Gigglebug
Gigglebug Entertainment is a privately held Finnish 2D animation studio with studios in Helsinki and Las Palmas that develops original children's IP and provides animation production services to global entertainment companies including Warner Bros., Disney, Nickelodeon, and Netflix.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gigglebug does
Gigglebug Entertainment is a private 2D animation studio founded in 2013 in Helsinki, Finland, by Anttu Harlin (CEO) and Joonas Utti (Creative Director). The studio operates two production facilities — a Helsinki headquarters and a Las Palmas, Gran Canaria studio opened in Summer 2024 — staffed by a self-reported team of 100+ animation professionals, and serves as both a service-production vendor and an original-IP developer for global children's and family entertainment.
The studio's core offering is end-to-end 2D animation production built on a hybrid pipeline that combines frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation (used for premium features such as Warner Bros. Animation's Emmy-winning Merry Little Batman) with rigged-supported animation for higher-volume series work (such as Bat-Fam). Gigglebug produces original IPs including Gigglebug (a preschool property spanning TV, apps, books, and music), The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti, Best & Bester, and Woop Loop Noodle Soup (over 1.1 billion online views), and delivers service work for major studios and broadcasters including Warner Bros. Animation, Disney, Nickelodeon, Netflix, Cartoon Network, BBC, YLE, DR, SVT, and NRK.
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: animation services for third-party IP (professional-services fees on features, series, and shorts), original-IP development and licensing (broadcast and streaming licensing of owned properties plus ancillary app/consumer product revenue), and feature film production. The business is founder-owned with no disclosed institutional funding, and pricing is project-specific with no public rate cards. Geographic reach spans EMEA and North America, with distribution into over 25 countries and major global streaming platforms (Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+) and broadcast networks.
Gigglebug firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gigglebug
- Legal name
- Gigglebug Entertainment
- Website
- https://gigglebugentertainment.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Gigglebug Entertainment is a privately held Finnish 2D animation studio with studios in Helsinki and Las Palmas that develops original children's IP and provides animation production services to global entertainment companies including Warner Bros., Disney, Nickelodeon, and Netflix.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gigglebug industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animation Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 2D (Traditional & Digital) Animation Production (MPADACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- 2D Character Animation (MPAHACAA), Stop-Motion & Hybrid Animation (MPAHACAM), Short-Form Animation (Shorts, Web Series) (MPADACAI)
Keywords
Where Gigglebug is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Helsinki
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Gigglebug business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Animation services for third-party IP: Gigglebug provides animation production services for major entertainment properties including Warner Bros. Animation (Merry Little Batman, Bat-Fam), Disney (101 Dalmatian Street), Nickelodeon (BeatBuds, Super Duper Bunny League), and Netflix (Last Kids on Earth). They handle full production pipelines from concept through final delivery.
- Original IP development and licensing: Gigglebug develops and owns original intellectual property (Gigglebug, The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti, Best & Bester, Woop Loop Noodle Soup) and licenses these to broadcasters and streaming platforms globally.
- Feature film production: Gigglebug produces feature-length animated content including 'Christmas Comes to Moominvalley' and 'Merry Little Batman', working as lead vendor for Warner Bros. Animation.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Gigglebug product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gigglebug Entertainment is an Emmy award-winning 2D animation studio providing full-service animation production for major entertainment companies (Warner Bros. Animation, Disney, Nickelodeon, Netflix) and developing/licensing its own original children's IP such as Gigglebug, The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti, Best & Bester, and Woop Loop Noodle Soup. The studio operates dual pipelines combining frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation with hybrid rigged-supported animation from studios in Helsinki and Las Palmas.
Product overview
Gigglebug Entertainment is an Emmy award-winning 2D animation studio offering original IP development and comprehensive animation production services. The company operates two studios (Helsinki and Las Palmas) providing frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation and hybrid hand-drawn/rigged animation pipelines. Their portfolio includes original IPs like Gigglebug (preschool series with apps, books, music), Woop Loop Noodle Soup (1.1B+ views), Best & Bester, and The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti, as well as service work for major studios including Warner Bros. Animation (Merry Little Batman, Bat-Fam), Disney (101 Dalmatian Street), Nickelodeon (The BeatBuds, Super Duper Bunny League), Netflix (Last Kids on Earth), and Cartoon Network (Beast Boy: Lone Wolf). They also produced Christmas Comes to Moominvalley, their first feature film quality animation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gigglebug: Original preschool TV series, apps, books and music focused on laughter and positive interactions for children.
- The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti
- Best & Bester
- Woop Loop Noodle Soup
- The BeatBuds, Let's Jam!
- Development
Products and services
- The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti Original animated TV series about 12-year-old Osmo and his cousin Rita who form an unlikely friendship with a 6 ft tall yellow yeti called Gustav in the town of Winterton. Licensed to global broadcasters.
- Best & Bester Original animated buddy comedy TV series about two friends who can transform themselves into whatever they want once per day. Picked up by Nickelodeon International and co-commissioned by YLE Finland.
- Gigglebug Award-winning original preschool TV series with apps, books and music, teaching positive ways of interacting through laughter. Curriculum devised by pedagogical experts in Finland. Sold to over 25 countries with over 1 million app downloads.
- Woop Loop Noodle Soup Original animated series set in Townton where everyone follows routines, featuring JJ Gifson who wants to experience something new. The first GIF-inspired cartoon with over 1.1 billion views online.
- Bat-Fam Spin-off TV series inspired by Merry Little Batman, airing on Amazon Prime. Features a hybrid pipeline of hand-drawn and rigged supported animation.
- Beast Boy: Lone Wolf Action-oriented short-form series following Beast Boy from Teen Titans Go!, made up of 10 shorts airing on Cartoon Network UK starting October 2024.
- Super Duper Bunny League Saturday morning cartoon vibe TV series based on hit comic book by Jamie Smart, airing on Nick Jr. Features comedy, character, action and heart.
- Merry Little Batman Christmas special animated feature film produced for Warner Bros. Animation. Frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation. Winner of Emmy award for individual achievement in character animation in 2025.
- 101 Dalmatian Street Disney animated TV series reboot following Dylan and Dolly Dalmatian and their 97 younger siblings at 101 Dalmatian Street in Camden Town. Gigglebug handled concept development and created digital content for the show.
- Last Kids on Earth Netflix Original animated TV series based on best-selling children's novels by Max Brallier, following 13-year-old Jack Sullivan and suburban middle schoolers battling zombies.
- The BeatBuds, Let's Jam! Ten-part animated shorts series for Nick Jr featuring animated versions of kid-pop sensation The BeatBuds. Gigglebug designed characters and produced the series.
- Christmas Comes to Moominvalley 8-minute feature film quality animation based on Tove Jansson's iconic Moomin works. Premiered December 2022 across the Nordics as part of The Nordic Christmas Hour.
- Animation Production Services Full-service 2D animation production offering including concept development, storyboard, animatic, character design, layout, background, animation, clean-up, compositing, music and sound. Delivered to major entertainment companies from Helsinki and Las Palmas studios using a combined 2D animation pipeline.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1.1 billion online views for Woop Loop Noodle Soup
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Gigglebug
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Gigglebug technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Gigglebug partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Zodiak Kids Studio FrancecoreCo-developed The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti with Zodiak Kids Studio France and Disney EMEA as lead commissioning broadcaster, along with Finland's YLE and Nordic broadcasters DR, SVT, NRK
- Passion Animation StudioscoreLead producer on 101 Dalmatian Street in London, with Gigglebug handling concept development and digital content creation
- Atomic CartoonscoreAnimation partner for 101 Dalmatian Street and Last Kids on Earth; partnered following successful collaboration on 101 Dalmatian Street to animate Last Kids on Earth shorts
- The Nordic Christmas Hour / Nordic BroadcasterscoreChristmas Comes to Moominvalley premiered in December 2022 as part of The Nordic Christmas Hour alongside six other animated short films based on works of famous Nordic storytellers
- YLEcoreFinnish public broadcaster and co-commissioning partner for The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti, Best & Bester, and other Nordic productions
- BBCminorUK broadcaster; mentioned as a client and testimonial source for Gigglebug's work
- DRminorDanish public broadcaster and co-commissioner for The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti
- SVTminorSwedish public broadcaster and co-commissioner for The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti
- NRKminorNorwegian public broadcaster and co-commissioner for The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti
- Tove Jansson / MoominminorProduced Christmas Comes to Moominvalley, based on the iconic work of Tove Jansson, directed by Jean-Michel Boesch and Kari Juusonen
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Gigglebug competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Locksmith Animation: UK-based premium 2D/CG animation studio that has produced feature work for major studios (e.g., Sony's Wish Dragon, Bad Guys). Highly comparable as a mid-sized European animation house with both service-for-hire and original IP ambitions, and similar client roster of major US studios.
- Blue Zoo: Award-winning London-based animation studio producing original children's IPs (Q Pootle 5, The Adventures of Paddington) and service work. Comparable in size, kids' content focus, and dual IP/service business model, including working with BBC and major US platforms.
- Boulder Media: Dublin-based 2D animation studio (now part of Hasbro/eOne) known for work on Star Wars: Resistance, Transformers, and My Little Pony. Directly comparable as a European 2D animation vendor serving premium US IP and original kids' content.
- Cartoon Saloon: Irish 2D animation studio behind The Secret of Kells, Wolfwalkers, and My Father's Dragon. Comparable as a 2D-specialist European studio with both feature production and a strong craft identity, though more feature-focused than Gigglebug.
- Lighthouse Studios: Dublin-based animation studio producing service work for Hasbro (Transformers, My Little Pony) and original content. Comparable in size and service-for-major-studio model, with a similar European cost base.
- Wildseed Studios: US-based animation studio and IP incubator that creates and produces original animation for adults and kids (Solar Opposites). Comparable in its dual role as service provider and original IP developer, though skewed more adult/older-kids.
- Passion Animation Studios: London-based animation studio working on commercials, features, and series for major brands and studios. Already a direct partner with Gigglebug on 101 Dalmatian Street; comparable in craft, client base, and UK/European animation scene positioning.
- Bardel Entertainment: Vancouver-based animation studio providing 2D and CG animation services for series (Teen Titans Go!, Dragon Prince). Comparable as a mid-sized studio with significant service-for-hire exposure to major Western studios and growing original work.
- Zodiak Kids: France-based kids' content division of Banijay (formerly Zodiak Media), co-developer of The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti with Gigglebug. Directly comparable as a co-production partner and European kids' IP developer with overlapping content portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Illumination Mac Guff: Paris-based animation studio (part of Universal's Illumination) producing CG features (Despicable Me, Sing). Comparable as a European animation house serving major studio franchises, but at substantially larger scale and focused on CG rather than 2D.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Gigglebug social profiles
Digital presenceGigglebug financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gigglebug leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Gigglebug funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gigglebug 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 Gigglebug
What does Gigglebug do?
Gigglebug Entertainment is an Emmy award-winning 2D animation studio providing full-service animation production for major entertainment companies (Warner Bros. Animation, Disney, Nickelodeon, Netflix) and developing/licensing its own original children's IP such as Gigglebug, The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti, Best & Bester, and Woop Loop Noodle Soup. The studio operates dual pipelines combining frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation with hybrid rigged-supported animation from studios in Helsinki and Las Palmas.
Is Gigglebug a public or private company?
Gigglebug is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Gigglebug founded?
Gigglebug was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Gigglebug based?
Gigglebug is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does Gigglebug make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Animation services for third-party IP is the primary driver. The others are original IP development and licensing and feature film production.
Who are Gigglebug's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Locksmith Animation, Blue Zoo, Boulder Media, Cartoon Saloon, Lighthouse Studios, Wildseed Studios, Passion Animation Studios, Bardel Entertainment and Zodiak Kids. Illumination Mac Guff is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Gigglebug have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gigglebug.
What industry is Gigglebug in?
Gigglebug's product category is Animation Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADACAA, 2D (Traditional & Digital) Animation Production, with a secondary code of MPAHACAA, 2D Character Animation. Its NAICS code is 5121.