Cool Cats
Cool Cats is a global entertainment and storytelling brand founded in 2013, producing animated series (The Milk Chug), character-driven merchandise, and community experiences around its Blue Cat IP for fans and collectors worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersÚstín, Czechia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Cool Cats does
Cool Cats Group LLC is a global entertainment and character-driven storytelling brand founded in 2013 by artist Colin Egan (Clon), operating as a private company with 11-50 employees. Centered on the Blue Cat character universe set in the fictional "Sapphire Town," the company has built a content and merchandise ecosystem anchored by the YouTube animated series "The Milk Chug" (13 episodes in Season 1), supporting characters including Chugs, Jo, and Ardi, and the community platform Cooltopia hosted on Telegram. Originally emerging from the 2021 NFT wave as a "blue-chip" web3 collection, the brand has progressively repositioned toward mainstream entertainment and physical merchandise while retaining its web3 DNA.
The business operates a multi-stream revenue model. Consumer merchandise — plush toys ($24.99-$35.00) and vinyl figures — is sold direct-to-consumer through its owned Shopify storefront (store.coolcats.com) and through a Macy's retail partnership that includes Macy's Parade Exclusive products. A second stream consists of NFT and digital asset transactions tied to brand expansion. A third stream is brand partnerships and licensing, evidenced by relationships with TIME, American Express, Macy's, Futureverse, and the Japan-focused alliance with Animoca Brands Japan and San FranTokyo. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging organic social channels (Twitter/X, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok), the Cooltopia Telegram community, an email newsletter, and high-visibility cultural activations including the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon and exhibits at San Diego Comic Con and in New York City.
The company serves a primarily consumer audience — global entertainment and animation fans across age groups, with a secondary segment of merchandise collectors — and has begun expanding beyond its North American base into Japan via the November 2023 Animoca Brands Japan / San FranTokyo partnership, which includes equity investments, NFT acquisitions, and manga content creation. Three funding rounds from Animoca Brands (October 2022, November 2023, August 2025) indicate sustained strategic investor engagement, though funding amounts are not publicly disclosed and no revenue figures have been released.
Cool Cats firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cool Cats
- Legal name
- Cool Cats Group LLC
- Website
- https://coolcats.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cool Cats is a global entertainment and storytelling brand founded in 2013, producing animated series (The Milk Chug), character-driven merchandise, and community experiences around its Blue Cat IP for fans and collectors worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cool Cats industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animated Entertainment
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)
- SIC
- Dolls & Stuffed Toys (3942)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Merchandise & Print-on-Demand Platforms (MPACAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Creator Commerce & Merch Platforms (Shops, Drops, Print-on-Demand) (MPACABAG)
Keywords
Where Cool Cats is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ústín
- HQ country
- Czechia
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Cool Cats business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of physical merchandise including plush toys, vinyl figures, and apparel through their e-commerce store (store.coolcats.com)
- NFT and Digital Assets: Digital collectibles and NFT acquisitions as part of brand expansion initiatives
- Brand Partnerships and Licensing: Strategic partnerships with major brands for brand extensions, cultural initiatives, and anime/manga content creation
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Physical merchandise products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cool Cats product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cool Cats produces and distributes original animated content centered on its Blue Cat character universe, headlined by the YouTube series "The Milk Chug" (Season 1, 13 episodes). It monetizes the IP through direct-to-consumer merchandise sales (plush toys, vinyl figures, apparel) via its own e-commerce store and through brand partnerships, licensing, and NFT-based digital collectibles.
Product overview
Cool Cats is a global storytelling brand centered around animated content featuring Blue Cat and friends in Sapphire Town. The core offering is The Milk Chug animated series with 13 episodes in Season 1, supplemented by merchandise (plush toys, vinyl figures) and interactive mini-games through Cooltopia. The brand operates as a unified entertainment ecosystem combining animation, character-driven storytelling, and community engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Milk Chug An original animated YouTube series following Blue Cat and supporting characters (Chugs, Jo, Ardi) in Sapphire Town, featuring episodic adventures and heartwarming storytelling. Aimed at fans of all ages seeking character-driven entertainment.
- Cool Cats Merchandise Branded physical merchandise including plush toys (Blue Cat Plush at $35.00, 9" Blue Cat Plush Special Edition at $24.99, Chugs Plush at $30.00), vinyl figures (6.5" Blue and Chugs Macy's Parade Exclusive at $24.99), and apparel. Targeted at fans and collectors.
- Cooltopia Mini Games Interactive mini-games and community engagement platform accessible via Telegram, allowing fans to play games, meet Blue Cat and friends, and win prizes. Aimed at fans participating in the Cool Cats ecosystem.
Companies that use Cool Cats
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cool Cats technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Cool Cats partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Animoca Brands JapancoreStrategic partnership to expand Cool Cats brand presence in Japan and anime market. Includes equity investments, NFT acquisitions, creation of manga content, and various cultural and brand expansion initiatives. Animoca Brands Japan and San FranTokyo are collaborating on this expansion effort.
- San FranTokyocoreStrategic partnership with Animoca Brands Japan and San FranTokyo to expand Cool Cats brand in Japan. Includes equity investments, NFT acquisitions, manga creation, and cultural brand expansion initiatives.
- TIMEminorBrand partnership with TIME magazine for brand extensions and cross-promotional initiatives.
- American ExpressminorBrand partnership with American Express for customer engagement and promotional activities.
- Macy'sminorRetail partnership for exclusive merchandise including the Macy's Parade Exclusive vinyl figures. Cool Cats featured balloon in 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cool Cats competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Yuga Labs (Bored Ape Yacht Club): Yuga Labs is the most direct NFT-native peer, having built the Bored Ape Yacht Club IP into a multi-format brand spanning merchandise, licensing, gaming (Otherside), and entertainment. Like Cool Cats, it started as a web3/NFT brand and is pursuing mainstream character-driven entertainment and physical merchandise—directly competing for the same consumer attention and retail shelf space.
- Doodles: Doodles is a character-driven NFT brand that has expanded into apparel collaborations (Adidas), retail merchandise, animation, and music. It shares Cool Cats' positioning as a digital-native IP pursuing multi-format entertainment and physical products for a global fanbase.
- Azuki: Azuki is a web3-native anime-inspired IP brand operating its own anime production arm (Azuki Studios), physical merchandise line, and consumer events. It directly parallels Cool Cats' character-universe, anime, and merchandise strategy, and competes for the same anime/Web3 crossover audience.
- Pudgy Penguins: Pudgy Penguins has built one of the most successful NFT-to-mainstream-retail pipelines, with branded plush toys sold at Walmart and other major retailers. It is a close peer given Cool Cats' similar plush/vinyl figure merchandise strategy and Macy's retail distribution.
- VeeFriends: VeeFriends (Gary Vaynerchuk's character IP) is a creator-led character brand with extensive physical merchandise, trading cards, animation content, and live events. It is a directly comparable peer in operating a multi-format character business spanning collectibles, content, and licensing.
- World of Women: World of Women is a character-driven NFT IP that has expanded into comics (DC/IDW), merchandise, and mainstream partnerships. It overlaps with Cool Cats in expanding from a web3-native NFT collection to broader character-driven entertainment and licensed products.
- Gutter Cat Gang: Gutter Cat Gang is a cat-themed NFT IP with physical merchandise, animation development, and brand partnerships—directly mirroring Cool Cats' feline character-led positioning and merch-driven business model.
Broad incumbents
- Mattel: Mattel is a broad incumbent toy manufacturer with established character IPs (Barbie, Hot Wheels, Masters of the Universe) and a known web3 strategy. It is comparable as the dominant incumbent operating in the same character-merchandise toy category Cool Cats targets, with greater scale and retail relationships.
- Sanrio: Sanrio operates Hello Kitty and other globally beloved character IPs across plush, apparel, animation, and licensing. It is the dominant benchmark for Cool Cats' character-merchandising ambitions and a particularly relevant peer given Cool Cats' Japan/anime market expansion plans.
Others
- Animoca Brands: Animoca Brands is both a major investor in Cool Cats and a broader web3/IP ecosystem builder (including REVV Motorsport, Mocaverse, others). It is comparable as an enabler/strategic partner rather than direct competitor, providing capital and distribution infrastructure that Cool Cats' growth depends on.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cool Cats social profiles
Digital presenceCool Cats financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cool Cats leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cool Cats funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cool Cats M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cool Cats
What does Cool Cats do?
Cool Cats produces and distributes original animated content centered on its Blue Cat character universe, headlined by the YouTube series "The Milk Chug" (Season 1, 13 episodes). It monetizes the IP through direct-to-consumer merchandise sales (plush toys, vinyl figures, apparel) via its own e-commerce store and through brand partnerships, licensing, and NFT-based digital collectibles.
Is Cool Cats a public or private company?
Cool Cats is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Cool Cats founded?
Cool Cats was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cool Cats based?
Cool Cats is headquartered in Ústín, Czechia, in the Europe region.
How does Cool Cats make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Merchandise Sales are the primary driver. The others are NFT and Digital Assets and brand Partnerships and Licensing.
Who are Cool Cats's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Yuga Labs (Bored Ape Yacht Club), Doodles, Azuki, Pudgy Penguins, VeeFriends, World of Women and Gutter Cat Gang. Broad incumbents are Mattel and Sanrio. Animoca Brands is listed as an others.
Does Cool Cats have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cool Cats.
What industry is Cool Cats in?
Cool Cats's product category is Animated Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAFAE, Creator Merchandise & Print-on-Demand Platforms, with a secondary code of MPACABAG, Creator Commerce & Merch Platforms (Shops, Drops, Print-on-Demand). Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 3942.