The Hive Studio
The Hive Studio is an Academy Award-nominated Tel Aviv animation studio founded in 2010, producing 2D, 3D, and mixed media films, series, and commercials for international broadcasters, brands, and co-production partners across four Mediterranean branches.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersTel Aviv, Israel
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Hive Studio does
The Hive Studio is a Tel Aviv-based animation production company founded in 2010 by Amit Russell Gicelter, operating four Mediterranean branches (Tel Aviv, Athens, Jerusalem, Sderot) with a core team of approximately 40 artists scalable to 100+. The studio runs a full-service 2D, 3D, mixed media, and stop motion animation pipeline covering content development, storyboarding, pre-production, production, and post-production for both original IP and international client service work. Its product surface spans Academy Award-nominated short films (Letter to a Pig, Black Slide, Butterfly Kiss, Pisces, Swimming With Wings), animated series (Vampair, The Normal MFer, Summer Memories, Crayola's Scribble Scrubbie Pets, Sheryl Holmes & The Kid Detectives), and a 2024-launched theatrical distribution arm for international animated features.
The studio monetizes through a hybrid model: professional-services production fees from international broadcasters and brands (WildBrain, Crayola, KAN, Hop! TV, Aircraft Pictures, Yeti Farm Creative, Miyu Productions), licensing and royalty revenue from original short films on the festival circuit and Vimeo Staff Picks, transaction-fee revenue from theatrical distribution launched in 2024, crowdfunding for original pilots (over $260K raised on Kickstarter for Vampair in July 2025), and direct-to-consumer merchandise through an online collectibles shop. The studio's GTM is sales-led, anchored on festival presence (Annecy MIFA, Cartoon Forum, Animafest Zagreb, Animasyros), relationships with European broadcasters and co-production financiers, and leveraging its Mediterranean positioning for EU funding mechanisms and Greece's 40% production rebate through The Hive Greece.
The Hive Studio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Hive Studio
- Legal name
- The Hive Studio
- Website
- https://thehivepro.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Hive Studio is an Academy Award-nominated Tel Aviv animation studio founded in 2010, producing 2D, 3D, and mixed media films, series, and commercials for international broadcasters, brands, and co-production partners across four Mediterranean branches.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Hive Studio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animation Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Outsourcing Studios (Art/Animation/Audio/Engineering Support) (MPAFAAAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Co-Development, Porting & Remaster Studios (MPAFAAAM)
Keywords
Where The Hive Studio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tel Aviv
- HQ country
- Israel
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices4 records
Markets served
The Hive Studio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Service Work: High-quality animation production services for international clients and partners, including commercial content, series episodes, and feature film work.
- Original IP Development: Development and production of proprietary animated content including short films, feature films, and episodic series that generate revenue through licensing, sales, and awards.
- Theatrical Distribution: Distribution of animated feature films to cinemas, museums, festivals, and TV channels, launched as a new business branch in 2024.
- Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling collectibles, art prints, posters, clothing, and branded merchandise inspired by studio productions.
- Festival Circuit & Awards: Revenue generation through film festival selections, award competitions, and associated distribution opportunities for short films.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise - Art Prints |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise - Posters |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise - Apparel & Books |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise - Studio Stickers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Hive Studio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Hive Studio is a full-service animation studio producing 2D, 3D, mixed media, and stop motion content for original IPs and international clients. It delivers end-to-end production from story development through post-production, and since 2024 also distributes animated features from around the world to cinemas, museums, festivals, and TV channels. The studio operates four Mediterranean branches (Tel Aviv, Athens, Jerusalem, Sderot) with a team of approximately 40 artists scalable to over 100.
Product overview
The Hive Studio is an Academy Award-nominated animation production company founded in 2010, operating four Mediterranean branches (Tel Aviv, Athens, Jerusalem, Sderot) with a team of ~40 artists. It operates two core divisions: (1) Animation Production Services — a full-service 2D, 3D, mixed media, and stop motion pipeline covering content development through post-production for original IPs and international clients; and (2) Original Content — a portfolio of award-winning short films (Letter to a Pig, Black Slide, Butterfly Kiss, Pisces, Swimming With Wings), animated series (Vampair, The Normal MFer, Summer Memories, Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Pets, Sheryl Holmes & The Kid Detectives, Cryptid Chaos, Nikolas and the Mythfits, and others), and feature films (Tip of the Iceberg, Finding Rozy, Glitter, A Pirate's Portrait in various development stages). A 2024 distribution arm adds cinema/screenings to its offerings. The Hive Greece branch (2025) expands its European production presence with education and co-production services. Merchandise is sold through an online collectibles shop.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Animation Production Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Academy Award nomination (Letter to a Pig, 2024)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Hive Studio
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
The Hive Studio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Hive Studio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Chronicle StudioscoreAI media technology partnership for YouTube channel management of The Vampair and The Normal MFer series. Chronicle Studios deploys its AI-driven social content intelligence platform to oversee YouTube channel strategy, content optimization, global audience discovery, and monetization.
- Animasyros ProductionscoreGreek production partner for The Hive Greece branch. Animasyros Productions is known for organizing Greece's largest animation film festival and shares The Hive's vision for cultivating creative synergy and innovation in storytelling.
- Miyu ProductionscoreCo-producer of Letter to a Pig (Academy Award nominee 2024). French animation studio specializing in auteur-driven animated shorts with international distribution capabilities.
- Miyu DistributioncoreDistribution partner led by Luce Grosjean, specializing in short film festival distribution and Academy Awards campaign preparation.
- Flipbook Studio (UK)coreUK-based 3D animation studio in Manchester. First UK-Israeli co-production partner for Black Slide, providing significant production support and creative collaboration.
- Fabian&FredcoreHamburg-based animation studio founded in 2014. Co-producer of Butterfly Kiss (Oscar-qualified, Vimeo Staff Pick). Has produced 30 films in 20 countries, nominated for European and German Film Awards.
- A&N ProductionsmajorProduction partner for Summer Memories animated series, contributing to international co-production structure.
- Yeti Farm CreativemajorProduction partner for Summer Memories animated series, contributing to Canadian co-production elements.
- Aircraft PicturesmajorProduction partner for Summer Memories animated series, contributing to Canadian co-production elements.
- WildBrainmajorMajor broadcasting and distribution partner for Summer Memories, providing global distribution reach for the animated series.
- Pixel GiantsminorCyprus-based animation studio partnering on Kombina series pitched at Cartoon Forum.
- Prickly Pear AnimationminorCyprus-based animation studio partnering on Kombina series pitched at Cartoon Forum.
- Valk ProductionscoreNetherlands-based production partner for Swimming With Wings animated documentary, in collaboration with NEXT Talent program.
- Telescope AnimationminorProduction partner for Jam & Re 3D animation series, selected for pitching at Annecy Film Festival's television series pitching session.
- WNA (West Negev Animation)minorWest Negev Animation initiative supporting Jam & Re series development alongside The Hive Studio.
- ERT (Greek Broadcaster)minorGreek national broadcaster partnering on Zebra's Island feature film production.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Hive Studio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Miyu Productions: French auteur-driven animation studio specializing in international short film co-productions. Co-produced Letter to a Pig with The Hive; competes for the same Oscar/festival circuit and access to European public funds.
- Cartoon Saloon: Irish boutique animation studio with multiple Academy Award nominations and auteur 2D feature work. Closely mirrors The Hive's model of small-team, award-caliber original IP paired with co-production financing.
- Locksmith Animation: UK boutique animation studio focused on premium CG feature films with international co-production. Operates at a similar scale and award-driven positioning to The Hive's original-IP business.
- Fabian&Fred: Hamburg-based animation studio co-producing short films (Butterfly Kiss). Comparable boutique European co-producer pursuing the same auteur short film/festival/Oscar-strategy space.
- Flipbook Studio: UK-based 3D animation studio co-producing Black Slide with The Hive. Comparable mid-sized UK animation producer working across co-productions and original shorts.
- Titmouse Inc. US animation production studio servicing commercials, series, and features with a similar service-work-plus-IP model. Comparable multi-technique, multi-format animation services capability.
Broad incumbents
- Aardman Animations: UK-based established animation studio with a much larger portfolio of feature IP and shorts. Overlaps in festival/Oscar-caliber short film production and international co-financing, but at a far larger scale.
- WildBrain: Canadian animation production and distribution company; distributes and co-produces kids' series including Summer Memories with The Hive. A partner in distribution but also competes in animation production and IP ownership for kids content.
Regional players
- Animasyros Productions: Greek animation studio and festival operator partnered with The Hive to launch The Hive Greece. Operates in the same Mediterranean co-production and festival space with overlapping local market position.
- Prickly Pear Animation: Cyprus-based animation studio partnering with The Hive on the Kombina series pitched at Cartoon Forum. A direct Mediterranean co-production peer competing for the same European regional incentives and Cartoon Forum commissions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Hive Studio social profiles
Digital presenceThe Hive Studio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Hive Studio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
The Hive Studio subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Hive Studio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Hive Studio 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 The Hive Studio
What does The Hive Studio do?
The Hive Studio is a full-service animation studio producing 2D, 3D, mixed media, and stop motion content for original IPs and international clients. It delivers end-to-end production from story development through post-production, and since 2024 also distributes animated features from around the world to cinemas, museums, festivals, and TV channels. The studio operates four Mediterranean branches (Tel Aviv, Athens, Jerusalem, Sderot) with a team of approximately 40 artists scalable to over 100.
Is The Hive Studio a public or private company?
The Hive Studio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Hive Studio founded?
The Hive Studio was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Hive Studio based?
The Hive Studio is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, in the Middle East region.
How does The Hive Studio make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Service Work is the primary driver. The others are original IP Development, theatrical Distribution, merchandise Sales and festival Circuit & Awards.
Who are The Hive Studio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Miyu Productions, Cartoon Saloon, Locksmith Animation, Fabian&Fred, Flipbook Studio and Titmouse Inc.. Broad incumbents are Aardman Animations and WildBrain. Regional players are Animasyros Productions and Prickly Pear Animation.
Does The Hive Studio have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Hive Studio.
What industry is The Hive Studio in?
The Hive Studio's product category is Animation Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAN, Outsourcing Studios (Art/Animation/Audio/Engineering Support), with a secondary code of MPAFAAAM, Co-Development, Porting & Remaster Studios. Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.