Unit1 raises $20m for avatar concerts
UK startup snares $20m to recreate gigs with ‘hyper-realistic’ digital avatars
Sunday, 20 September 2026
Warm-up
- Have you ever watched a virtual or streamed concert?
- Which old concert would you like to see again, and why?
- How would you feel about a show with digital performers?
Vocabulary
- startup
- A new business created to develop an idea or product.
- investor
- A person or company that gives money to a business to help it grow.
- avatar
- A digital version of a person used on screen or online.
- motion capture
- Technology that records body movement to create digital images.
- venue
- A place where events like concerts are held.
- pilot
- A small test project to try an idea before a full launch.
- estate
- The people who control a dead person's rights and property.
- illusion
- Something that looks real but is created by special effects.
Reading
UK music tech startup Unit1 has raised $20m (near £15m) to build concerts using “hyper-realistic” digital avatars. The company was set up last year by Barney Wragg, former head of Andrew Lloyd Webber's entertainment group. Backers include investor Balderton Capital, via partner Daniel Waterhouse, known for early Spotify funding.
Unit1 says it will offer lower-cost shows without a special venue. In tests, Scottish musician KT Tunstall filmed a pilot in a London studio, using motion capture to recreate a two-decade-old TV slot, updated to how she looks now. The idea follows the success of Abba Voyage, a 2022 avatar show in a purpose-built space in east London.
The new funds will go into research and development and licensing with artists and their estates. At shows, live musicians will be playing on stage while avatars appear on a high-definition screen, with lights and props creating the illusion of a fully human act. Some fans worry about recreating dead stars, but Unit1 says it will work carefully with families. It also says a show could tour in several countries at the same time.
Comprehension
- How much money did Unit1 raise?
- Who founded Unit1?
- Where did KT Tunstall film the pilot?
- What successful show does Unit1 hope to offer more cheaply?
- What concern do some fans have about the technology?
Grammar focus
Future continuous
Use will be + -ing to say an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. Use a time phrase (e.g. this time next month, at 9pm) to show when. (Example 2 constructed.)
- At shows, live musicians **will be playing** on stage.
- At future tests, engineers **will be testing** new avatar software.
Grammar exercise
Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
- This time next month, engineers (test) ___ the avatar software.
- At 9pm next Friday, fans (watch) ___ the concert online.
- During the tour next year, shows (run) ___ in several cities.
- When the pilot starts, musicians (rehearse) ___ on stage.
- By the first night, technicians (adjust) ___ the lights and props.
Discussion
- Would you pay to see an avatar show? Why or why not?
- Which artist’s past concert should be recreated, if any?
- Is it respectful to use a dead star’s image on stage?
- How could this tech change touring in your country?
Vocabulary, reading, and exercises with instant feedback