What Beakus does

Beakus is a UK-based boutique animation and motion design studio founded in 2009 by Steve Smith and headquartered in Lewes, near Brighton. The studio produces human-made animation for mission-driven organisations, NGOs, broadcasters, cultural institutions, and brands, spanning 2D (hand-drawn, motion graphics, cut-out), 3D CGI, stop-motion, and hybrid techniques that combine live-action with animation. Its work covers the full production pipeline — concept, script, design, storyboard, animatic, casting, voice record, music, and sound design — delivered for broadcast, digital, gallery, and interactive formats. Customers include BBC/CBeebies, Sky, Disney, Nickelodeon, Google, the National Gallery, British Library, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Médecins Sans Frontières, NHS, and The Guardian.

Beakus operates a dual model combining bespoke client-commissioned animation production with original IP development. Pricing is project-based and quoted individually against scope, technique, complexity, and usage rights — no rate cards are published. On the IP side, the studio has originated three properties: Olobob Top (a 78-episode CBeebies pre-school series licensed internationally), Big Lizard (a 3D CGI series co-produced with France's Je Suis Bien Content and distributed by Aardman across the UK, France, Australia, and Belgium), and A Little Grey (an award-winning 3D CGI short film). Yakka Dee!, which Beakus helped develop and produced the first series of, has reached nearly 2 billion YouTube views and 2 million subscribers. Series co-productions leverage UK animation tax credits.

The studio is founder-owned, with no disclosed external investment or institutional backing. Operations are intentionally lean — a small core team that scales by engaging freelance collaborators on a project basis. Distribution of Beakus's owned IP is handled through co-production and licensing agreements with established partners, while client-commissioned content is distributed through the clients' own broadcast, digital, and physical channels. The company is a member of Animation UK.

Name

Beakus

Legal name

Beakus Ltd

Website

https://beakus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Beakus is a UK boutique animation studio producing human-made animated content — explainers, TV series, commercials, and gallery installations — for NGOs, broadcasters, and cultural institutions, while also developing and licensing its own original animated IP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lewes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Bespoke animation production (client-commissioned): Primary revenue stream. Beakus produces custom animated content — explainers, films, series, commercials, in-gallery installations — on a project-by-project basis. Pricing is quote-driven based on length, technique, complexity, timeline, and usage rights. No published rate card; each engagement is scoped individually.
2. Series co-production and UK tax credits: Beakus acts as co-producer on TV series (e.g., Big Lizard with Je Suis Bien Content), bringing on-board UK talent and accessing UK animation tax credit schemes. Revenue includes production fees, co-production shares, and territorial licensing income.
3. Original IP licensing and distribution: Beakus has developed and owns original animated IP (Olobob Top, Big Lizard) that is licensed to broadcasters and distributors internationally. Yakka Dee! (which Beakus helped develop and produced the first series) has reached nearly 2 billion YouTube views.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Beakus is a boutique animation studio that produces bespoke animated content on a project-by-project basis for mission-driven organisations, NGOs, broadcasters, museums, and brands. The studio works across 2D, 3D CGI, stop-motion, and hybrid techniques, delivering explainers, short films, in-gallery installations, commercials, and full children's TV series. In parallel, Beakus develops and owns original animated IP and operates as a TV series co-producer, accessing UK animation tax credits and providing UK-based production and creative expertise for international partners.

Product overview

Beakus is an award-winning UK animation studio specializing in human-made animation for mission-driven organisations, NGOs, and broadcasters. The studio operates as both a service company and IP developer. As a service company, Beakus offers Series Development, Co-Production Services, Animation Service Company (pre and post-production), Explainer Films, and Commercials. The studio also develops its own intellectual property including Big Lizard (3D CGI series), Olobob Top (pre-school show), Yakka Dee! (word-learning show for CBeebies), Numtums (pre-school series), and A Little Grey (animated short film). Beakus works in 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and hybrid animation techniques, with greatest love for 2D animation of all kinds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Big Lizard: A full 3D CGI animated series co-created by Beakus founder Steve Smith and Amaël Isnard, featuring astronaut Cosima and her prehistoric friend Big Lizard on planet Proxima B. Broadcast on CBeebies, FTV France, ABC Australia, and other territories. Award-winning with Kidscreen 2026 nomination.
• Olobob Top

Products and services

• Big Lizard A full 3D CGI animated series co-created by Beakus and Je Suis Bien Content and distributed by Aardman, following astronaut Cosima who crash-lands on planet Proxima B and befriends Big Lizard. Sold and broadcast internationally across UK, France, Australia, Belgium, and other territories; won Broadcast Awards 2026 Best Pre-School Programme and was nominated for Kidscreen Awards 2026 Best New Series.
• Olobob Top An animated pre-school series of 78 x 5-minute episodes created in-house at Beakus by Steve Smith and Leigh Hodgkinson for CBeebies, and Beakus' first owned IP. Sold internationally to multiple territories including Australia, Finland, Wales, and Japan.
• Yakka Dee! A CBeebies hit pre-school show that helps children learn new words through animated adventures, which Beakus helped develop and produced the first original series for.
• Numtums A pre-school animated series developed with CBeebies from initial design through to animation production.
• A Little Grey An award-winning 3D CGI animated short film co-directed by Steve Smith and Simon Hewitt, animated by Mighty (Mexico) following Grey, a man who has lost his colour in a world where everyone else has their own vibrant hue.
• Series Development Bespoke series development for like-minded producers needing talented UK creative; Beakus has developed three shows in-house (Big Lizard, Olobob Top, Numtums) and offers its series development capability to external partners.
• Co-Production Services TV series co-production services, bringing on-board UK talent and accessing UK animation tax credit schemes; Beakus serves as UK co-producer (e.g., Big Lizard with Je Suis Bien Content) earning production fees, co-production shares, and territorial licensing income.
• Animation Production (Pre- and Post-Production) End-to-end animation production services, with particular strength in pre-production (concept, script, design, storyboard, animatic) and post-production (casting, voice record, music and sound design), delivered across 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and hybrid techniques.
• Explainer Films Bespoke explainer animations for NGOs, museums, galleries, brands, and organisations, providing a complete end-to-end service to make complex topics accessible to kids and adults.
• Commercials Short commercial animation for brands and clients, delivered on-time and on-budget for digital or broadcast distribution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Yakka Dee! YouTube channel reached ~2 billion views and 2 million subscribers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• AardmancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAardman distributes Big Lizard — a 3D CGI animated series co-produced by Beakus and Je Suis Bien Content. The series broadcasts on CBeebies (UK), FTV (France), ABC (Australia), RTBF (Belgium), and other territories through Aardman's international distribution network.
• Je Suis Bien ContentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJe Suis Bien Content is the co-production partner for Big Lizard alongside Beakus. Together they developed and produce the 3D CGI series, combining Beakus's UK production and creative expertise with Je Suis Bien Content's capabilities.
• Mighty (Mexico)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMighty is a Mexico-based animation studio engaged by Beakus to animate the award-winning 3D CGI short film A Little Grey. Beakus developed the script and treatment, with Mighty providing the animation production.
• Animation UKminorOthersBeakus is a member of Animation UK, the trade body representing the UK animation industry. Animation UK supports and advocates for UK animation studios.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Studio Liddell: UK animation studio producing animated series and shorts. Comparable to Beakus in service-plus-original-IP model, children's content focus, and UK creative production capability.
• Wildseed Studios: UK animation studio developing and producing original IP-driven children's content. Comparable to Beakus in original-IP focus, UK base, and serving broadcasters/platforms with series development.
• Blue Zoo Animation Studio: UK-based animation studio producing children's broadcast series (Numberblocks, Go Jetters, Q Pootle 5). Closely comparable to Beakus in target market (CBeebies-tier commissioners), children's IP development, and UK co-production orientation.
• Factory Create: UK animation and motion design studio. Closely comparable to Beakus in boutique UK scale, motion design and animation service offering, and mix of broadcast, cultural and brand clients.
• Karrot Entertainment: UK animation studio behind Sarah & Duck and other premium children's series. Direct peer to Beakus in boutique UK children's animation, broadcast-led revenue, and original-IP development for CBeebies-tier buyers.
• Lupus Films: UK boutique animation studio producing premium 2D and hybrid animated features and series (The Snowman, Ethel & Ernest). Comparable to Beakus in scale, UK base, mix of service work and owned IP, and children's/family programming focus.
• Hocus Pocus Studio: UK animation studio producing premium animated content for brands and broadcasters. Comparable to Beakus in boutique UK scale, brand-led commercial animation work, and mixed-technique (2D/3D) capability.
• Astley Baker Davies: UK studio behind Peppa Pig — direct peer to Beakus in original UK pre-school IP development, CBeebies-facing series production, and IP licensing economics.

Broad incumbents

• Aardman Animations: Iconic UK animation studio (Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep). Larger incumbent operating broadly across animation — already a Beakus distribution partner on Big Lizard — and comparable in craft-led positioning and UK base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beakus
• Xx.com/studiobeakus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Beakus