Announcement of Funding

HarbourView Equity Partners is leading a $85 million funding round in Animaj, a London‑ and Paris‑based company that develops AI‑driven children’s and family entertainment.

Investor Participation

France’s Bpifrance—an entity supporting the nation’s tech and AI sectors—also contributed to the round, alongside existing investors including Left Lane Capital, Daphni, and X‑Ange, following Animaj’s initial €100 million raise in May 2022.

What Animaj Does

Founded by former Google and YouTube executive Grégory Dray, Animaj leverages a proprietary AI production system and data‑driven insights to create content across digital platforms. The company recently acquired global rights to the animated property Pocoyo, featuring the iconic blue character voiced by Stephen Fry.

Leadership Perspectives

• Sherrese Clarke, founder and CEO of HarbourView, commented:

  “Animaj is reimagining children’s entertainment for the digital age. With proven monetization, an experienced team, and a strong pipeline of strategic IP opportunities, they are poised to become a category‑defining leader. We’re thrilled to partner with the Animaj team as they scale globally.”

• Sixte de Vauplane, co‑founder and CEO of Animaj, added:

  “We are a new kind of media company: data‑driven, AI‑powered, digital‑first but multiplatform by design. We don’t start with a TV show and hope kids will come. We start with where they already are—YouTube, Roblox, TikTok, Spotify—and we build from there.”

• José Gonzalo, executive director at Bpifrance, described Animaj as “a pioneering player in the use of AI for audiovisual production,” emphasizing the team’s dual focus on AI innovation and high editorial quality.

Use of Funds

Funds will be used to scale Animaj’s AI‑powered “flywheel” model—expanding content distribution across YouTube, TikTok, Spotify, Roblox, and FAST (Free Ad‑Supported Streaming TV) channels—and to revitalize under‑utilized IP globally.

Strategic Alignment

This investment supports HarbourView’s expanding media and IP portfolio, which includes Mucho Mas Media and Macro. The round also saw participation from Left Lane Capital, Daphni, X‑Ange, and Marquee. New debt financing was secured through J.P. Morgan and Bootstrap Europe. Arduina Partners and Rothschild acted as transaction advisors.

Dominique Delport, co‑founder of Arduina Partners, noted:

“We have been amazed by Animaj’s execution and unique AI × IP model. With backing from HarbourView & Bpifrance, they will continue growing as one of the world’s leading kids‑content platforms and a Top 3 YouTube Kids destination.”

ABOUT Animaj

Animaj is a digital‑first kids and family entertainment media company founded in May 2022 by Grégory Dray and Sixte de Vauplane. It develops and distributes AI‑enabled, multiplatform content campaigns targeting YouTube, TikTok, Roblox, Spotify, and FAST channels.

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