What Samka Productions does

Samka Productions is an independent animation studio founded in 2003 in Paris by Samuel Kaminka, operating as the animation production arm of the Samka Group, a private constellation of 7 production companies with operations in France, the US, Italy, and Israel. The studio produces 2D animated children's series targeting audiences aged 4-13, spanning comedy, adventure, and ludo-educational formats. Its slate is built on a dual strategy of original creations and adaptations of proven comic and book IP, including Les Sisters (adapted from William and Cazenove's bestselling comic with 5M+ copies sold), Loup (adapted from Orianne Lallemand's saga with 8M books sold across 25 countries), the Marsupilami franchise, Viking Skool (co-produced with Cartoon Saloon), and Il Etait une fois... Les Objets! (co-produced with Procidis). Productions are typically structured as 52-156 episode runs of 7-24 minute episodes.

The studio operates a B2B business model built on co-productions and licensing agreements with major broadcasters and streaming platforms. Documented distribution and co-production partners include France Télévisions (repeated co-producer across multiple titles), Netflix (Les Sisters, which reached the Top 10 in France in November 2023), TV5Monde, RAI Kids, Cartoon Saloon, Procidis, Bamboo Production, Making Prod, and Movimenti Production. Samka has produced over 150 hours of animation distributed across 5 continents and 100+ countries. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with B2B licensing norms.

The company runs a lean operation with 11-50 employees (7 named executives covering founder/producer, director, head of studios, head of sales, legal, production administration, and support). Samuel Kaminka also chairs AnimFrance, the French Animated Film Producers' Union. The Group sibling entities (KAM&KA, Sklan&Ka, Good Karma, TRAMKA, Unique Animation, KAZOO Animation) handle fiction, documentary, and animation services, providing potential cross-vertical synergies within the Group. No external funding rounds, institutional investment, or public-market activity are disclosed.

Name

Samka Productions

Legal name

Samka Productions

Website

https://samka.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Samka Productions is an independent Paris-based animation studio founded in 2003, producing 2D children's animated series for ages 4-13 via co-productions and licensing with global broadcasters and streaming platforms, as the animation arm of the Samka Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animated Children's Series Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Comics, Graphic Novels & Manga Publishing (MPAJAFAH)

Keywords

• Animated series production
• Children's animation
• Comic book adaptations
• 2D animation studio
• Animation licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Animation Production & Licensing: Production and licensing of animated children's series to broadcasters and streaming platforms worldwide

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Samka Productions is an independent animation studio that produces 2D animated children's series for international broadcasters and streaming platforms. Its catalog comprises original creations and adaptations of best-selling comic strips and book sagas, packaged as multi-episode seasons (52 to 156 episodes of 7 to 24 minutes) targeting children aged 4 to 13. The studio licenses these productions globally and co-produces with established partners such as Cartoon Saloon, Procidis, and Bamboo Production.

Product overview

Samka Productions is an independent animation studio (part of Samka Group) founded in 2003, producing children's animated series as both original creations and adaptations of successful comic books and novels. The portfolio includes comedy series (Les Sisters adapted from William and Cazenove's bestselling comics, Jamie a des tentacules!, Eliot Kid), adventure-comedy series (Loup adapted from Orianne Lallemand's books, Viking Skool co-produced with Cartoon Saloon), educational/ludo-educational content (Il Etait une fois... Les Objets! in co-production with Procidis, Bienvenue à Coccoloba), and adventure series featuring licensed characters (Marsupilami franchise, I.N.K.: Mission Invisible!). Productions span 52 to 156 episodes with runtimes of 7 to 24 minutes, targeting children aged 4-13. Samka has produced over 150 hours of animation sold worldwide, with several series achieving international distribution including Netflix (Les Sisters in top 10 France).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jamie a des tentacules! (Seasons 1 to 3) Animated comedy series in which Jamie, Prince of Planet Blarb, flees to Earth to escape threats and takes refuge with a young Earthman while hiding his tentacles; the show follows the pair's adventures. Produced in 156 episodes across three seasons.
• Les Sisters (Season 1) Animated comedy series adapted from the best-selling comic created by William and Cazenove, depicting the daily lives of two sisters aged 7 and 13. Over 4 million copies of the comic have been sold worldwide.
• Les Sisters (Season 2) Second season of the comedy series adapted from the best-selling comic created by William and Cazenove, with over 5 million copies sold worldwide. Packaged as 52 episodes of 11 minutes; languages include French, Italian, and Dutch.
• Loup (Season 1) Animated comedy series for children aged 4 to 7, adapted from the best-selling saga by Orianne Lallemand and Éléonore Thuillier. Follows Wolf, a hero brimming with imagination, through daily adventures.
• Loup (Season 2) Second season of the animated comedy series adapted from the bestselling saga, following Wolf's imaginative adventures as he comes up with new ideas for making life more exciting. Packaged as 78 episodes of 7 minutes.
• Il Etait une fois... Les Objets! Educational animated series co-produced with Procidis in which Maestro teaches children about everyday objects, exploring the 10,000-year history, science, and human stories behind common items. Part of the established "Il était une fois..." franchise. Packaged as 78 episodes of 7 minutes.
• Viking Skool Adventure comedy series co-produced with Cartoon Saloon about three young Vikings (Erik, Ylva, and Arni) attending an elite Viking school, where they must develop stamina, courage, and intelligence to graduate.
• Bienvenue à Coccoloba (Episode Special) Educational/ludo-educational series set on Coccoloba island where special children with extraordinary injuries come to be healed, featuring Alice, Max, Chloé, Mehdi, and Lola. Packaged as a 25-minute episode special.
• Eliot Kid (Seasons 1 & 2) Animated comedy series following 7-year-old Eliot and his friends Mimi and Kétou on wild, imaginative adventures that transform everyday situations into fantastical journeys.
• I.N.K.: Mission Invisible! (Season 1) Adventure series set in Pinkerton school where five children form "Mission: Invisible!" to stop the evil teacher Saddy MacBeth from turning the school into a place of strict obedience. Co-produced with France Télévisions.
• Marsupilami: Hooba Hooba Hop! (Seasons 1 & 2) Adventure comedy series in which Marsupilami and his children (Bobo, Bibu, Bibi) fight to save their native Palombia from an eccentric billionaire who wants to destroy the jungle. Features 100% eco-friendly gags. Co-produced with Marsu Productions and France Télévisions.
• Our Neighbors the Marsupilamis (Season 3) Adventure series in which Marsupilami helps the Vanderstadt family adjust to jungle life after they relocate from civilization, comprising a baby, a dreamy boy, an intrepid young woman, and a rebellious teenager.

Quantifiable outcome

• Les Sisters reached Top 10 on Netflix France (November 2023)

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Samka GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company constellation of 7 companies including animation and fiction production studios across France, US, Italy, and Israel
• ProcidiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Il Etait une fois... Les Objets! series; historic producer of the 7 'Once upon a time...' animated series created by Albert Barillé
• Cartoon SalooncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Viking Skool animated series (2021)
• Bamboo ProductioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of Les Sisters animated series
• Making ProdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of Loup (Wolf) series
• Movimenti ProductioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of Loup (Wolf) series

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cyber Group Studios: Paris-based animation studio producing children's series (Gigantosaurus, Zorro). Direct peer in French children's animation production targeting global broadcasters and streaming platforms.
• Xilam Animation: Paris-based independent animation studio producing children's series (Oggy and the Cockroaches, Zig & Sharko). Most directly comparable as a French indie animation studio targeting global platforms with similar 2D content focus.
• Ankama: French animation studio and game developer behind Wakfu and Dofus animated series. Comparable as an independent French producer of kids/family animated series leveraging original IP.
• Marathon Media: French animation studio known for Totally Spies and Martin Mystery. Comparable as a Paris-based indie producing internationally distributed children's animated series.

Broad incumbents

• Illumination: Major animation studio (Despicable Me, Minions). Significant competitor for streaming platform attention and audience share, though focused on theatrical CGI features rather than TV series.
• Gaumont Animation: Major French studio producing animated series including Ballerina and other co-productions. Larger incumbent operating across live-action and animation with a much broader portfolio than Samka's niche.
• Entertainment One (eOne): Global entertainment studio with significant children's content portfolio (Peppa Pig, PJ Masks). Now owned by Hasbro, providing scale-based competition in kids animation licensing and production.
• WildBrain: Canadian entertainment company managing large children's content library (Peppa Pig, Teletubbies). Comparable as a children's animation IP owner but operating at much larger scale with wholly-owned franchises.

Emerging players

• Splash Entertainment: US-based children's animation studio producing series and features. Comparable in scale and genre focus (family content) but primarily serves the North American market.

Regional players

• Mondo TV: Italian animation group producing and distributing children's content globally. Comparable as a European kids' animation producer and partner of Samka Group's Good Karma Entertainment, though based in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SAMKAPROD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/samka-productions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Samka Productions