The Ambitious Essex Tech 50 (AET50) is a selective list of just 50 standout businesses dotted across Greater Essex from the over 5,000 firms in the digital technology and telecom sectors. The most recent of these ranked the businesses on several criteria, including growth potential, local and global reach, investment secured, turnover, the approach to skill, and, integrally, innovations. 

Among the top picks of the AET50, four entertainment firms made the cut. Those four are BATCAM, LimboTech, Cathedral Studios, and Dlala Studios. Each of them has been able to impress locally, nationally, and, in some cases, on the world stage. Importantly for the industry, across these picks, we can see what applications are trending today and how entertainment businesses are looking to leverage the latest revelations in technology. 

Exploring the Efforts of the AET50’s Entertainment Picks 

Perhaps the most high-profile of the four entertainment firms to feature in the latest AET50 is BATCAM. The tech company specialises in creating specialised and innovative camera mechanics for the broadcasting of live events. Drone systems have become their main USP, with the BATCAM Drive, Fly, Hold, Selfie, and Trax offering a comprehensive collection of live broadcasting and streaming capabilities that traditional filming methods can’t match. 

Last year, BATCAM was deployed by several major sporting events. These include deploying an 800m Wire system for the Saudi Cup, a horse racing event in SA, and creating cine-style footage for the UEFA Euros and Copa América. The company has also been providing regular footage of the Premier League, boxing, and golf. Alongside their technology being implemented at major sporting events, BATCAM systems have been deployed to bolster the showings of large festivals like Glastonbury and popular entertainment shows such as Big Brother. 

Next, we have LimboTech. Their aim is to leverage the craze of augmented reality entertainment products into a gamified educational product. AR Chemistry Creatures, their flagship project, has been made in collaboration with museums, STEM organisations, and educators to create an advanced AR-powered game for learning chemistry. The creation certainly epitomises their goal of combining cutting-edge innovation with immersion and storytelling. 

Finally, Essex is also home to two very highly-regarded indie studios, Cathedral Studios and Dlala Studios. The latter is already a multi-award-winning studio that enjoyed several nominations for its latest release in 2024. Cathedral Studios managed to secure $6.66m in seed funding to power up its first release, The Bornless, which was developed on Unreal Engine, has an optional NFT-enabling blockchain built adjacent to it, and has an AR mode. 

At the Forefront of Trending Tech 

Across these four Essex entertainment teams, we can see the headline acts of what’s trending in technology today in play. Augmented reality – which is being tapped by two of the businesses – remains a big selling point to the masses. You only have to look at the continued returns of over $500m annually from the most famous AR app, or the fact that another was released with a classic board game IP to become the fastest mobile game to gross $3bn. 

Entertainment has continued to become a more and more tech-centric sector, and it’s integral that companies develop ways to push those boundaries. Making use of live technology and the nimbleness of drones, BATCAM is doing this in a similar way to other entertainment mediums. Seeking to blur the lines between in-house and online entertainment, live streaming and some complimentary tech has been applied to create real-time gaming online. 

Now, the award-winning online casino in the UK hosts a sprawling collection of live casino games that work in real time. Adding in optical character recognition software to multiple HD cameras and a game control unit, these table games and game shows can be run in a live studio. Players at home watch, bet, and maybe win in real time as the results land. Embracing technology like this is the best way to remain competitive in the entertainment industry. 

You can also see a similar move to try to create better immersion, realism, and authenticity, with filmmakers turning to game engines. CGI has long been a part of the movie-making process for those with hefty budgets, with green screens and visual effects artists doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Now, Just as Cathedral Studios is utilising Unreal Engine for its graphics, so too are major studios, particularly to help empower the cost-saving volume screens. 

Entertainment improves as technology advances and the right people are put in place to utilise its potential. The AET50 shows that there are at least four top-ranking businesses in Essex looking to push these boundaries to create even better experiences for all.