Procidis
Procidis is a French animation production company and subsidiary of Banijay Kids & Family that produces educational children's series under the Once Upon a Time... franchise, licensing content and consumer products globally across 100+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersNeuilly-sur-seine, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Procidis does
Procidis is an independent French animation production company, founded by Albert Barillé and currently led by Managing Director Hélène Barillé, that specializes in educational entertainment ('edutainment') for children aged 6-14 and their families. Its core intellectual property is the 'Once Upon a Time...' saga — a seven-series franchise produced between 1978 and 2009 (Man, Space, Life, the Americas, the Discoverers, the Explorers, Planet Earth) covering history, science, geography, and philosophy, plus the classic preschool property Colargol. In 2024, the company launched a new series, 'Once Upon a Time... Objects' (78 x 7'), co-produced with Samka Productions, France Télévisions, TV5 Monde, RTS, and HOT Israel. All legacy content has been restored in HD and consolidated under the Hello Maestro! umbrella brand.
The company's technology is centered on traditional animation production and IP licensing rather than software or platform development. Its catalog comprises 90 hours of content, translated into 80 languages and distributed across 100+ countries via TV channels (France 4, TV5 Monde, Cartoonito, Gulli Brasil), streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Okoo, Tim Vision), and educational platforms (Lumni, Lunii). Procidis has also begun producing short-form digital avatar content for online distribution.
Commercially, Procidis operates a pure B2B licensing and co-production model. It generates revenue through content distribution agreements (secured via its parent group, Banijay Kids & Family) and royalty streams from more than 40 consumer product licensees producing board games, figurines, books, DVDs, music, audio stories, digital games, immersive experiences, masterclasses, and exhibitions. Cumulative consumer product sales exceed 200 million books, 100 million DVDs, and 500,000 board games (the latter in the past five years). The company is wholly owned by Banijay Kids & Family, a major international content production and distribution group, and operates with 1-10 employees.
Procidis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Procidis
- Legal name
- Procidis
- Website
- https://procidis.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Procidis is a French animation production company and subsidiary of Banijay Kids & Family that produces educational children's series under the Once Upon a Time... franchise, licensing content and consumer products globally across 100+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Procidis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Neuilly-sur-seine
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Procidis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- TV and Streaming Distribution: Distribution of animated series to TV channels (France 4, TV5 Monde, Cartoonito, Gulli Brasil) and streaming platforms (Okoo, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Tim Vision) through distribution agreements and co-production deals.
- Consumer Products Licensing: Licensing of Hello Maestro! branded products through 40+ licensees including board games, scientific games, figurines, publishing, DVD, music, audio stories, digital games, immersive experiences, masterclasses, and exhibitions. Over 500,000 family board games sold in last 5 years. Over 100 million DVDs and 200 million books sold since IP launch.
- Audio Content: Hello Maestro podcasts available across streaming platforms and exclusive audiobooks on Lunii's My Fabulous Storyteller device.
- International Co-productions: Co-production agreements with partners such as Samka Productions, France Télévisions, TV5 Monde, RTS, and HOT in Israel for new series development.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Procidis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Procidis is an independent French animation production company that creates and licenses edutainment animated series for children and families, anchored by the seven-series "Once Upon a Time..." saga (Man, Space, Life, the Americas, the Discoverers, the Explorers, and Planet Earth) plus the 2024 series "Objects" and the classic preschool property Colargol. The company monetizes the IP primarily through B2B licensing to TV channels and streaming platforms and through consumer-products licensing via 40+ licensees under the "Hello Maestro!" umbrella brand.
Product overview
Procidis is an independent French production company specializing in edutainment animation, part of the Banijay Kids & Family group. The company produces educational animated content for children, with its flagship intellectual property being the 'Once Upon a Time...' saga created by Albert Barillé between 1978 and 2009. The portfolio includes eight distinct series spanning historical, scientific, and exploratory themes: Once Upon a Time... Objects (new 2024 series), Life, Man, Space, The Americas, The Discoverers, The Explorers, and Planet Earth, all restored and encompassed under the Hello Maestro! umbrella brand. Additionally, Procidis offers the classic preschool series Colargol. The company operates a 360-degree product strategy with licensed consumer products including board games, figurines, publishing, DVDs, music, audio stories, and digital games, having sold over 100 million DVDs and 200 million books globally. Content is distributed across TV channels (France 4, TV5 Monde, Cartoonito, Gulli Brasil) and streaming platforms (Okoo, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Tim Vision), reaching audiences in more than 100 countries and translated into 80 languages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hello Maestro!: Umbrella brand encompassing all restored Once Upon a Time... series and licensed products including games, figurines, publishing, DVD, music, audio stories, digital games, immersive experiences, masterclasses, and exhibitions.
Products and services
- Once Upon a Time… Objects Educational animated series (78 x 7') exploring the history, science and design behind everyday objects; Maestro reveals 10,000 years of history through eyeglasses, bicycles and other common items, covering History, Geography, Physics, Natural Science and Philosophy for children aged 6-14.
- Once Upon a Time… Life Educational animated series (26 x 26') taking viewers on an adventurous tour through the human body, featuring cells, organs and bodily systems guided by Maestro in an entertaining and educational format for children.
- Once Upon a Time… Man Educational animated series (26 episodes) covering the history of mankind from earliest origins to modern times, following a family's journey through Neanderthal caves, Egyptian pyramids, Vikings, Greeks, Romans, and contemporary inventions.
- Once Upon a Time… Space Educational animated series featuring characters from Once Upon a Time... Man traveling through the universe; covers space exploration, alien encounters, robots and technical phenomena, including a feature film restored and released in French theaters in 2022.
- Once Upon a Time… The Americas Educational animated series covering the history of the American continent (North and South) from Bering Strait crossings through Aztec civilization, European conquests, independence wars and the Gold Rush.
- Once Upon a Time… The Discoverers Educational animated series celebrating the history of great discoveries and inventors, from the wheel to electricity and space travel, featuring Maestro alongside historical figures including Newton, Galileo, Faraday, Edison, Darwin, Gutenberg, Einstein and Marie Curie.
- Once Upon a Time… The Explorers Educational animated series and companion to The Discoverers, focusing on exploration of unknown lands and continents, river and ocean navigation, and the understanding that Earth is round.
- Once Upon a Time… Planet Earth Educational animated series (26 episodes) where teenagers create a newspaper reporting on global issues including climate change, pollution, energy, fair trade, forests, child labor, hunger and poverty, with Maestro guiding children toward sustainable solutions.
- The Adventures of Colargol Classic preschool musical animated series (7 x 13') featuring Colargol, a teddy bear who dreams of singing like his friend Rossignol; HD remastered version returning to the big screen with universal and family themes of persistence and pursuing dreams.
- Hello Maestro Consumer Products Licensing Program Licensed consumer products program under the "Hello Maestro!" umbrella brand covering board games, scientific games, figurines, publishing, DVDs, music, audio stories, digital games, immersive experiences, masterclasses, and exhibitions distributed by 40+ licensees globally.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4 billion viewers reached globally across all Once Upon a Time... series
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Procidis
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Procidis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature4 records
Procidis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered regional, core and major.
- Polish BroadcastersregionalTV broadcasters in Poland acquiring Season 8 of Once Upon a Time... for broadcast, representing new distribution agreements secured by Banijay Kids & Family.
- Turkish BroadcastersregionalTV broadcasters in Turkey acquiring Season 8 of Once Upon a Time... for broadcast, representing new distribution agreements secured by Banijay Kids & Family.
- Canadian BroadcastersregionalCanadian TV broadcasters acquiring Season 8 of Once Upon a Time... for broadcast, representing new distribution agreements secured by Banijay Kids & Family.
- Hong Kong BroadcastersregionalHong Kong TV broadcasters acquiring Season 8 of Once Upon a Time... for broadcast, representing new distribution agreements secured by Banijay Kids & Family.
- Banijay Kids & FamilycoreBanijay Kids & Family is the primary distribution partner for Procidis content internationally. The company secures distribution agreements for Once Upon a Time... series content globally, including recent Season 8 distribution in Poland, Turkey, Canada, and Hong Kong. Procidis is a company of the Banijay Kids & Family group.
- Samka ProductionscoreFrench production company co-producer of new 2024 series 'Once Upon a Time... Objects'. Samka Productions (known for 'Wolf', 'The Sisters') is a key creative partner for new content development.
- France TélévisionscoreFrench public broadcaster co-producer and broadcaster of new 'Once Upon a Time... Objects' series (2024). Part of the co-production team alongside TV5 Monde, RTS, and HOT Israel.
- TV5 MondecoreFrench-speaking international TV network co-producer and broadcaster of 'Once Upon a Time... Objects' series. Also broadcasts other Once Upon a Time... series in the franchise.
- RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse)majorSwiss public broadcaster co-producer of 'Once Upon a Time... Objects' (2024) and broadcaster of Procidis content in Switzerland.
- HOT (Israel)majorIsraeli cable provider co-producer of 'Once Upon a Time... Objects' (2024), bringing distribution to Israeli audiences.
- LuniimajorFrench educational device manufacturer. Exclusive Hello Maestro audiobooks available on Lunii's My Fabulous Storyteller device, expanding audio content distribution to families.
- LumnimajorFrench national educational platform hosting Maestro digital shorts collection. Tailored content with Maestro's digital avatar developed specifically for the educational platform.
- Eastern European BroadcastersregionalVarious broadcasters across Eastern Europe acquiring older seasons of Once Upon a Time... series, demonstrating sustained relevance and appeal on a global scale.
- Norwegian BroadcastersregionalNorwegian broadcasters acquiring Once Upon a Time... content, including older seasons as part of ongoing distribution.
- Swedish BroadcastersregionalSwedish broadcasters acquiring Once Upon a Time... content, including older seasons as part of ongoing distribution.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Procidis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marathon Media: French animation studio behind properties such as Totally Spies and Martin Mystery. Comparable as a French animation producer-licensor monetizing globally distributed children's IP through broadcasters and consumer products.
- Xilam Animation: French independent animation studio producing children's series (Oggy and the Cockroaches, Dofus) for global broadcasters and streamers. Direct peer as a French-headquartered producer of internationally licensed kids' animation with a similar B2B distribution model.
- Aardman Animations: UK-based animation studio (Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep) producing family-oriented animation with strong merchandising programs. Direct peer given the evergreen animated IP, global licensing model, and strong consumer products revenue streams.
- Ankama: French animation and games studio (Dofus, Wakfu). Direct peer as a French-headquartered creator of animated children's content with cross-media licensing and consumer product monetization.
- Cyber Group Studios: French animation studio producing and distributing children's edutainment and adventure series globally. Direct peer given shared French origin, children's edutainment focus, and global B2B licensing to broadcasters and streamers.
Emerging players
- Lingokids: Digital edutainment platform for young children. Emerging player competing for the same children's edutainment audience that Procidis serves via Maestro content, but through a mobile-first subscription model rather than traditional broadcast.
- Cartoon Saloon: Irish animation studio producing distinctive feature and series content with global distribution. Emerging player with comparable high-quality, educationally resonant animated storytelling targeting family audiences.
Broad incumbents
- StudioCanal: European film and series production-distribution subsidiary of Canal+. Broad incumbent with catalog distribution and merchandising capabilities that overlap with Procidis's licensing-to-broadcasters-and-consumer-products model.
- Gaumont: Major French film and animation production-distribution group. Broad incumbent operating across a wider portfolio (including animated features) with overlapping international distribution capabilities relevant to Procidis's licensing business.
- Illumination Entertainment: Global animation studio owned by NBCUniversal behind Despicable Me and Minions. Broad incumbent whose mass-market animated franchises and consumer products operations illustrate the upside scale potential that Procidis's IP could capture.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Procidis social profiles
Digital presenceProcidis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Procidis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Procidis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Procidis 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 Procidis
What does Procidis do?
Procidis is an independent French animation production company that creates and licenses edutainment animated series for children and families, anchored by the seven-series "Once Upon a Time..." saga (Man, Space, Life, the Americas, the Discoverers, the Explorers, and Planet Earth) plus the 2024 series "Objects" and the classic preschool property Colargol. The company monetizes the IP primarily through B2B licensing to TV channels and streaming platforms and through consumer-products licensing via 40+ licensees under the "Hello Maestro!" umbrella brand.
Is Procidis a public or private company?
Procidis is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Procidis founded?
Procidis was founded in 1978. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Procidis based?
Procidis is headquartered in Neuilly-sur-seine, France, in the Europe region.
How does Procidis make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. TV and Streaming Distribution is the primary driver. The others are consumer Products Licensing, audio Content and international Co-productions.
Who are Procidis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marathon Media, Xilam Animation, Aardman Animations, Ankama and Cyber Group Studios. Emerging players are Lingokids and Cartoon Saloon. Broad incumbents are StudioCanal, Gaumont and Illumination Entertainment.
Does Procidis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Procidis.