TVPaint Developpement

What TVPaint Developpement does

TVPaint Developpement is a French software company headquartered in Metz (Lorraine region), founded in 1991 by Hervé Adam to build digital tools that replicate the look and feel of traditional paper-based 2D animation. The company develops TVPaint Animation, a bitmap-based professional 2D animation suite used by individual animators, animation production studios, and animation schools in more than 70 countries. Named productions include 'Luce and the Rock' (winner of the 2023 César for Best Animated Short Film), 'Des Astres' (Disney+, 2023), and 'L'Armée des Romantiques' (Arte, December 2024). The company's customer base splits roughly between professional studios producing broadcast and streaming content, educational institutions and students, and independent animators, with education being a structurally emphasized channel via partnerships with schools such as Cinéfabrique National Film School.

The core product, TVPaint Animation, ships in Standard and Professional editions built on a bitmap/raster architecture designed to preserve the natural hand-drawn aesthetic of traditional animation, in contrast to vector-based competitors. Differentiated technical components include a proprietary custom brush engine, a dual-papers multitextured brush system, CTG (Colour and Texture Generator) smart colorization layers, a bitmap-based puppet rigging engine for automated in-betweens, a keyframe-based 2D camera, an FX stack, and a modular panel-based interface. The application runs natively on Windows, macOS (Intel and ARM via Universal Binary), and Linux, with performance dependent on CPU and RAM rather than discrete GPUs. The Professional edition adds storyboarding, the TVPaint Converter (with a client-server architecture introduced in v12), the George scripting SDK for automation, and rig save/import with constraints. Version 12 released in 2024 with a modular interface and bitmap rigging; version 12.1.0 released in 2025 added Japanese-style timesheet layouts, Apple ProRes export across platforms, and enhanced rigging controls.

TVPaint operates a direct-to-consumer business model, selling licenses exclusively through its own e-commerce storefront at tvpaint.com and a quote-based contact form for schools and studios, with no third-party reseller network. Pricing is structured as one-time perpetual licenses (no subscription), including free updates and free technical support, with discounted upgrade paths between major versions and a separate education tier delivered via partner-distributed Edu Codes. Marketing and demand generation rely on a content-marketing blog featuring making-of articles about partner-studio productions, a public user-art portfolio, an active user forum, YouTube tutorials, and recurring event presence at MIFA Annecy and other animation festivals. The company is privately held and bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding, and operates with a headcount of 11–50 employees.

Name

TVPaint Developpement

Legal name

TVPaint Développement

Website

https://tvpaint.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

French developer of TVPaint Animation, a professional 2D bitmap-based animation software used by individual animators, production studios, and animation schools across more than 70 countries, sold via direct e-commerce and education licensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

2D Animation Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)

akta.pro primary industry

2D Character Animation (MPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

2D (Traditional & Digital) Animation Production (MPADACAA), Interactive Video & Video-Based Learning Authoring (EDAFAHAC)

Keywords

• 2D animation software
• Bitmap animation tools
• Digital drawing software
• Frame-by-frame animation
• Animation production software

Headquarters

HQ city

Metz

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. One-time perpetual software license: TVPaint Animation is sold as a one-time perpetual license purchase, providing unlimited use of the software without recurring subscription fees. The license includes free updates and free technical support. Upgrades from prior versions (e.g., version 11 to version 12) are available as paid one-time upgrades.
2. Education/student licensing: Special education-priced licenses are available for students and schools, delivered via education codes distributed through partner institutions and directly by TVPaint upon proof of student status.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TVPaint Developpement sells TVPaint Animation, a professional bitmap-based 2D animation software that replicates the natural look and feel of traditional paper-based animation. The software is offered in Standard and Professional editions, sold as one-time perpetual licenses with free updates and free technical support, plus discounted Education licensing for students and schools.

Product overview

TVPaint Developpement offers TVPaint Animation, a professional 2D bitmap-based animation software available in two editions: Standard and Professional. Standard provides essential animation tools including a custom brush engine, dual papers system, transformation tools, and essential FX. Professional extends Standard with TVPaint Converter, storyboarding tools, 2D camera, bitmap rigging (puppet layers), smart colorization (CTG layers), image library, and complete FX set. The software is a one-time purchase model with free technical support. The company also provides an Education program for students, teachers, and schools with discounted licensing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TVPaint Animation Standard Entry-level 2D bitmap animation software for animators getting started, providing essential tools including modular interface, custom brush engine, dual papers system for multitextured brushes, transformation tools, light table with out-of-pegs feature, scan cleaner, and an essential set of FX. Sold as a one-time perpetual license with free updates and free technical support.
• TVPaint Animation Professional Full-featured 2D bitmap animation software for professional studios, including everything in Standard plus TVPaint Converter, storyboarding tools, 2D camera, bitmap rigging (puppet layers), smart colorization (CTG layers), image library, and complete set of FX. Sold as a one-time perpetual license with free updates and free technical support.
• TVPaint Converter Standalone batch conversion tool for processing TVPaint project files, with a client-server architecture introduced in TVPaint Animation 12 for converting animation project files.
• TVPaint Animation SDK Software development kit (C++) enabling developers to build plugins, loaders, and savers for TVPaint Animation, with George scripting commands for automating layer management, timesheet handling, CTG palette manipulation, and project management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 'Luce and the Rock' won the César for Best Animated Short Film 2023; 'Des Astres' released on Disney+; 'L'Armée des Romantiques' broadcast on Arte

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cinéfabrique National Film SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCinéfabrique National Film School is a key educational partner whose alumni (Maxence and Hugo of Les Films de la Sauväger) have created award-winning productions using TVPaint. The school facilitated the Disney+ short film initiative that produced 'Des Astres' and supported its graduates with a pre-purchase agreement. TVPaint provided software licenses to enable the production.
• Disney+minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisney+ ran a call for projects through partner animation schools, pre-purchasing several short animated films from graduating students at Cinéfabrique National Film School. One of the resulting productions, 'Des Astres' by Les Films de la Sauväger, was produced using TVPaint Animation.
• Arte (TV Channel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArte, the Franco-German public broadcaster, aired 'L'Armée des Romantiques,' a 4-episode animated documentary series produced by Silex Films using TVPaint Animation Professional. The series was broadcast in December 2024.
• The Missing One (Web Agency)minorOthersThe Missing One SAS is the web design agency responsible for the design and development of the TVPaint website across all language versions.
• 1&1 IONOS SARLminorOthers1&1 IONOS SARL is the hosting provider for the TVPaint website, with servers located at 7 place de la Gare, 57200 Sarreguemines, France.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Toon Boom Animation: Toon Boom Harmony and Storyboard Pro are the leading professional 2D animation software suites, directly competing with TVPaint Animation in studios and schools. Now owned by Netflix, Toon Boom is the dominant incumbent in the same product category serving the same professional and education customers.
• Moho (Smith Micro Software): Moho (formerly Anime Studio) is a professional 2D animation software combining bone rigging with vector and bitmap tools, directly competing with TVPaint in the indie-animator and small-studio segment. It targets similar freelance and education buyers at a comparable price point.

Broad incumbents

• Adobe Animate: Adobe Animate (formerly Flash) is a vector-based 2D animation tool sold via Creative Cloud subscription, targeting the same professional and education animators as TVPaint. As part of the broader Adobe ecosystem, it benefits from cross-sell and bundled distribution but lacks the bitmap/raster fidelity that differentiates TVPaint.
• Blender Foundation (Blender): Blender is a free, open-source 3D creation suite whose Grease Pencil tool provides 2D animation capabilities drawing directly in 3D space. While primarily 3D-focused, it overlaps with TVPaint's studio segment as a no-cost alternative increasingly adopted by independent animators and small studios.

Emerging players

• Clip Studio Paint: Clip Studio Paint by Celsys offers 2D illustration and animation features including frame-by-frame animation, targeting individual animators, illustrators, and manga creators. It overlaps with TVPaint's freelance and education segments and competes on price for hobbyist-to-professional use cases.
• Krita Foundation (Krita): Krita is an open-source digital painting application with growing animation features (Krita Animation) that overlaps with TVPaint's 2D bitmap drawing capabilities. Its free price point makes it a meaningful competitor for independent animators and students who might otherwise consider TVPaint's entry-level Standard tier.
• OpenToonz: OpenToonz is an open-source 2D animation software originally developed by Studio Ghibli, offering professional-grade frame-by-frame animation and effects. It competes with TVPaint for cost-sensitive studios and schools and is functionally comparable despite lacking the proprietary bitmap brush engine.
• Procreate (Savage Interactive): Procreate is a leading iPad-based digital illustration application with growing animation features (Procreate Dreams), targeting the same independent artist and freelance segments as TVPaint. While its drawing tools overlap, its animation feature set is less mature than TVPaint's Professional edition.
• Cavalry (Scenes.app): Cavalry is a professional 2D motion design and animation tool targeting motion graphics artists and small studios, with overlapping use cases to TVPaint's animation and rigging features. It represents an emerging, programmatic alternative gaining traction in design-forward studios.
• Rough Animator: Rough Animator is a lightweight, low-cost 2D animation app for desktop and mobile targeting independent animators and hobbyists. It competes with TVPaint at the low end of the price-sensitive independent/freelance segment with simpler bitmap-based frame-by-frame tools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tvpaintdev
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TVPaint
• Facebookfacebook.com/tvpaint.developpement
• Instagraminstagram.com/tvpaintanim
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tvpaint-d-veloppement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 TVPaint Developpement