Nomura Holdings to invest $ 16 mn in Real Image Media (Qube Digital Cinema)

August 4, 2008

Source: Real Image Media

Nomura Holdings, a brokerage firm based in Japan, will invest 16 million dollars in Chennai-based Real Image Media Technologies, a digital media technology and services provider.

Real Image specialises in providing digital technology solutions for films, videos and audio markets.

The Japanese broker expects high growth for the Indian firm, which provides digital cinema technologies and equipment to film distributors in the South Asian country.

Nomura Holdings will send two senior employees to be part of the management team of Real Image Media Technologies and hopes to recover its investment costs in 2010, when the Indian firm is scheduled to go public.

The Indian movie industry is growing at a rapid pace and the Japanese company hopes to gain from this growth.
Nomura has made this investment through its Asia merchant banking division in Hong Kong.

Established in 1986, Real Image has developed end-to-end digital cinema technology solutions that address not just the needs of cinema houses for digital cinema equipment and content, but also encompass the needs of the media and in-cinema advertising industry in India. As the only Indian company that has developed a digital cinema product that follows the requirements of Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) - a consortium formed by major motion picture Studios to establish a standard architecture for digital cinema - Real Image is a pioneer driving the evolution of the film industry from traditional processes to digital cinema. The company's solid marketing, sales and support skills, as well as its partnerships worldwide, further strengthens its position in the media technology space.

"Real Image has an experienced management team and a solid track record in digital media solutions. We see great potential in this growing sector and look forward to being part of Real Image's exciting journey to win and maintain a leading position in the industry," said Yoshiki Hashimoto, Head of Asia Merchant Banking at Nomura. "Our investment in Real Image demonstrates our commitment to India and to building up our merchant banking business across Asia. We believe that by providing financial and management support to companies with strong prospects for growth, we will be able to contribute to growth in India and the rest of Asia."

"Intel Capital continues to support technology innovation in India and stays committed to our portfolio companies. Since inception of its venture capital program in India in 1998, Intel Capital has invested in approximately fifty companies across eight cities. We invested for the first time in Real Image back in 2006 and are pleased with the progress the company has made to date. Digital cinema is exploding in India as well as overseas markets and we are confident our investment enables Real Image to expand further in India and SE Asia", said Sudheer Kuppam, MD for Intel Capital in India, Japan, Southeast Asia and Australasia.

"We are proud to be associated with a firm as highly respected as Nomura, especially as this is their first private equity investment in the Indian market, and look forward to being able to leverage their global strengths. We are also pleased with the confidence shown by Intel Capital in participating in this follow-on round," said Senthil Kumar, co-founder of Real Image. "This funding will help us accelerate the growth we are seeking in India and other markets across the globe."

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