What Cloudco Entertainment does

Cloudco Entertainment (formerly American Greetings Entertainment) is a Cleveland, Ohio-based entertainment studio that develops and manages multi-platform children's entertainment franchises. Founded in 2012 and operating as a subsidiary of Those Characters From Cleveland, the company describes itself as a 'compact, yet diversified' organization with a disclosed headcount band of 11-50 employees. Its asset portfolio comprises six character properties led by Care Bears (launched 1982, approaching its 45th anniversary), alongside Holly Hobbie, Tinpo, Buddy Thunderstruck, Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese, and Madballs.

Cloudco operates an asset-light, IP-centric business model in which revenue is generated almost exclusively through licensing royalties paid by third-party manufacturers, retailers, and content distributors. Active licensees span home fragrance (Scentsy), beauty and personal care (Londontown, Burst Oral Care), tech accessories (Casetify), apparel (Legend Brands/Gina Group, Rufflebutts, United Colors of Benetton), stationery, seasonal and gifting, toys (Basic Fun!; Aurora World for exclusive global plush from 2026), seasonal décor (Gemmy, Sunnydays), and entertainment content (Blue Sky Studios, Relatable). Distribution is supported by a network of licensing agents covering EMEA — PGS for luxury, The License Connection for Benelux, and Maurizio Distefano for Italy — alongside established European retail shelf presence at Zara, H&M, Marks & Spencer's, and Carrefour. The company also extends Care Bears into mobile gaming via a themed season in King's Candy Crush Solitaire and into location-based entertainment through Care Bears Cafés (a second location opened in Bangkok). A COPPA-compliant consumer website (CloudcoEntertainment.com) hosts games and videos and uses contextual rather than behavioral advertising.

Cloudco serves two interdependent customer layers: end consumers — children, families, and nostalgic adult fans reached through fashion collaborations — and B2B partners, namely retailers and licensees that license Care Bears and other IP for their product lines. Pricing is set by individual licensees and retailers rather than by Cloudco directly; disclosed unit economics on the Basic Fun! Harry Potter x Care Bears plush line are $9.99 (8-inch) and $17.99 (12-inch). The company does not sell directly to consumers.

Name

Cloudco Entertainment

Legal name

Cloudco Entertainment

Website

https://cloudcoentertainment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cloudco Entertainment (formerly American Greetings Entertainment) is a Cleveland-based entertainment studio that develops multi-platform children's entertainment franchises, anchored by the Care Bears brand, monetized through category licensing royalties with global retail and consumer product partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Licensing Royalties - Care Bears Franchise: Cloudco Entertainment generates revenue through licensing its Care Bears franchise across diverse product categories including home fragrance, beauty, tech accessories, apparel, stationery, seasonal/gifting, and games. The company has established partnerships with multiple licensees covering various consumer product segments.
2. Licensing Royalties - Character Plush: Revenue from licensing the Care Bears brand for plush toy collections, including crossover collaborations such as Harry Potter x Care Bears with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products and Basic Fun!, distributed through major toy retailers.
3. Gaming Integration Licensing: Licensing Care Bears brand for integration into mobile gaming platforms, including a Care Bears-themed season in Candy Crush Solitaire featuring Care Bears card decks, events, and collectible cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cloudco Entertainment is an entertainment studio that owns and develops multi-platform children's entertainment franchises — including Care Bears, Holly Hobbie, Tinpo, Buddy Thunderstruck, Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese, and Madballs — and monetizes them primarily through consumer product licensing, brand partnerships, and content development across all media channels. The company operates a COPPA-compliant kid-safe website with games and videos, and generates the majority of its revenue from licensing royalties across categories such as plush toys, apparel, home fragrance, beauty, tech accessories, baby products, and gaming.

Product overview

Cloudco Entertainment (formerly American Greetings Entertainment) is an entertainment studio that owns and manages a diversified portfolio of character and entertainment franchises. The company operates as a multi-platform entertainment studio developing franchises across all media channels with extensive consumer merchandising programs. Its core product portfolio includes six distinct brands: Care Bears (a multi-platform franchise with characters on adventures in the Silver Lining, spanning animated content, licensing, and location-based entertainment), Holly Hobbie (a character brand centered on a 13-year-old singer-songwriter), Tinpo (an animated series about a construction team of problem solvers), Buddy Thunderstruck (a stop-motion action-comedy series), Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese (an animated comedic series about a blended family), and Madballs (a character property). Together these brands immerse children and adults in the brands they love through multi-platform entertainment and consumer merchandising.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Care Bears: Multi-platform entertainment franchise featuring Cheer, Funshine, Share, Grumpy and Good Luck Bear characters on a quest in the Silver Lining realm.
• Holly Hobbie
• Madballs
• Tinpo
• Buddy Thunderstruck
• Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese (BGDCMC)

Products and services

• Care Bears Multi-platform entertainment franchise featuring Care Bears characters (Cheer, Funshine, Share, Grumpy, Good Luck Bear) on adventures in the Silver Lining realm. The brand spans animated content, consumer merchandise, licensing partnerships, and location-based entertainment experiences for children and nostalgic adult audiences.
• Holly Hobbie

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aurora World Inc.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 3 June 2026Aurora World Inc. partnered with Cloudco Entertainment to distribute an exclusive Care Bears plush collection starting June 2026 with shipments beginning September 2026. Collection features characters from Care Bears brand in various plush formats targeting global consumers.
• The Clever BabyminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 26 February 2026The Clever Baby launched Care Bears Silicone Suction Plate Collection marking Care Bears' entry into baby feeding products. Collection features six Care Bears characters on 100% food-grade silicone plates with suction bases. Launch represents beginning of broader licensing collaboration.
• Basic Fun!coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 7 January 2026Basic Fun! unveiled Harry Potter x Care Bears plush collection in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products to celebrate Harry Potter's 25th Anniversary in 2026. Collection features two sizes representing four Hogwarts houses.
• Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer ProductscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2026Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products collaborated with Basic Fun! and Cloudco for Harry Potter x Care Bears crossover plush collection celebrating Harry Potter's 25th Anniversary.
• King (Candy Crush Solitaire)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2025King launched a Care Bears-themed season in Candy Crush Solitaire running through November, featuring Care Bears card decks, Care-o-Meter event, and collectible cards. Partnership aligns Care Bears' 45-year brand legacy with Candy Crush Solitaire's player base.
• PGScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 September 2025PGS appointed as licensing agent to expand Care Bears brand into the luxury space within EMEA region, strengthening Cloudco's agency network for premium market segments.
• The License ConnectioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 September 2025The License Connection appointed as licensing agent for Care Bears brand in Benelux market, expanding Cloudco's EMEA agency network coverage.
• ZaracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFashion retail partnership established at Zara for Care Bears brand merchandise across European markets.
• H&McoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFashion retail partnership established at H&M for Care Bears brand merchandise across European markets.
• Marks & Spencer'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK retail partnership established at Marks & Spencer's for Care Bears brand merchandise.
• CarrefourcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean retail partnership established at Carrefour for Care Bears brand merchandise.
• ScentsycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for Care Bears home fragrance products as part of wave of new licensing partnerships covering multiple product categories.
• LondontownminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for Care Bears beauty products as part of new multi-category licensing partnerships.
• Burst Oral CareminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for Care Bears oral care products as part of new multi-category licensing partnerships.
• CasetifycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for Care Bears tech accessories as part of new multi-category licensing partnerships.
• Legend Brands/Gina GroupcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for Care Bears apparel products as part of new multi-category licensing partnerships.
• RufflebuttsminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for Care Bears children's apparel as part of new multi-category licensing partnerships.
• Whatever! Makes You HappyminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for Care Bears seasonal/gifting products as part of new multi-category licensing partnerships.
• Blue Sky StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensing partnership for Care Bears entertainment content as part of new multi-category licensing partnerships covering home fragrance, beauty, tech accessories, apparel, stationery, seasonal/gifting, and games.
• SunnydaysminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for Care Bears seasonal products as part of new multi-category licensing partnerships.
• GemmyminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for Care Bears seasonal/decorative products as part of new multi-category licensing partnerships.
• RelatablecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing partnership for Care Bears entertainment and experiential products as part of new multi-category licensing partnerships.
• Maurizio Distefano LicensingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItaly-based licensing agent unveiled 2026 roadmap featuring Care Bears capsule collection with United Colors of Benetton, representing brand expansion into fashion through localized social media strategies.
• United Colors of BenettoncoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCare Bears capsule collection partnership with Maurizio Distefano Licensing for Italian market, featuring fashion collaboration leveraging nostalgic brand appeal.
• Born LicensingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensing agent representing Cloudco Entertainment in Candy Crush Solitaire partnership, highlighting cultural and nostalgic fit between Care Bears and mobile gaming audiences.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Funko: Pop-culture licensing company producing collectibles and apparel across third-party and owned IPs. Comparable licensing-and-collectibles model with mass-retail and specialty-store distribution.
• Sanrio: Japanese character company behind Hello Kitty licensing a single dominant IP across toys, fashion, beauty and gifting globally. Comparable character-first licensing business with similar retail partner structure.
• Spin Master: Children's entertainment company creating and licensing brands such as PAW Patrol and Bakugan across toys, content and digital. Comparable in multi-platform IP development and global licensing.
• Hasbro: Major toy and entertainment company with multi-generational character IP (My Little Pony, Transformers, Play-Doh). Closely comparable to Cloudco as a multi-brand children's IP licensor with global retail and gaming distribution.
• Entertainment One (eOne): Owner of Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, monetizing preschool IP via licensing and content distribution. Closely comparable heritage children's IP licensing model with global retail and consumer products reach.
• Mattel: Owns Barbie, Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price and licenses these globally across toys, fashion and content. Directly comparable business model of heritage character IP monetized through global licensing and retail partnerships.
• WildBrain: Canadian entertainment company managing Peanuts, Teletubbies and Strawberry Shortcake IP across content, licensing and consumer products. Direct peer in the heritage-children's-IP licensing space with similar revenue model.
• Sesame Workshop: Non-profit owner of Sesame Street IP with extensive global licensing program in toys, apparel and home goods. Comparable multi-generational children's character IP licensing business with similar retail partner profile.

Broad incumbents

• Warner Bros. Discovery: Owns Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Harry Potter and other heritage IP with global licensing programs. Broad incumbent comparable to Cloudco's character-licensing strategy and a current counterparty in the Harry Potter x Care Bears collaboration.
• The Walt Disney Company: Owns Mickey, Disney Princess, Marvel and Star Wars — broad incumbent licensing and content portfolio overlapping with Cloudco's character licensing model but at vastly larger scale and with fully integrated content production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cloudco Entertainment