In the fast-evolving world of children’s media, a new generation of companies is emerging with a different philosophy. build beloved characters first, then scale them globally through digital platforms. One of the companies trying to redefine this model is Animaj, a Paris-based media startup that combines storytelling, technology, and artificial intelligence to build children’s entertainment brands for a global audience.

Founded in May 2022, Animaj positions itself as a next-generation media company focused on kids and family entertainment. The company’s goal is straightforward yet ambitious: acquire high-quality intellectual properties and transform them into multi-platform franchises that can travel across digital platforms, streaming services, and global markets.

At a time when children increasingly discover their favourite characters on platforms like YouTube rather than traditional television, Animaj believes the future of family entertainment will belong to companies that understand digital-first storytelling and scalable production models.

Animaj: A Startup Built by Media and Platform Experts

Animaj was founded by Sixte de Vauplane and Grégory Dray, two entrepreneurs whose careers span both media and technology.

Co-founder and CEO Sixte de Vauplane has built his career as an entrepreneur and previously served as the chief executive of Nestor. At Animaj, he leads the company’s overall strategy, focusing on building a modern media business that blends intellectual property ownership with technology-driven production.

Working alongside him is Grégory Dray, Animaj’s co-founder and Chief Business Officer, who previously worked at Google and YouTube. During his time there, Dray played a key role in launching YouTube Kids internationally and led the kids and family business for the EMEA region.

Together, the founders bring a combination of entrepreneurial experience and deep knowledge of global digital platforms, an advantage that is increasingly important in an industry where distribution has shifted rapidly from television networks to online platforms.

A Digital-First Strategy for Children’s Brands

Animaj’s business model revolves around acquiring and revitalising strong intellectual properties (IPs) and adapting them for today’s digital viewing habits.

Rather than building new characters from scratch every time, the company focuses on identifying well-known children’s brands and expanding them across multiple platforms. These franchises can then live simultaneously across video platforms, streaming services, licensing, and merchandising ecosystems.

The strategy reflects a broader shift in children’s entertainment. Today’s young audiences often discover characters through short-form digital videos, and their engagement spreads quickly across languages and regions.

Animaj aims to capture that momentum by combining creative storytelling with technology-driven production workflows that allow content to be produced and distributed more efficiently.

Using AI to Accelerate Animation

Artificial intelligence plays a central role in Animaj’s production model. The company uses AI-powered tools to streamline animation processes and increase the pace at which content can be created.

Among the tools the company uses are Sketch-to-Pose and Motion-to-Motion Transfer, systems designed to assist animators in generating character movements and scenes more efficiently. The Sketch-to-Pose tool can reduce animation time from around 14 hours to approximately six hours, allowing production teams to deliver episodes and short-form videos more quickly.

For children’s content, where frequent updates and consistent engagement are key, this kind of efficiency can significantly influence how quickly a franchise grows.

Global Reach Through Digital Platforms

Despite being a relatively young company, Animaj has already built a significant digital presence.

The company reports 22 billion views on YouTube and 242 million unique monthly viewers, reflecting the scale that children’s content can achieve when distributed effectively on global platforms.

These numbers underline a broader transformation in how children’s entertainment travels worldwide. Instead of relying on regional television deals, many characters today achieve global recognition through online video ecosystems, where audiences from different countries can access the same content instantly.

Animaj’s approach is built around that reality, creating characters and stories designed to work across languages, platforms, and cultures.

Growing Investor Confidence

Animaj’s growth has also attracted strong interest from investors. The company has raised €100 million from Left Lane Capital and $85 million from HarbourView Equity Partners, two investors with experience in media, entertainment, and technology.

More recently, Google invested $1 million in Animaj through its AI Futures Fund, a program designed to support companies experimenting with artificial intelligence technologies. The partnership also gives Animaj early access to Veo video models and insights from DeepMind, helping the startup explore new possibilities in AI-driven video production.

For a company focused on animation and digital content, such access could offer valuable opportunities to test new creative workflows and production techniques.

Animaj’s journey is a microcosm of a broader shift happening in children’s media. As digital media continues to redefine the way children consume media and discover new stories, companies that possess strong intellectual property and leverage the latest production technology may have a competitive advantage in the market.

However, developing children’s franchises is a challenging task. Characters need to appeal to children and parents alike, maintain quality over time, and transcend cultures and media. Animaj is staking its claim on the future of children’s media by leveraging technology and artificial intelligence to speed up the development process.

Whether Animaj becomes a leader in the global children’s media market will depend on how well the company leverages technology-driven efficiencies to develop beloved characters for the next generation of children. For now, the Paris-based startup is staking its claim as the intersection of animation, artificial intelligence, and digital media.

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