With the acquisition of “Pocoyo,” Rising Kids Media Company Animaj has joined another iconic children’s brand, Maya the Bee, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
Animaj has formed a strategic alliance with Studio 100 International, co-owner of Maya the Bee, an AI-powered media company specializing in Kids & Family Entertainment, co-founded by former Google and senior YouTube executive Gregory Dray, to rethink Maya the Bee and shape the future of the franchise.
Animaj leverages its own Genai production tools and data-driven insights (automating animation pipelines through AI) to quickly track the expansion of “Maya the Bee” presence across new platforms, formats and audiences.
The new cooperative association is part of Animaji’s international strategy to acquire international IPs and turn them into global franchises. The London and Paris-based outfit recently enlisted Herbolview Equity Partners as part of a $85 million investment round, alongside French Bpifrance, which serves bankrolling French technology and AI ecosystems.
Under the “Maya the Bee” agreement, Animaj has acquired the rights to all studios 100 other than Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux region.
Animaj focuses on expanding the brand’s digital and international footprint, from international licensing and digital engagement to new digital and premium content experiences, with Studio 100 leading the new theatrical film productions and theme parks.
Animaj previously obtained the iconic Spanish show “Pocoyo”, an animation about the Blue Boy, an animation of Stephen Fly.
Launched in May 2022, Animaj initially raised 100 million euros of stocks and debt, including major investors including US fund Left Train Capital, as well as European VC funds Daphni and X-geng.
