Gaming artwork firm agrees six-figure finance deal

Lytham St Anne’s-based Airship Images has received a £350,000 finance package as it readies for growth ahead of the launch of the latest PlayStation and XBox.

The company provides end-to-end art services, from full character creation to vehicles and props. Its creations are used by some of the world’s largest gaming companies including Disney, Microsoft, Ubisoft and Supermassive Games.

It is at the forefront of research and development into new design and production techniques, which has created a reputation as one of the leading artwork studios for the games industry.

And now NPIF - FW Capital Debt Finance has provided a £350,000 investment which will be used to recruit 11 new staff during the next 12 months taking the total headcount to 26.

Joseph Harford, who founded the company in 2008, said: "Recruitment is vital to our growth strategy. We are working with major global gaming companies for some of the highest profile projects. We are seeing increased demand for our work and needed a substantial investment so that we can attract the best talent to join our team.

"We’re really looking forward to the launch of the new Playstation 5 and Xbox which opens new graphical possibilities that enable artists to produce work at unprecedented levels of realism."

Simon Berry, FW Capital senior investment executive, said: "Joe is incredibly passionate about his craft. In Airship he has built a profitable business with an impressive client list and plenty of prospects for future growth potential.

"NPIF is specifically designed to encourage job creation and we are pleased that we have been able to support another business with its expansion plans."

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