The next focusIR Investor Webinar takes places on 14th May with guest speakers from Blue Whale Growth Fund, Taseko Mines, Kavango Resources and CQS Natural Resources fund. Please register here.
London South East prides itself on its community spirit, and in order to keep the chat section problem free, we ask all members to follow these simple rules. In these rules, we refer to ourselves as "we", "us", "our". The user of the website is referred to as "you" and "your".
By posting on our share chat boards you are agreeing to the following:
The IP address of all posts is recorded to aid in enforcing these conditions. As a user you agree to any information you have entered being stored in a database. You agree that we have the right to remove, edit, move or close any topic or board at any time should we see fit. You agree that we have the right to remove any post without notice. You agree that we have the right to suspend your account without notice.
Please note some users may not behave properly and may post content that is misleading, untrue or offensive.
It is not possible for us to fully monitor all content all of the time but where we have actually received notice of any content that is potentially misleading, untrue, offensive, unlawful, infringes third party rights or is potentially in breach of these terms and conditions, then we will review such content, decide whether to remove it from this website and act accordingly.
Premium Members are members that have a premium subscription with London South East. You can subscribe here.
London South East does not endorse such members, and posts should not be construed as advice and represent the opinions of the authors, not those of London South East Ltd, or its affiliates.
Exactly one year ago (28/04/2023), ZOO raised 12.5m £ at 160p with institutional investors. Then came a 148-day strike which was the second longest strike in the whole history of Hollywood. ZOO entered that exceptional crisis with a solid balance sheet and will come back in a stronger position compared with its competition. Before the strike, ZOO was on track to reach $ 100m revenue, with long term outlook of reaching $ 400m (going from 4% to 14% market share).
Chris Oakley...ZOO Digital,Chief Technology Officer .Oakley is passionate about creating innovative technology and finding progressive solutions to the challenges of the globalization industry. He has led several research programs in collaboration with leading UK universities, developing areas of AI and machine learning to help make life easier for those working within the global entertainment industry. https://www.zoodigital.com/team-members/chris-oakley/
In my (rather long) experience in tech investing, that type of expectations never worked. It is extremely difficult to time the take up of a distruptive technology. There are factors that only insiders of a specific application / sector can understand. Lastly, everybody spoke about fully autonomous cars. It was all done and set by 2025, with Apple, Tesla and Google lined up. And you could find thousands of super convincing videos on social networks. How did it end up ? Nowhere. Abandoned. The focus is now on semi-autonomous cars, sensing interiors etc... So as obvious as it may seem, saying ZOO will be swiped away by AI is in fact a very bold statement unless you work in this industry. Furthermore, even if you hold that position, timing the shift is even more challenging while there is a high likelihood that the company will regain the revenue it had before the strike, which will command an easy x3 within one year from now, imo.
Thanks, read the articles.
The key thing to note here is the word 'present'.
> On the topic of automated (or machine) dubbing, ZOO said, “the technology is not currently capable of displacing traditional practices for premium entertainment content,” even though the quality of the output is improving
> At present, while technologies such as ChatGPT may be effective in processing certain genres of media content
Well yeah obviously, but if I was a betting person I'd say within 2 years, given the amount of US capital expenditure being thrown at this from VC's (in the 100's of billions) we will see it rapidly progress to where this is no longer true very quickly.
I also don't believe Zoo will have the resources to compete with this. Their CTO has no AI experience, he's a QA guy.
AI research engineers that I could find on linkedin for ZOO are all juniors.
Just posting a little research for those that don't have time to do it. IMO only & DYOR. Zoo Digital is a tier 1 international company in its field of expertise & is the go to company for Film and TV Majors.
Meet ZOO in Chennai
Welcome to ZOO Digital’s cutting-edge facility in Chennai. Spanning 11,000 square feet across two floors, this state-of-the-art hub showcases our dedication to meeting the entertainment industry’s diverse globalization needs. Equipped with leading technology, the facility opens exciting opportunities for South Indian-language content and distribution into South Indian markets.
Empowering regional localization
At our Chennai facility, we prioritize regional languages to produce authentic localized content for audiences everywhere. Our aim is to support content creators in reaching expanding international markets, acknowledging the immense potential of the South Indian region for OTT entertainment.
Meet ZOO in Mumbai
In 2022, we launched our Mumbai facility following the acquisition of the award-winning media services and localization business, Vista India. Established in 2012, the Mumbai-based company is a leading force in media localization, post-production and digital distribution services for Indian and foreign language content. The 75-strong team provides end-to-end services, including dubbing, subtitling, artwork and metadata localization services and a range of media services, across eight Indian languages and English.
Award-winning services
ZOO India is an Apple-approved aggregator and encoding house, a Netflix Preferred Fulfilment Partner (NPFP) and a Netflix Preferred Creative Agency. In 2019, 2020 and 2023, ZOO India was awarded the accolade of NPFP of the Year for the Asia-Pacific region.
Meet ZOO in Seoul
In 2022, ZOO expanded its APAC operations with the launch of our Seoul facility, following the acquisition of an established localization service provider, WhatSub Pro.
Scaling regional localization
Headed by Managing Director, Jonghyun Oh, ZOO Korea is equipped to provide high-quality, secure dubbing, subtitling, QC, mastering and media services, giving entertainment industry clients greater opportunity and scale for globalization in the region, supporting the continued global demand for Korean content and the distribution of non-Korean titles in the country.
State-of-the-art facilities
ZOO Korea features six state-of-the-art recording booths, three mixing rooms, group recording capability, and four QC bays – all fully integrated with ZOO’s cloud-based production ecosystem.
Meet ZOO in Sheffield
Part of the UK technology scene since 2001, our Sheffield facility is home to ZOO Digital Labs, our award-winning research and development center. The 50-strong team of developers, engineers and testers creates industry-leading technologies and cutting-edge tools to make life easier for the biggest names in global entertainment.
Alongside ZOO Digital Labs, our language and production services teams work from our new Castle House facility. Working with ZOO’s other regional hubs, territory managers and translators, they deliver end-to-end localization and media services for the world’s most watched content. Home to over 200 people from all across Europe, the Sheffield facility brings together people with a collective passion for sharing culture and language through entertainment.
Meet ZOO in Dubai.
Established in 2018, our Dubai facility is the hub for end-to-end localization and media services in the MENA region. In 2021, ZOO launched an owned-and-operated facility in Studio City where our expanded team delivers secure, high-quality services for content creators in the region and international clients wanting to reach local audiences.
Our MENA hub also benefits from the highest security standards and is part of the Trusted Partner Network.
Meet ZOO in Los Angeles
In the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles is our hub for North and South America. End-to-end services from mastering to delivery are expertly managed by our 200-strong team of language and post-production experts. Working with regional ZOO hubs, dubbing studios and translators across the world, our award-winning team ensures the world’s most-watched content entertains audiences everywhere.
Our facilities
Redesigned in 2021 in response to the changing needs of our clients and our hybrid workforce, our Los Angeles facility now boasts 25 edit/QC bays, four recording rooms for English and foreign-language dubbing, two Atmos mixing stages for home entertainment content and two 4K edit/QC bays. ZOO Los Angeles benefits from the highest security standards and is part of the Trusted Partner Network.
Meet ZOO in London
Based in the world-famous West End, our London facility is the EMEA hub for localization and media services. Collaborating with territory managers, dubbing studios and translators across the region, our award-winning London team delivers end-to-end localization, media and post-production services to get the world’s most watched content to OTT platforms all around the world.
Meet ZOO in Madrid
ZOO’s presence in Madrid and Valencia marks the expansion of its operations in EMEA, with three separate facilities operated by established localization experts, AM Group.
The Madrid facility is ZOO’s main hub in Iberia. As well as strengthening capacity for Castilian Spanish and European Portuguese, ZOO’s presence in Iberia facilitates localization into the co-official Spanish languages, bringing content from around the world to life in Valencian, Catalan, Galician and Euskera.
Launched in 2003 as a recording studio and adjoining dubbing school, AM Group has evolved into a trusted localization partner for global entertainment providers. The dubbing school, AM Escuela, actively provides practical, tailored training for voice talent, including courses for dubbing, voiceover and vocal technique.
Meet ZOO in Valencia
ZOO’s presence in Madrid and Valencia marks the continued expansion of its EMEA operations, with three separate facilities operated by established localization experts, AM Group.
Opened in 2022, the Valencia facility is located in the Ruzafa neighborhood of the city, and is equipped with three recording rooms and three control rooms. The studio provides localization in the co-official Valencian language, as well as training for voice talent through AM Escuela.
Welcome to ZOO in Milan
Welcome to ZOO Italia in the heart of Milan, our cutting-edge facility for Italian localization. Following the acquisition of long-time dubbing partner, LogoSound, ZOO delivers dubbing, editing, mixing and video post-production from the Italian financial capital.
Immerse yourself in a creative hub boasting three advanced studios and a 5.1 mixing room. Equipped with top-of-the-line Neumann and AKG microphones, JBL and Crown monitors, and state-of-the-art mixing suites, our space ensures the technical and creative quality your content deserves.
Welcome to ZOO in Berlin
In 2023, ZOO acquired Berlin-based ASR Audio Networks GmbH and launched our first German dubbing studio. ASR has been a leading German language dubbing service provider for local and international content creators and distributors. Our Berlin facility benefits from the highest security standards and is part of the Trusted Partner Network.
Meet ZOO in Copenhagen
Our Copenhagen facility offers entertainment industry clients and dubbing artists a Nordic hub for globalization. From Copenhagen, ZOO localizes regional and international content on behalf of major Hollywood studios and streaming services for audiences around the world.
The facility is utilized by a network of dubbing talent, helping to meet the capacity needs of the industry and support a widespread audience demand for localized Scandinavian content.
Meet ZOO in Istanbul.
In 2021, ZOO expanded its MENA operations by partnering with ARES Media to establish ZOO Türkiye. The Istanbul-based hub provides localization, post-production and media services for both local and international entertainment clients.
Founded in 2000, ARES Media has provided services to support the distribution of international TV shows and award-winning feature films for over 20 years. In 2008, the company opened its own sound design studios and began offering dubbing, subtitling, foley, access, and post-production services. ARES Media is one of Türkiye‘s leading localization companies and has been a close collaborator and operational partner to ZOO since 2017, delivering high-quality services to clients using ZOO’s cloud-based technology ecosystem.
AI is also discussed in the article below:
https://slator.com/zoo-digital-ceo-how-hollywood-strikes-ai-will-impact-media-localization/
and page 22 of the attached:
https://www.zoodigital.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023PrelimsPresentation-v10_compressed-1.pdf
Lemonade311 your opinion could be helped by this
ZOO Report 2023 (Search for Artificial Intelligence )
https://www.zoodigital.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zoo-Annual-Report-2023_Online.pdf
Few quotes :
"ZOO’s target customers are major global operators of streaming services and producers of premium entertainment content and therefore the quality expectations for localisation and media services to fulfil their requirements are the highest in the industry. Here, quality includes the authenticity of a language adaptation of an entertainment product and the extent to which it resonates with an audience that speaks another language and operates within a different culture. At present, while technologies such as ChatGPT may be effective in processing certain genres of media content (such as documentaries, where the commentary may suit a literal translation) or low value catalogues (such as user-generated content or old materials that will be distributed through FAST channels in emerging markets), they are not viable for the type and calibre of content processed by ZOO. However, the Company has since 2020 been actively exploring opportunities to adapt such technologies to provide productivity and other benefits in certain scenarios where such use may be beneficial"
..
"Whilst the standard of these automated dubbing approaches applied to generalised content falls a long way short of the quality requirements of ZOO’s clients, the Board believes that there may be applications of these technologies that can provide some operational benefits to augment and complement the process of dubbing, rather than as a replacement for the creative human efforts that are crucial to the production of authentic language adaptations. Indeed, the Company is actively engaged in several projects to develop capabilities that are applicable to ZOO’s business, including through the exploitation of third-party tools, and where the approach is to augment rather than displace established practices."
...
"In summary, AI is an exciting field of computing that is being developed at pace and holds much potential, including in the field of ZOO’s business. Its successful application in media and entertainment, particularly for premium content, will inevitably be alongside traditional practices and the use of creative talent, and where ZOO’s heritage as an innovator and trusted partner to the leading names in the industry places it well to become a leader in the field. Consequently, the Board regards AI as an opportunity for ZOO’s business rather than a threat"
And you know that?
Mandoo, fair market value is $0 imo.
This is being boosted short term but once Zoo loses markets and margins in a years time from AI generated content we will see this lose 50% in a day
Still way to cheap, looks like cannacord are out
Currently being offered 57.25p for 88,000 shares...a 60p+ close would be nice.
Getting offered 60p to buy now..
Whilst I don't buy into the x100 bagger potential (although x10 is very possible in my view) it's interesting that ZOO are featured in this article, and given a current fair market value of $1.6+ or roughly £1.30+.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/turn-1k-100k-3-micro-175132714.html?.tsrc=rssA reminder if you missed it
I'd be surprised if we're not north of £1 before the next trading statement is issued in (hopefully) late June/early July. A couple of TR1's prior to then would certainly help. Only my opinion so as always please DYOR.
Thanks for this, my target is 160 year end then 280 next year... Strong buy
This is a reasonable summary on the potential/upside from 18 months ago, prior writers strike.
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/investing/article-11343401/MIDAS-SHARE-TIPS-UPDATE-Zoo-Digital-proves-perfect-sequel-Netflix.html
Good luck and as always DYOR.
Just been through the last annual report and latest trading update. Gem find. Its ticking all the right boxes. A good UK Tech company, Global reach touching US, Far east markets, unique technologies, embracing emerging technologies, growing pipeline, and and luckily a low valuation atm. I can only see this going one way. Last april 200 ish and growing, Once in a lifetime writers strike now over, ZOO is returning (and seems like will soon exceed) where it left off last year. Good chance 200+ is on the cards within next FY. After the writers strike there would of been a delay drag of about 4 months on new material coming, its seems like we have entered the full steam ahead stage. There seems to a be a lot of buying during the afternoon sessions as well which could indicate US investor interest , which is not surprising given the big US content/film companies it has contracts with. All IMO. DYOR
We'll be in no time in the 70-80 zone, and most likely in 120-150 if the recovery is confirmed at the next ER. No brainer imo
Think that was bad move, next stop is 65
This company serves a huge and growing market. I would be very surprised if the SP gets anywhere near 40p again.
Sold out this morning, expected this to drop, will buy back in if it does below 40 again.
Don't believe these takeover rampers.
All my opinion, DYOR bla bla
Glad to hear.. this re-rate has just started.. expect a strong day today .. maybe in to the 60's