Mixamo

Mixamo is a 3D computer graphics company that provides web-based services for 3D character animation. Founded in 2008 by Stefano Corazza and Nazim Kareemi, the company originated as a spin-off from Stanford University's Biomotion Lab. The founders leveraged their research in biomechanics, computer vision, and machine learning to develop technologies that automate and simplify the character animation process. Corazza, who holds PhDs in mechanical engineering and bioengineering, served as CEO, while Kareemi, a serial entrepreneur, brought extensive startup experience to the venture. Over its early years, Mixamo raised over $11 million from investors including Granite Ventures, Keynote Ventures, and Stanford University.

On June 1, 2015, Adobe Systems acquired Mixamo to integrate its technology into the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, particularly Photoshop. Following the acquisition, Adobe made Mixamo's extensive library of animations and its auto-rigging service available for free to anyone with an Adobe ID, a strategic shift from its previous subscription-based model. This move was intended to democratize 3D animation for a broader creative community, including indie game developers, designers, and VFX artists, and to generate goodwill.

The company's core offering is a cloud-based platform that drastically reduces the time and complexity of creating and animating 3D characters. Its primary service is an automatic rigging tool, the Auto-Rigger, which can take an uploaded humanoid 3D model and insert a skeletal structure in minutes. The platform also hosts a vast, searchable library of thousands of royalty-free, motion-captured animations. Users can select an animation, apply it to their character, and customize parameters like speed and arm spacing in real-time. The finished characters and animations can be downloaded in multiple formats (like FBX) for use in game engines such as Unity, illustration, films, and other creative projects. While Adobe discontinued Mixamo's character creation software, Fuse, in 2020, the core animation and rigging services continue to operate and grow in user base.

Keywords: 3D character animation, automatic rigging, motion capture library, game development tools, character creation, 3D modeling, animation software, Adobe Mixamo, royalty-free animations, humanoid animation, Stefano Corazza, indie game development, Auto-Rigger, 3D assets, character rigging, animation technology, creative cloud, digital art tools, game animation, virtual characters, Fuse, FBX format, Unity integration, motion graphics