French next-gen kids’ media company Animaj has secured €73.8 million (approximately $85 million) in a funding round led by HarbourView Equity Partners and Bpifrance Large Venture. Other backers include JP Morgan, Bootstrap Europe, Left Lane Capital, XAnge, Daphni, and Marquee Ventures.
The funding will accelerate Animaj’s efforts to expand its multi-platform ecosystem—spanning YouTube, Roblox, TikTok, Spotify, and FAST channels. The company is focused on creating platform-native children’s IPs and transforming them into global franchises from day one.
AI-powered production and content personalisation
Animaj leverages its proprietary GenAI animation pipeline to reduce production time and costs while maintaining high creative standards. The technology uses sketch-to-pose AI and motion-in-betweening to produce smooth, expressive animations.
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Acquiring and scaling beloved IPs
Following its acquisition of the iconic Hispanic brand Pocoyo, Animaj plans to expand its portfolio to include both preschool and tween-targeted IPs, with content adapted for today’s media consumption habits.
Rapid growth and global reach
Founded in 2022 by Sixte de Vauplane and ex-Google executive Grégory Dray, the startup has grown to become the 5th largest digital kids’ content producer on YouTube, reaching over 240 million monthly viewers and distributing across platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and Spotify.
The firm says its mission is to amplify underutilized kids’ IP with a digital-first, data-driven approach, giving creators a way to scale globally without compromising their creative vision.
