What Tobo does

Tobo Inc. is a Montreal-based, privately held audiovisual and interactive content production studio specializing in children's media for audiences aged roughly 3 to 14. Founded and led by three co-CEOs — Judith Beauregard, Florence Roche, and Kathleen Farrell — each with 12–25+ years of prior children's interactive media experience at Tribal Nova, ODD1, PTM Kids, and NDi Media, the studio has built a portfolio of more than 30 projects spanning animated series (Dounia, Frida c'est moi, Dounia 2), feature films (Hola Frida, Dounia et la princesse d'Alep), mobile applications (Mazaam, L'appli des petits, Passe-Partout, Technomagie, Maison Théâtre), web games (L'Île Kilucru, Splashy Mission, La Tour à tours, Les défis de Bill Bestiole), augmented reality book companions (Dounia), console games (Mouse & Crane on Nintendo Switch), documentary and web series (Le Monde Selon, Six Degrés, Les Bracelets Rouges), and a proprietary nomadic immersive 360° dome storytelling format (Storydome/Tentaconte) developed with Prestigo.

The studio's underlying technology stack is multi-format rather than AI-driven: cross-platform interactive content built on Unity/Unreal pipelines (technical artist roles publicly posted), AR overlays using mobile device cameras for book-to-screen content, 360° projection mapping combined with live oral storytelling in physical domes, and a Bayesian-style recommendation engine inside the Bayam digital entertainment platform. Distribution is anchored by co-production and broadcast relationships with Canada's three principal French-language public broadcasters (Radio-Canada, Télé-Québec, TVA), supplemented by international film distributors Haut et Court and Dandelooo, app stores (Apple App Store, Google Play), the Nintendo Switch eShop, and the nomadic Storydome tour program visiting schools, festivals, and libraries.

Tobo's revenue model is primarily project-based and funding-driven rather than subscription or SaaS: production service fees from broadcaster co-productions, grants from Canadian cultural agencies (SODEC, Canada Media Fund, Shaw Rocket Fund, TELUS Fund, Bell Fund, Creative Europe, Danish Film Institute), licensing royalties on distribution of feature films internationally, festival prize money, and consumer revenue from app downloads and Switch game sales. The studio has no disclosed external institutional investors and operates as a controlled, founder-led private company through its wholly-owned subsidiary Tobo Média.

Name

Tobo

Legal name

Tobo Inc.

Website

https://tobostudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tobo is a privately held Montreal production studio that creates audiovisual, interactive, and immersive children's content — animated series, feature films, mobile apps, web games, a Nintendo Switch title, and a nomadic 360° dome storytelling experience — for audiences ages 3–14, primarily funded through co-productions with Canadian public broadcasters (Radio-Canada, Télé-Québec, TVA) and cultural grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Media Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Software Publishers (513210), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios (MPAFAAAI)

Keywords

• Children's content production
• Interactive educational apps
• Animated series development
• Immersive dome experiences
• Educational media studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Production Partnerships with Broadcasters: Tobo produces content in co-production with major Canadian broadcasters including Radio-Canada, Télé-Québec, and TVA, who fund and distribute the content.
2. Government and Cultural Funding: Support from cultural funding bodies including SODEC (Société de développement de la culture), CMF (Canada Media Fund), Shaw Rocket Fund, TELUS Fund, and Bell Fund.
3. App Sales and Distribution: Mobile applications distributed through Apple App Store and Google Play, with revenue from downloads. Applications include Mazaam, Maison Théâtre, Technomagie, Passe-Partout, Bayam, and L'appli des petits.
4. Film Distribution and Licensing: Feature films (e.g., Hola Frida, Dounia et la princesse d'Alep) licensed and distributed through theatrical and festival circuits internationally, with distribution by Haut et Court and Dandelooo.
5. Nintendo Switch Game Sales: The Mouse & Crane puzzle adventure game distributed as a physical and digital Nintendo Switch title.
6. Festival Grants and Prizes: Revenue from award prize money and festival production grants for selected works at international festivals (Annecy, Japan Prize, etc.).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tobo is a Montreal-based production studio that creates audiovisual, interactive, and immersive content for children aged 3-14. The studio produces original intellectual properties across multiple formats including mobile applications, web games, animated series, feature films, augmented reality book companions, podcasts, and nomadic 360° immersive dome storytelling experiences. Content is co-produced with major Canadian broadcasters and distributed globally through app stores, international film distributors, and live touring dome performances.

Product overview

Tobo is a producer of audiovisual, interactive, and immersive content for children, offering a diverse portfolio of products across multiple formats. The core offerings include mobile applications (Mazaam, La Maison Théâtre, L'appli des petits, Bayam, Dounia – Livre et app mobile, Passe-Partout, Technomagie), web games (L'Île Kilucru, L'Aventure du monde des mondes, La Tour à tours, Les défis de Bill Bestiole, Splashy Mission/Mission Plouf), animated series (Dounia, Frida c'est moi, Hola Frida, Dounia 2), documentary series (Le Monde Selon), interactive experiences (RéCréations Collection, L'expo idéale – Hervé Tullet), Nintendo Switch games (Mouse & Crane), immersive dome experiences (The Storydome with variants: Storydome – Dounia, Storydome – Sherloconte, Storydome – La Petite Semeuse), podcasts and web content (Six Degrés, Jenny I, II, III), and digital campaigns (Les Bracelets Rouges). Products target children from ages 3-11 and are distributed through app stores (AppStore, PlayStore), partner broadcasters (Radio-Canada, Télé-Québec), and live events. Bayam features a recommendation engine for personalized content delivery. The Storydome provides nomadic immersive storytelling using 360° projections in human-sized domes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mazaam Educational mobile application that helps children aged 4-6 explore musical rudiments including pitch, duration, intensity, timbre, and harmony through classical music excerpts, based on neuroscience, psychology, and education research.
• La Maison Théâtre (Interactive Shadow Theater) A school-based theatre initiation tool using interactive shadow games for children aged 6-8. Facilitators visit classrooms with portable projectors and tablets, taking photos that become silhouettes for children to interact with in both real and virtual worlds.
• Mouse & Crane A Nintendo Switch puzzle-based adventure game for children aged 4-7 featuring single-player or co-play modes. Offers creative problem-solving through upcycling, recycling, and construction with hand-drawn collage aesthetic.
• Hola Frida An 80-minute animated feature film about Frida Kahlo as a child, told through her childhood in Coyoacan, Mexico. Based on the book 'Frida, c'est moi' by Sophie Faucher and Cara Carmina. Distributed internationally by Haut et Court.
• Dounia et la princesse d'Alep A 73-minute animated feature film telling the story of Dounia, her grandfather, and grandmother who must leave Aleppo when war breaks out. Explores migration through a child's perspective with themes of identity and resilience. International distribution by Haut et Court.
• Dounia (Animated Series) An animated series of 6 x 7 minutes telling the story of a little girl and her grandparents who must leave their country when war breaks out. Explores themes of identity, resilience, and cultural dialogue from a child's perspective.
• Frida, c'est moi An animated series of 6 x 5 minutes about a little girl who tames disability and difference through imagination, creativity, and caring presence. Based on the children's book by Sophie Faucher and Cara Carmina, inspired by Frida Kahlo.
• The Storydome / Tentaconte (Immersive Dome Experience) An immersive storytelling experience using 360° illustrated projections inside a human-sized dome. Stories are told in situ by a storyteller, combining oral tradition with modern technology. The nomadic format travels to schools, festivals, libraries, and day camps.
• Dounia – Livre et app mobile An augmented reality book and mobile application that allows children to explore hidden surprises in the book's pages using a mobile device. Based on the story of Dounia, a little girl whose family must flee Aleppo due to war.
• Passe-Partout (Mobile Application) A mobile application allowing children to interact with characters from the Passe-Partout TV show. Features video calls with characters, a doll's house, songs, interactive stories, and farm exploration, stimulating cognitive, social, emotional, motor, and language development.
• L'appli des petits

Quantifiable outcome

• Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo won the Grand Prix and Primary Division Prize at the Japan Prize Awards (Japan), and Grand Prix du Public at the Festival international du cinéma d'animation de Meknès (Morocco).
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

37 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Encore TelevisionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEncore Television is a co-production partner for Six Degrés, a podcast and web series aimed at teenagers about a visually impaired adolescent. Encore Television contributes to the production and international distribution of the series.
• Radio-CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadio-Canada (ICI Radio-Canada Télé) is the French-language public broadcaster and a primary co-production and broadcast partner for multiple Tobo projects including Dounia, L'appli des petits, Alix et les merveilleux, and Six Degrés.
• TVAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTVA (through its TVaplus platform) broadcasts Les bracelets rouges series and associated digital content including web capsules and social media initiatives focused on representing illness and mental health for teenagers.
• Zone3majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZone3 is a Quebec production company and co-production partner for L'île Kilucru, a web game for children ages 4–7 based on the series of the same name.
• Télé-QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTélé-Québec operates the coucou.telequebec.tv platform and co-produces and broadcasts Tobo content including Passe-Partout, L'île Kilucru, and L'aventure du monde des mondes.
• Haut et CourtmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHaut et Court is the international distributor for Hola Frida and Dounia et la princesse d'Alep, handling theatrical and festival distribution of these feature-length animated films.
• DandelooomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDandelooo is a French animation production and distribution company that handles international distribution for Dounia series and films, including Dounia 2: The Great White North.
• Maison 4 tiersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaison 4 tiers is a production partner credited on Dounia et la princesse d'Alep, contributing to the cultural and production ecosystem of this refugee story.
• Before FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBefore Films (b́efore films) is credited as a production partner on Dounia et la princesse d'Alep.
• PrestigocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigo is a theatrical production company specializing in innovative performances. Tobo partners with Prestigo on the Storydome/Tentaconte immersive storytelling experience — a 360° dome with illustrated projections and live storytelling that travels to schools, festivals, and libraries.
• AnalektamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnalekta is a Canadian classical music record label and production partner for Mazaam, an educational music app for children ages 4–6 that uses classical music excerpts to teach musical concepts. Analekta provides the classical music repertoire.
• BayammajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBayam (Groupe Bayard) is a digital entertainment platform targeting children ages 3–11. Tobo co-produces content for Bayam's multi-platform environment including interactive games and documentaries, distributed through the Bayam platform.
• TFOminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTFO (Ontario's French-language public broadcaster) distributes The Ideal Exhibition with Hervé Tullet, extending reach to Ontario's French-speaking audiences.
• TelefictionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTelefiction is a Quebec production company and co-producer of Splashy Mission, a water safety education app and documentary project created in connection with the Swim to Survive program.
• AnalektamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnalekta is the classical music label providing repertoire for the Mazaam educational app, which teaches children musical concepts through listening to excerpts of great classical works.
• Radio-CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadio-Canada is the broadcaster and co-production partner for La Tour à tours web game, part of its youth educational programming for school-age children.
• Radio-CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadio-Canada is the broadcaster and co-production partner for Les défis de Bill Bestiole educational web game series, aligned with its youth educational content offerings.
• AvantigroupeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvantigroupe is a production partner for Alix et les merveilleux interactive games, contributing to the preschool educational content portfolio.
• AvantigroupeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvantigroupe is a production partner credited on Alix et les merveilleux interactive games.
• TFOminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTFO distributes The Ideal Exhibition with Hervé Tullet to Ontario's French-language audience.
• BayammajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBayam distributes The Ideal Exhibition with Hervé Tullet as part of its digital platform for children.
• AvantigroupeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvantigroupe is credited as a production partner on Alix et les merveilleux.
• Attraction ImagesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAttraction Images is a major Quebec production company and co-production partner for Passe-Partout, the beloved children's show revival featuring interactive digital content.
• Bayard CanadamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBayard Canada is the publisher of the Dounia book and app, providing the book content and publishing infrastructure for the augmented reality enhanced book.
• Société de sauvetageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lifesaving Society (Société de sauvetage) collaborated on Splashy Mission, a water safety education project linked to the Swim to Survive program developed with documentary/book by Sylvie Bernier.
• Ministère de l'éducation du QuébecminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec Ministry of Education partnered on Splashy Mission, supporting water safety education content for school-age children in Quebec.
• Société de sauvetageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lifesaving Society collaborated on the Splashy Mission project.
• Ministère de l'éducation du QuébecminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec Ministry of Education is a partner on Splashy Mission.
• Those EyesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThose Eyes is a game studio credited as a partner on Mouse & Crane, a Nintendo Switch puzzle adventure game for ages 4–7.
• PrestigocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigo is the theatrical production company behind Technomagie (derived from the Par ici la magie TV series) and the Storydome immersive dome experiences.
• Attraction ImagesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAttraction Images is the co-production partner for Passe-Partout.
• Attraction ImagesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAttraction Images is the production company behind the Passe-Partout TV show, with which Tobo collaborated on the mobile app.
• AvantigroupeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvantigroupe is the production partner for Alix et les merveilleux.
• Attraction ImagesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAttraction Images is the production partner for Passe-Partout, with Tobo developing the companion mobile application.
• Zone3majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZone3 is a production partner for L'île Kilucru and L'aventure du monde des mondes web games on the coucou.telequebec.tv platform.
• AvantigroupeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvantigroupe is the production partner for Alix et les merveilleux educational games.
• AvantigroupeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvantigroupe is credited on Alix et les merveilleux interactive games.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Nelvana (Corus Entertainment): Toronto-based children's animation studio and one of the world's largest producers of kids' content, distributing globally. Directly comparable as a Canadian children's IP and animation studio with similar broadcast, licensing, and digital product strategies, though operating at much larger scale.
• WildBrain (formerly DHX Media): Canada's largest children's entertainment company, owning Teletubbies, Peanuts, Strawberry Shortcake, and producing extensive children's animation and digital content. Directly comparable as a Canadian children's content producer with multi-format distribution, though at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Cyber Group Studios: French producer of children's animated series and interactive content (Gigantosaurus, Zorro the Chronicles). Directly comparable as a French-language children's content studio with multi-format output (TV, digital, interactive) targeting global broadcaster and licensing markets.
• Dandelooo: French animation production and distribution company handling the international distribution of Tobo's Dounia franchise. Comparable as a French-based children's animation studio and international sales agent, with similar co-production and broadcast partnership models.
• Marathon Media: French animation studio producing children's series (Totally Spies, My Knight and Me) and feature films for global audiences. Comparable as a French-language children's content producer with multi-format IP exploitation and international broadcast distribution.
• 9 Story Media Group: Toronto-based producer of children's and family content with award-winning animated series (Blue's Clues, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood). Closely comparable as a Canadian studio producing high-quality children's animated and interactive content for global broadcasters.
• Attraction Images: Quebec-based production company and co-production partner on Tobo's Passe-Partout. Directly comparable as a Quebec-based children's content producer with similar broadcast partnership model (Radio-Canada, Télé-Québec) and French-language market focus.
• Xilam Animation: French animation studio producing children's series (Oggy and the Cockroaches, Zig & Sharko) and feature films with global distribution. Directly comparable as a French-language/European children's animation producer with multi-format IP strategy and international festival presence.

Others

• TVO Kids / TFO: Ontario's French-language public educational broadcaster (TFO) and TVO's English counterpart distribute children's educational content including Tobo's Ideal Exhibition project. Comparable as a public broadcaster-distributor of educational children's media, though operating as a channel partner rather than a producer peer.

Emerging players

• Salambo Productions: French production company focused on children's and family animation with international co-productions. Comparable as a smaller French-language children's content producer pursuing international co-production and festival-led distribution strategies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tobo.inc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/toboggan-studio
• Instagraminstagram.com/tobo_studio
• Xx.com/tobo_inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Tobo