Imangi Studios
Imangi Studios is an independent Raleigh-based mobile game studio best known as the creator of the Temple Run endless runner franchise, which has recorded over 2.5 billion combined downloads. It serves global casual mobile gamers via freemium apps on iOS, Android, and Apple Arcade, and licenses its 100+ characters and 20+ worlds to entertainment brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersRaleigh, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Imangi Studios does
Imangi Studios LLC is a privately held independent mobile game development studio headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, founded in 2008 by husband-and-wife team Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckyanova. The company built its identity and commercial scale on the Temple Run franchise, beginning with the 2011 launch of the original Temple Run, the defining title in the mobile endless runner genre, and followed by Temple Run 2 in 2013. Across these two flagship titles Imangi reports combined downloads exceeding 2.5 billion, placing the company among the most-downloaded mobile studios of the past decade. The studio has since extended the franchise across formats through branded co-developments with Disney (Temple Run: Oz) and Pixar (Temple Run: Brave), a match-3 spin-off (Temple Run: Puzzle Adventure), and a 2024 level-based runner on Apple Arcade (Temple Run: Legends), with Temple Run 3 currently in soft-launch in select Southeast Asian and Turkish markets. Earlier titles Max Adventure and Harbor Master contribute limited residual footprint.
Imangi operates a free-to-play monetization model with in-app purchases of virtual currency, power-ups, character unlocks, and cosmetic items, complemented by in-game advertising across a broad network of mediation partners including AdMob, Unity Ads, Applovin, Chartboost, Facebook Audience Network, IronSource, Vungle, and others. A second revenue stream is brand and IP licensing: Imangi has developed over 100 characters and 20 worlds that the studio actively markets for licensing across mobile, online, console, video, television, comics, cartoons, and film. Products are distributed globally through the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store, with Temple Run: Legends also available via Apple's Apple Arcade subscription service. The studio employs 11-50 people as of the latest available data and is led by CEO Walter Devins alongside founders Shepherd and Luckyanova and Product Owner Anthony Pecorella. Imangi has not raised institutional funding and operates as a bootstrapped, founder-controlled LLC domiciled in North Carolina.
Imangi Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Imangi Studios
- Legal name
- Imangi Studios LLC
- Website
- https://imangistudios.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Imangi Studios is an independent Raleigh-based mobile game studio best known as the creator of the Temple Run endless runner franchise, which has recorded over 2.5 billion combined downloads. It serves global casual mobile gamers via freemium apps on iOS, Android, and Apple Arcade, and licenses its 100+ characters and 20+ worlds to entertainment brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Imangi Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Gaming
- NAICS
- Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)
- SIC
- Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores (BPAMAKAB)
Keywords
Where Imangi Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Raleigh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Imangi Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- In-App Purchases: Free-to-play model with in-game virtual currency, power-ups, character unlocks, and cosmetic items available for purchase within Temple Run games.
- Licensing and Brand Extensions: Licensing the Temple Run brand to other companies for games, merchandise, and media. Imangi has developed over 100 characters and 20 worlds that can be licensed across platforms including mobile, online, console, video, television, comics, cartoons, and film.
- Collaborative Game Development: Co-development of branded Temple Run games with major studios such as Disney and Pixar, creating Temple Run: Brave and Temple Run: Oz.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play base game with optional in-app purchases |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Imangi Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Imangi Studios develops and publishes mobile games, anchored by the Temple Run franchise. The studio creates free-to-play endless runner games for iOS and Android with in-app purchases, and also licenses the Temple Run brand and IP (over 100 characters and 20 worlds) to other companies for games, merchandise, and media across mobile, console, video, television, comics, and film.
Product overview
Imangi Studios is a mobile game development company specializing in the Temple Run franchise. The company offers a portfolio of games consisting of the original Temple Run (endless runner), Temple Run 2 (sequel endless runner), Temple Run: Puzzle Adventure (match-3 puzzle game), Temple Run: Legends (level-based runner), and Temple Run 3 (in soft-launch). The company has also developed licensed Temple Run titles with Disney (Temple Run: Oz) and Pixar (Temple Run: Brave), as well as other games like Max Adventure and Harbor Master. Combined, Temple Run and Temple Run 2 have been downloaded over 2.5 billion times. The games are available on iOS, Android, and other platforms through app stores.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Temple Run: The flagship endless runner game franchise, including the original Temple Run, Temple Run 2, Temple Run: Brave, Temple Run: Oz, and other iterations.
- Temple Run: Puzzle Adventure
- Temple Run: Legends
Products and services
- Temple Run The original endless runner game where players steal a cursed idol from a temple and must escape from demon monkeys by running, jumping, turning, and sliding to avoid obstacles. Targeted at casual mobile gamers.
- Temple Run 2 The sequel to the original Temple Run, featuring more gameplay with navigable cliffs, zip lines, mines, and forests as players try to escape with the cursed idol. Targeted at casual mobile gamers.
- Temple Run: Puzzle Adventure A match-3 puzzle game set in the Temple Run universe where players assist adventurer Scarlett Fox in solving puzzles to overcome mysterious obstacles. Targeted at casual mobile gamers.
- Temple Run: Legends The first level-based runner in the Temple Run family featuring new gameplay modes, challenges, and rewards. Players run, swim, and hop across hundreds of levels to achieve 3-star ratings and explore the world of Aperion. Targeted at casual mobile gamers; also available on Apple Arcade.
- Temple Run 3 The next installment in the Temple Run franchise, returning players to the jungle world of Doom Lagoon with new features and gameplay mechanics. Currently in soft-launch and targeted at casual mobile gamers.
- Temple Run: Brave Licensed Temple Run game developed with Pixar featuring Brave-themed content and characters. Targeted at casual mobile gamers and Pixar/Brave franchise fans.
- Temple Run: Oz Licensed Temple Run game developed with Disney featuring Oz-themed content and environments. Targeted at casual mobile gamers and Oz franchise fans.
- Max Adventure A mobile game developed by Imangi Studios. Targeted at casual mobile gamers.
- Harbor Master A mobile game developed by Imangi Studios. Targeted at casual mobile gamers.
- Temple Run Brand Licensing Licensing of the Temple Run brand, characters, and worlds to other companies for games on mobile, online, console platforms, as well as video, television, comics, cartoons, and film. Targeted at entertainment studios, publishers, and brand partners.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2.5 billion combined downloads for Temple Run and Temple Run 2
Companies that use Imangi Studios
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Imangi Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration26 records
Feature1 record
Imangi Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Imangi Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Playdead: Danish indie game studio behind Limbo and Inside. Comparable in indie mobile/console game development profile, small-team execution, and premium-casual positioning.
- ZeptoLab: Mobile game studio famous for Cut the Rope. Similar indie mobile profile and single-iconic-franchise business model; both companies monetize globally popular casual games through freemium + ads + licensing.
- Outfit7: Creator of the Talking Tom franchise and similar mobile casual games. Comparable as a mobile entertainment studio built around a single iconic character-driven franchise with extensive licensing footprint.
- Miniclip: Swiss mobile and online casual game publisher known for 8 Ball Pool and Agar.io. Comparable casual-mobile focus and indie-origins heritage, though now backed by Tencent and at larger scale.
- Nitrome: UK-based indie game developer known for mobile and web casual games. Comparable indie heritage and small-team mobile development with pixel-art style similar to Imangi's accessible art direction.
- Rovio: Finnish studio behind Angry Birds (now under SEGA). Closely analogous single-iconic-mobile-franchise business model with licensing expansion into film, parks, and consumer products.
- Halfbrick Studios: Australian indie mobile game studio behind Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride. Highly comparable in indie heritage, small-team scale, and casual-mobile genre focus to Imangi Studios, including a similar single-hit-franchise trajectory.
Broad incumbents
- King: Major mobile casual game publisher behind Candy Crush Saga (part of Microsoft via Activision Blizzard). Operates broadly in the same casual-mobile genre as Imangi but at significantly greater scale with a multi-game portfolio.
- Gameloft: French mobile game developer and publisher (Vivendi-owned). A broader incumbent in mobile gaming with multiple franchises across racing, action, and casual genres at global scale.
- Zynga: Major mobile social and casual game publisher (now part of Take-Two Interactive). A broader incumbent in mobile gaming with substantially larger scale, portfolio breadth, and live-ops infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Imangi Studios social profiles
Digital presenceImangi Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Imangi Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Imangi Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Imangi Studios 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 Imangi Studios
What does Imangi Studios do?
Imangi Studios develops and publishes mobile games, anchored by the Temple Run franchise. The studio creates free-to-play endless runner games for iOS and Android with in-app purchases, and also licenses the Temple Run brand and IP (over 100 characters and 20 worlds) to other companies for games, merchandise, and media across mobile, console, video, television, comics, and film.
Is Imangi Studios a public or private company?
Imangi Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Imangi Studios founded?
Imangi Studios was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Imangi Studios based?
Imangi Studios is headquartered in Raleigh, United States, in the North America region.
How does Imangi Studios make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. In-App Purchases are the primary driver. The others are licensing and Brand Extensions and collaborative Game Development.
Who are Imangi Studios's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Playdead, ZeptoLab, Outfit7, Miniclip, Nitrome, Rovio and Halfbrick Studios. Broad incumbents are King, Gameloft and Zynga.
Does Imangi Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Imangi Studios.
What industry is Imangi Studios in?
Imangi Studios's product category is Mobile Gaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAKAB, Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores. Its NAICS code is 7131 and its SIC code is 3944.