Digital cinema startup attracts $1 million in capital
KITCHENER — Cineflow Corp. has raised $1 million in new investment capital and received orders worth more than $500,000 for its digital cinema workflow systems.
The funding came from several sources including the provincial government’s Ontario Centres of Excellence and a Los Angeles-based digital production veteran who is joining the Kitchener company’s team in a sales and marketing capacity.
Marker Karahadian, who sold his video equipment rental network to Panavision in 2006, has invested $500,000 in Cineflow and will lead its sales and marketing activities, the company said in a news release.
In addition, Cineflow will deliver equipment worth more than $500,000 over the next eight weeks to two Toronto firms, the 3D Camera Co. and Sim Video. The products for 3D Camera will be used on a major 3D film being shot in Toronto beginning in April, Cineflow said.
Based on Otonabee Drive, Cineflow provides hardware and software solutions that allow movie directors and editors to review, edit, transfer and archive digital cinema footage.
The company, which employs 12 people, was formed in 2009 by former employees of Dalsa Corp. who left the Waterloo-based firm after it ended its digital cinema camera project.
John Coghill, Cineflow’s chief executive officer, said the latest developments are good news after a potentially lucrative deal last spring with distributer Band Pro Film was delayed by circumstances beyond the company’s control.
With venture capital scarce in recent years, the provincial funding “was instrumental in enabling us to continue to move forward with our compelling story and attracting someone of Marker’s caliber to our team,” he said.
Coghill is optimistic about the company’s fortunes.
“We have a pretty clear read on the market for file-based (production) systems now and this year is shaping up to be pretty exciting.”