Grand Theft Auto luminary Leslie ‘The Benz’ Benzies drives investment in Krotos audio tech

An audio company that specializes in making monster sounds is getting help from of gaming’s biggest names.

Former Grand Theft Auto producer Leslie Benzies is the lead investor in a six-figure deal with Krotos, an Edinburgh-based audio company that creates software triple-A game and film studios. Benzies worked at Rockstar North until 2016. He recently revealed his own company based in Edinburgh that is working on a game called Everywhere. Old College Capital, the venture investment arm of the University of Edinburgh, is also funding the deal. We do not know the exact amount of this six-figure deal, although we have asked and will update this story if we learn the actual price of the investment.

Krotos released its first product, Dehumaniser Pro, in November 2013. It “makes it possible to produce imaginary creature and monster sounds in real-time, dramatically speeding up a process that previously took up to 8 hours to complete.” It’s in games such as Far Cry 4, Doom, and League of Legends.

“Our tools will finally free audio designers, creatives and musicians from outdated workflows and will allow them to focus on creativity,” said Orfeas Boteas, founder and chief executive officer of Krotos, in a press release sent to GamesBeat. “The next few years will open up exciting possibilities for new media, as audio is now more challenging than ever with virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. Video games and films are our core market but there is massive potential in VR and that will be an important focus for us moving forward.”

“Orfeas understands the potential of bringing technology and creativity together, and his vision for the future of audio tools resonated with me,” Benziess added in the press releasse. “I look forward to working with such a talented and driven team.”