Cub Studio
Cub Studio is a Brighton-based, founder-owned animation studio producing 2D/3D character animation, sports graphics, and product animation for global sports leagues, broadcasters, and brands including the NFL, UEFA, Premier League, ESPN, and MasterClass.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cub Studio does
Cub Studio is a privately held, founder-owned animation studio headquartered in Brighton, England, that produces 2D and 3D character animation, motion graphics, sports animation, product animation, and storytelling content for enterprise clients globally. The studio was founded in 2011 by Fraser Davidson (Creative Director, BAFTA award-winning animator with prior experience at Mainframe) and Ben Skinner (formerly in SEO and digital marketing), and it relocated from London to Brighton in 2015 to optimize cost while retaining proximity to London agencies and broadcasters. Its core technology stack centers on After Effects and Cinema 4D, augmented by proprietary character rigging workflows using Joysticks 'n Sliders, Duik (inverse kinematics), and Rubber Hose, plus Lottie animation output (JSON via Bodymovin) for lightweight, in-app and web deployment.
The studio's commercial model is professional services — project-based animation engagements scoped individually with no publicly disclosed pricing — sold primarily through direct enterprise engagement and supported in North America by representation agencies Closer&Closer and The Academy. Customer segments are hybrid: primary verticals are sports organizations and broadcasters (Premier League, NFL, UEFA, FIA/Formula 1, World Rugby, ESPN, Fox Sports, BT Sport) and global brands (MasterClass, HelloFresh, Bremont, Polaroid, ZipCar, Cowboy, HomeServe, Therabody, Team Canada), with secondary work in entertainment, comedy shorts, and production-company partnerships (e.g., Sky Original Documentary 'Once Upon A Time in Londongrad'). Distribution is content-led, with passion projects (American Football Guide, Trump Facts, Des Tandankles, Mad Propz) functioning as the company's most effective top-of-funnel marketing channel, supplemented by Dribbble, Instagram, Facebook, an animation blog, industry awards (BASS, New York Press Club, Lovie), and conference speaking.
The studio employs 51–100 people and has no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional investors; control remains with the founding team. Long-tenured client relationships (NFL 12+ years, UEFA nearly a decade, ZipCar 6+ years) and a flagship leadership hire (Simon Tibbs as Head of Animation in March 2021) indicate a stable, relationship-driven business rather than a venture-scaled growth story. Revenue and financial performance are not publicly disclosed.
Cub Studio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cub Studio
- Legal name
- Cub Studio
- Website
- http://www.cubstudio.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Cub Studio is a Brighton-based, founder-owned animation studio producing 2D/3D character animation, sports graphics, and product animation for global sports leagues, broadcasters, and brands including the NFL, UEFA, Premier League, ESPN, and MasterClass.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cub Studio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animation Services
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Character & Creature Animation (MPADACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ), Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production) (MPAAAHAD)
Keywords
Where Cub Studio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cub Studio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Animation Project Services: Project-based animation services including 2D/3D character animation, motion graphics, sports animation, product animation, branded content, and storytelling projects. Revenue generated through one-time project fees for clients including sports leagues, broadcasters, brands, and entertainment companies.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Cub Studio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cub Studio is a Brighton-based animation studio that produces 2D and 3D character animation, sports motion graphics, product animation, storytelling animation, and Lottie animations for enterprise clients. Its work spans brand mascots, fan engagement content for sports leagues and broadcasters, advertising campaigns, animated documentaries, and app/UI animations, delivered through a hybrid After Effects and Cinema 4D pipeline with proprietary rigging workflows.
Product overview
Cub Studio is a Brighton-based animation and motion graphics studio offering character animation, sports animation, product animation, storytelling animation, and Lottie animations. Founded by Fraser Davidson and Ben Skinner over a decade ago, the studio works with global sports organizations (Premier League, NFL, World Rugby, FIA/Formula 1), broadcasters (ESPN, Fox Sports, BT Sport), brands (MasterClass, HelloFresh, Bremont, Polaroid), and comedians. Their core offerings include 2D and 3D character animation, bold motion design, animated documentaries, comedy shorts, and Lottie animations for apps and websites. The studio also produces passion projects that have led to client relationships, including animated GIFs for social media and experimental animation techniques.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Character Animation 2D and 3D character animation services for comedy shorts, brand mascots, and branded content, designed for brands, broadcasters, and entertainment clients seeking character-led storytelling with distinctive personality.
- Sports Animation Motion graphics and animation for sports leagues, broadcasters, and governing bodies, including explainer videos, promotional campaigns, and character-driven narratives for clients such as the Premier League, NFL, UEFA, World Rugby, FIA/Formula 1, ESPN, and Fox Sports.
- Product Animation Bold motion design and animation for product advertising, promotional content, and branded campaigns, creating distinctive visuals for product launches and brand storytelling for clients including Polaroid Music, Upfield, Cowboy, and Airtime.
- Storytelling Animation Original storytelling animation including animated documentaries, comedy shorts, and branded narratives for clients such as Bill Maher, Mercedes, RightsInfo, and independent projects, bringing stories to life with character-driven visual style.
- Lottie Animations Lightweight animation format created using After Effects and Bodymovin for apps, websites, UI design, and branded content, including character animations, UI elements, emoji sets, sticker packs, and logo presentations with 60fps playback and tiny file sizes.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30-50% increase in website conversions
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cub Studio
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cub Studio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Cub Studio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Closer&ClosercoreNorth American representation agency handling email inquiries and business development for Cub Studio in the US market. Contact: [email protected], +1.323.426.4409
- The Academy (Creative Agency)coreUS-based agency representing selected directors throughout Europe. Cub Studio represented alongside BRIKK and We Think Things. Provides access to US market and new animated projects.
- Rise FilmsflagshipProduction company for 'Once Upon A Time in Londongrad' - a Sky Original Documentary. Cub Studio provided artwork, direction, and animation for the animated title sequences.
- Universal International StudiosflagshipCo-production partner for Once Upon A Time in Londongrad documentary series.
- BuzzFeed StudiosflagshipCo-production partner for Once Upon A Time in Londongrad documentary series.
- Concordia StudioflagshipCo-production partner for Once Upon A Time in Londongrad documentary series.
- KotominorDesign studio that created the Airtime app rebrand. Cub Studio animated the new brand elements for the Airtime social platform app.
- Frosty AgencyminorAgency that commissioned Cub Studio for Polaroid Music speaker animations. Cub worked under agency direction for the client deliverable.
- CowboyminorElectric bicycle brand for which Cub Studio created animated achievement badges for the Cowboy app. Client relationship directly managed.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cub Studio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mummu: UK motion design and animation studio producing branded, broadcast and character work. Comparable sub-100-person craft studio competing for similar enterprise briefs.
- Blinkink: London animation studio with strong sports, advertising and character animation credentials (Premier League, Adidas). Direct competitor in the UK sports animation space.
- Buck: LA-based design and animation studio working across sports, brand and tech (Google, Facebook, Nike). Direct competitor in motion design / character animation for marquee clients.
- Nexus Studios: London animation and design studio producing character-led short films, branded content and title sequences. Comparable in scale, craft-led positioning and storytelling animation focus.
- Oddfellows: LA motion design and animation studio serving brands, broadcasters and entertainment clients. Comparable in size and creative-services positioning.
- Golden Wolf: London-based animation and motion design studio with comparable sports, brand and broadcast clients (NBA, Nike, Adult Swim). Direct competitor in the premium character and sports animation niche.
- Giant Ant: Toronto animation studio producing character-led commercials, sports content and brand campaigns. Comparable mid-sized creative studio with sports and brand client overlap.
Broad incumbents
- The Mill: Global VFX, design and animation incumbent serving advertising, sports and entertainment at much larger scale. Broader incumbent with overlapping sports and brand capabilities.
- Framestore: Global VFX and animation powerhouse working across film, advertising and brand content. Overlaps on character, sports and brand animation but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
- Psyop: Global creative studio combining animation, live action and VFX for brands, sports and entertainment. Established incumbent with similar sports animation work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cub Studio social profiles
Digital presenceCub Studio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cub Studio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cub Studio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cub Studio 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 Cub Studio
What does Cub Studio do?
Cub Studio is a Brighton-based animation studio that produces 2D and 3D character animation, sports motion graphics, product animation, storytelling animation, and Lottie animations for enterprise clients. Its work spans brand mascots, fan engagement content for sports leagues and broadcasters, advertising campaigns, animated documentaries, and app/UI animations, delivered through a hybrid After Effects and Cinema 4D pipeline with proprietary rigging workflows.
Is Cub Studio a public or private company?
Cub Studio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cub Studio founded?
Cub Studio was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Cub Studio based?
Cub Studio is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Cub Studio make money?
One revenue line is on record: animation Project Services.
Who are Cub Studio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mummu, Blinkink, Buck, Nexus Studios, Oddfellows, Golden Wolf and Giant Ant. Broad incumbents are The Mill, Framestore and Psyop.
Does Cub Studio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cub Studio.
What industry is Cub Studio in?
Cub Studio's product category is Animation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADACAE, Character & Creature Animation, with a secondary code of BPAFAIAJ, Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams). Its SIC code is 7812.