Maliarts

What Maliarts does

Maliarts is a Mexico-based animation and visual effects studio founded in 2014 by three brothers — Pablo, Leo, and Gabo Calvillo — operating as a network of animators, designers, and VFX artists from studios in Mexico City and Malinalco. The company operates a dual model: project-based professional services delivering animation, VFX, and branded content for enterprise clients (Hyundai, Oreo, Voit, Mexican Government, Mexican Senate), and original intellectual property development spanning children's series (Lukas Storyteller, Coccolo, The Greatest Trip), a feature film (Blue Deer), and a fantasy mini-series (The Sleeping Beauty Chronicles).

The studio's core technology centers on a hybrid animation pipeline combining 3D CGI, 2D VFX, and live-action footage, with emerging AI-assisted production tools applied in campaigns such as the Hyundai Elantra 2024 work. Maliarts has demonstrated capacity for high-volume delivery — most notably the Oreo Wonderfilled campaign comprising 50 videos, 83 character designs, 51 sets, and 159 props. The company has earned industry recognition including a Telly Award for Best 3D Animated Series (Lukas Storyteller) and multiple international short film festival honors for The Inksect.

Commercially, Maliarts generates revenue through project-based professional services contracts and, prospectively, original IP licensing and distribution deals. GTM is sales-led and relationship-driven, with international client work (Oreo Australia via The Story Lab) and a co-production partnership (Farö Features) signaling early geographic and distribution expansion. The company is privately held, founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investment or external funding.

Name

Maliarts

Legal name

MaliArts LLC

Website

https://maliarts.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maliarts is a Mexico-based animation and VFX studio founded in 2014 by three brothers, delivering hybrid 3D/2D animation, VFX, and original IP for enterprise brands (Hyundai, Oreo, Voit), the Mexican Government, and international co-production partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation and Visual Effects Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAHAA

VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/VFX & Virtual Production

Keywords

• Animation production services
• Visual effects studio
• 3D animation services
• Commercial VFX production
• Animated IP development

Headquarters

HQ city

Cuauhtémoc

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Animation and VFX Production Services: Project-based professional services generating revenue through creation of animated content including TV commercials, web campaigns, TV series, short films, and government campaigns. Revenue is generated per project with varying scope and duration.
2. Original IP Licensing: Development and ownership of original animated intellectual property (e.g., The Sleeping Beauty Chronicles, Blue Deer, Coccolo, The Greatest Trip) which may be licensed or sold to distributors and streaming platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Maliarts is an animation and visual effects studio network that produces custom animated content, VFX, and hybrid live-action/3D CGI projects for enterprise brands and government clients, including TV commercials, web campaigns, and public awareness series. The studio also develops and owns original animated intellectual property (feature films, TV series, short films), which it licenses and co-produces with distribution partners.

Product overview

Maliarts is a Mexican animation and VFX studio network founded in 2014, based in Mexico City and Malinalco. The company operates as a creative services provider offering both original IP development and client-commissioned work across animation, visual effects, and mixed media. Its portfolio includes original animated properties (Blue Deer, The Sleeping Beauty Chronicles, The Greatest Trip, Coccolo, Lukas Storyteller, The Inksect) alongside commercial projects for brands such as Hyundai, Oreo, and Voit, as well as public sector campaigns for the Mexican Government and Senate. The studio employs a hybrid production approach combining 3D and 2D animation techniques with live action integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Blue Deer (Venado Azul) Animated feature film currently in production, written by Monika Revilla and Rachael Byrne and directed by Pablo Calvillo. Epic fantasy animated mini-series in development inspired by Charles Perrault's classic fairy tale, aimed at teenagers and adults, following Princess Rose through an oneiric kingdom to break a curse. Co-produced with Farö Features. Completed children's TV series consisting of 14 episodes of 12 minutes each. Recipient of the Telly Award for Best 3D Animated Series. Children's TV series completed in pilot stage with 12-minute episodes, developed through pre-production and production phases. Completed short film with a running time of 9 minutes, recipient of Best Experimental Short at Cannes Short Film Festival, Best Fantasy Short at Feratum Film Festival, and Best Short in Show at Coutout Fest. Adventure comedy animated TV series targeting upper pre-school audiences (with secondary focus on parents and broader family), consisting of 20 episodes of 10 minutes each using 3D animation with 2D VFX and backgrounds. Custom animation and visual effects production services for enterprise brands, advertising agencies, and government clients. Delivers TV commercials, web campaigns, TV series, short films, and government awareness campaigns using 3D animation, 2D VFX, and hybrid live-action/3D CGI techniques.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached millions of viewers through national TV prime time broadcast for Senate of the Republic campaign
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Habanero FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Hyundai 10-year Mexico anniversary TV commercial. Habanero Films collaborated with Maliarts on pre-production, production, and post-production phases of the campaign featuring AI combined with 3D animation and live action.
• Innocean MexicocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for Hyundai 10-year Mexico campaign. Innocean Mexico served as the advertising agency coordinating the project with Maliarts and Habanero Films for the integrated campaign.
• The Story LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative agency partner for Oreo 'Wonderfilled' campaign in Australia. The Story Lab collaborated with Maliarts and Oreo to produce 50 videos with 83 character designs, 51 sets, and 159 props across two animation teams.
• OreocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrand client for global cookie campaign 'Wonderfilled' featuring Maliarts' animation expertise in creating engaging content exploring themes of sharing and wonder.
• Farö FeaturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction partner for 'The Sleeping Beauty Chronicles' animated mini-series in development at Maliarts.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Psyop: Award-winning creative animation and VFX studio serving global brands with hybrid live-action/CGI work. Closely comparable service offering and client base to Maliarts' commercial arm.
• Buck: US-based creative studio specializing in animation, motion design, and VFX for brand campaigns and original content. Similar hybrid production model and enterprise client focus.
• Cartoon Saloon: Mid-sized Irish animation studio producing award-winning original animated features and shorts. Comparable to Maliarts in original-IP emphasis, festival recognition, and boutique production scale.
• Habanero Films: Mexico City-based animation and VFX studio that co-produced with Maliarts on the Hyundai campaign. Operates the same hybrid live-action/CGI animation model for commercials and branded content, making it a closely matched peer in size and geography.
• Golden Wolf: London-based animation studio producing high-volume brand content and original IP, with strong festival recognition. Comparable to Maliarts on rapid-delivery commercial work and original short-form content.
• Huevocartoon: Mexican animation studio with both original IP (feature films, series) and brand commercial work. Operates in the same hybrid animation space with comparable client mix and Mexican production base.
• Passion Pictures: London-based animation and VFX studio with strong award credentials (multiple Oscars) and a mix of commercial brand work and original IP. Comparable on both sides of Maliarts' business model.

Broad incumbents

• Ánima Estudios: Mexico's largest animation studio, producing TV series and feature films across similar demographics and genres (children's, family). Comparable to Maliarts in operating geography and product type, but with substantially larger headcount and IP catalog.
• Laika: US-based stop-motion/CG animation studio producing original feature films. Comparable on original IP and award recognition, though at significantly larger scale and feature-length focus.
• Aardman Animations: UK-based animation studio with a deep original IP catalog (feature films, series) plus brand commercial work. Comparable to Maliarts on both IP and commercial sides, but at materially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/maliarts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maliarts
• Instagraminstagram.com/maliarts_net

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Maliarts