management and insurance holding company. 

There will be no staffing or other changes at Dimension in the near-term, with co-founder and co-CEOs Steve Jelley and Simon Windsor to continue at the helm. 

Journey, which has bases in both the US and UK, has previously worked on immersive storytelling at the Empire State Building, opera with The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, the guest experience at Sphere in Las Vegas, and planning experiences for Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia. 

Dimension has recently worked across Those About To Die for Amazon, Masters of the Air for Apple TV+, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Universal Pictures’ Wicked parts 1 & 2, and Taika Waititi’s Time Bandits. The team behind Dimension Live has delivered recent projects for international artists, including Röyksopp and Floating Points, and at major live events, including the Glastonbury Festival. 

Dimension launched a live events division earlier this year, and created a virtual production venture in partnership with DNEG, named DNEG 360, in 2024. DNEG 360 will continue as normal post-acquisition. 

Andrew Zimmerman, CEO of Journey commented: “At Journey, we believe the future of design belongs to those who can bridge imagination, storytelling, and technology. Dimension embodies that philosophy completely. Together, we’re not just creating new forms of content; we’re inventing new ways for people to experience the world.”

Jelley said: “Dimension is a trusted partner and co-producer for filmmakers everywhere, helping them to embrace the creative potential of Real-time, virtual and AI production technologies. It provides opportunities for everyone to expand those partnerships to deliver amazing experiences in any medium.”  

Windsor added: “This partnership is as much about people as it is about virtual production and technology. Journey’s design-led ethos aligns perfectly with our culture of creative experimentation and production innovation. Together, we can empower clients and visionary creators to tell stories in ways the world has never seen.” 

James O’Callaghan, managing director at Growth Catalyst Partners, said: “Dimension becoming part of Journey marks an exciting next chapter of growth for the platform—bringing together two world-class creative organizations that share a vision for the future of immersive content, creative technology and digital storytelling. This partnership helps create a true end-to-end multidimensional experience studio with the ability to blend strategic thinking with deep creative and technical expertise to deliver solutions across multiple industry sectors and mediums.”