What Sun & Moon does

Sun & Moon is an award-winning animation and games studio founded in Bristol, UK in 2008 by Dylan Shipley and Louis Jones, operating today as a fully remote studio. The company provides four service lines: end-to-end animation production (2D, CG, and blended techniques for series, commercials, short films, and branded content); games development (2D and 3D character-driven games built in Unity and PixiJS, with a specialization in accessibility); original intellectual property development (from concept through to production-ready show bibles and market preparation at festivals such as CMC, MIPCOM, and Annecy); and industry training courses (a Toon Boom Harmony crash course taught by a certified professional). Notable proprietary technology includes a Master Controller rigging system for complex 2D character animation and a multi-input accessible-games codebase that supports eye tracking, mouse, gamepad, switch, and keyboard controls, with code released open source.

The studio serves a horizontal B2B client base spanning public broadcasters (BBC, CBeebies, RTÉ Jr, Channel 5, Nickelodeon), animation IP holders (Aardman Animations on Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget for Netflix), gaming publishers (Square Enix on Life is Strange trailers, Special Effect on accessible eye-gaze games), consumer brands (Clarks, Fisher-Price, BT), and educational/charity organizations (BBC Bitesize, Woodland Trust). It makes money primarily through project-based animation and game development contracts, supplemented by IP development engagements that include licensing potential on internally developed titles such as Blood of Camelot, The Dragons, and All Hands On Duck, and a small but distinct professional education revenue stream (£400 per course participant). The GTM motion is sales-led with deep collaborative partnerships; eight accessible game titles are distributed through Special Effect's EyeGazeGames.com platform as a secondary OEM-embedded channel.

Sun & Moon is privately held with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or funding rounds. Ownership and creative direction remain with the two co-founders. The studio differentiates through character-driven storytelling, a 15-year portfolio across children's, educational, and adult animation, and a defensible niche in accessible game development. Scale signals are modest: a team of approximately 10 named professionals within a stated 11–50 employee range, a 32-hour work week with extended benefits, and no publicly disclosed revenue figure.

Name

Sun & Moon

Legal name

Sun & Moon Studios Limited

Website

https://sunandmoonstudios.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sun & Moon is a Bristol-founded, fully remote UK animation and games studio (est. 2008) offering 2D/CG animation production, accessible game development, original IP development, and professional training to broadcasters, brands, and game studios including BBC, Aardman, Netflix, and Special Effect.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation Production Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO) (MPAFAKAM)

Keywords

• 2D animation services
• 3D game development
• Accessible game design
• Original IP development
• Animation production studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Animation Production Services: Creating animated series, commercials, branded content, and short-form films for broadcasters, brands, and production companies. Revenue generated through project-based contracts for custom animation work.
2. Game Development Services: Developing accessible games for clients and platforms, including work with Special Effect's Eye Gaze Games platform. Revenue from game development projects and licensing.
3. IP Development: Developing original intellectual property from concept to production-ready show, including character development, pitch decks, show bibles. Can include securing funding and buzz at global markets.
4. Animation Education Courses: Industry-focused animation courses taught by working professionals. Four-day intensive courses like Toon Boom Harmony training at £400 per participant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sun & Moon is an animation and games studio that produces custom 2D, CG, and blended animation content for broadcasters, brands, and production companies, alongside accessible 2D and 3D game development for web and mobile platforms. The studio also develops original intellectual property from concept to production-ready stage and offers industry-led animation training courses, operating end-to-end from design and storyboarding through to final delivery.

Product overview

Sun & Moon is an award-winning animation and games studio founded in Bristol in 2008, operating as a fully remote studio. Its offering is a multi-service portfolio comprising four core service lines: Animation Services (2D, CG, and blended production for series, films, and commercials), Games Development (2D and 3D accessible games across web and mobile), IP Development (original and client IP from concept through to production-ready show bibles and teaser animations), and Animation Courses (industry training taught by working professionals). The Animation and Games services serve as the primary revenue-generating offerings, while IP Development represents a growing internal slate including titles like Blood of Camelot, The Dragons, and All Hands On Duck. The Games division also encompasses a portfolio of accessible titles built for the Special Effect Eye Gaze Games platform, including Eye Drive, Gazey Golf, Badger Badger, Petal Pinchers, Mole Miners, Othello: The Galactic Championship, Snakes and Ramps, and Solitaire: Gem Quest. Animation Courses supplement the core business with professional development programs, currently featuring a Toon Boom Harmony training course.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animation Services Full-service animation production spanning 2D, CG, and blended techniques, covering long-form series, short-form films, commercials, and branded content. End-to-end production from concept through delivery, including voice-over casting, character and environment design, storyboarding, animation, sound design, and final delivery. Targeted at broadcasters, production companies, brands, and ad agencies.
• Games Development

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Turnip + DuckcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2024Irish production studio for Maddie + Triggs animated series. Sun & Moon provided animation services for the innovative audio-first series that premiered on CBeebies and RTÉ Jr.
• Special EffectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK gaming charity partnership for developing accessible games for the Eye Gaze Games platform. Created multiple games including Eye Drive, Gazey Golf, Badger Badger, Petal Pinchers, Mole Miners, Othello, Snakes and Ramps, and Solitaire Gem Quest. Team members speak at GAconf and contribute to the wider conversation on accessible gaming. Proprietary code released as open source to help others build inclusive experiences.
• Aardman AnimationsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnimation national treasure partnership for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. Sun & Moon designed and animated a 2D sequence and end credits artwork for the Netflix blockbuster sequel, working closely with Director Sam Fell.
• NetflixflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget blockbuster sequel

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Blue Zoo Animation Studio: London-based independent animation studio producing children's series (e.g., Bing, Q Pootle 5) and branded content for broadcasters and global platforms. Directly comparable UK animation services studio with similar B2B broadcaster customer base and mixed 2D/CG capability.
• Lupus Films: London-based animation studio known for The Snowman and the Snowdog and Lost Ollie. Comparable independent UK studio offering 2D/CG animation services for broadcasters and streamers, operating in the same commissioning ecosystem.
• Factory (Create Advertising & Marketing / Factory Creates): UK animation and motion graphics studio producing commercials, explainers, and series for global brands and broadcasters. Comparable mid-sized animation services studio with a brand/advertising plus broadcaster mix similar to Sun & Moon's CBeebies/Clarks portfolio.
• A Productions: Bristol-based animation studio producing children's and family content for broadcasters including CBeebies. Highly comparable geographically and in customer mix, with an established UK services animation model.
• Cloth Cat Animation: Cardiff-based animation studio delivering children's series, branded content, and short-form animation for BBC, Channel 5, and international broadcasters. Comparable independent UK animation studio of similar size and B2B services orientation.
• Sixteen South: Belfast-based children's animation studio (Little Einsteins, Pablo, Lily's Driftwood Bay) producing content for BBC, CBeebies, and Nickelodeon. Comparable independent UK children's animation services studio competing for similar broadcaster commissions.
• Nexus Studios: London-based animation and motion studio producing commercials, music videos, and short films for global brands and agencies (e.g., BBC, Google, Apple). Directly comparable B2B animation production studio working with major brands and broadcasters across 2D, 3D, and mixed media.
• GoldBee (formerly Hocus Pocus Studio): UK independent animation studio producing children's series and branded animation. Comparable small-to-mid-sized B2B animation services studio operating in the same UK broadcaster and brand commissioning cycle.

Broad incumbents

• Aardman Animations: Iconic Bristol-based animation studio behind Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Chicken Run. Both a customer (Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget) and a much larger incumbent in the same UK animation ecosystem; comparable in craft and customer overlap but operates at vastly greater scale and own-IP orientation.

Others

• Special Effect: UK charity focused on accessible gaming, developer of the Eye Gaze Games platform and Sun & Moon's strategic co-development partner. Not a competitor but a directly material ecosystem participant given Sun & Moon's eight-game accessible titles and open-source tooling contribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sun-and-moon-studios
• Instagraminstagram.com/sunandmoonstudios
• Xx.com/sunandmoon_anim
• Facebookfacebook.com/sunandmoon.animation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Sun & Moon