Heehaw Digital

What Heehaw Digital does

Heehaw Digital is a privately held, Edinburgh-based video production studio founded in 2000 that operates as a multi-disciplinary creative house spanning live action, animation, VFX, and motion design. The studio runs four core service lines — VFX, Animation, Motion Design, and Production — under a single in-house team led by department heads in animation and production, supplemented by a small senior editing and post-production bench. The company delivers content ranging from 15-second social clips to 90-minute feature films for global brands, broadcasters, agencies, and NGOs, with named clients including BBC (Bitesize), Red Bull Media House, the United Nations, Hilton, Baillie Gifford, National Galleries of Scotland, Lee Kum Kee, and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Its production footprint has reached 36 countries across all continents, and it has produced two feature films as service producer for Reel One Entertainment ('Meet You in Scotland' and 'Christmas in Scotland'), with a Cape Town operational arm added via the June 2025 Motif Studios partnership to access UK-South Africa co-production incentives.

The studio monetises exclusively through project-based professional services engagements, with pricing determined per project scope and no publicly disclosed standardised tiers. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with project acquisition through direct outreach, referrals, and brand reputation rather than a self-serve channel. Customer segmentation is horizontal across global brands and broadcasters, agencies and production companies, educational institutions, and charities/NGOs. Two adjacent operating subsidiaries extend the model: Nickie-Ben (launched October 2023) develops original scripted IP including feature LURE, and Cloud Break develops factual content. The company is bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding, and is led by CEO Toby Trueman, with non-executive directors Mark and Danny providing oversight and a sole finance manager (Rebecca Sweeney) handling budgeting and forecasting.

The firm has accumulated 35 industry awards and was ranked #21 in the UK Top 50 Production Companies in 2026, up ten places from the prior listing. It also won International Business of the Year at the Edinburgh Business Awards in 2024 and Export Business of the Year in 2022. Operationally, Heehaw is small (13 fully in-house creatives at the Edinburgh studio) and depends on freelance scaling for crew-heavy projects, with technology differentiated by its hybrid live-action/animation integration capability and multi-asset delivery model that produces content across multiple formats, platforms, and aspect ratios from a single production.

Name

Heehaw Digital

Legal name

Heehaw

Website

https://heehaw.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heehaw Digital is a 25-year-old Edinburgh-based video production studio with 13 in-house creatives, specialising in hybrid live action, animation, VFX, and motion design for global brands, broadcasters, NGOs, and feature film distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Video production services
• Animation production
• Visual effects (VFX)
• Motion design
• Branded content creation

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Video Production Services: Project-based video production services including commercial, documentary, social content, and branded content creation for clients across multiple industries
2. Animation and VFX Services: Custom animation and visual effects production, including 2D/3D animation, motion graphics, and hybrid animation/live action combinations
3. Feature Film Production: Service producing feature films for international distributors and production companies, including pre-production, production, and post-production services

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Heehaw is a multi-disciplinary video production studio specialising in hybrid workflows combining live action, animation, VFX, and motion design. The studio delivers end-to-end services spanning strategy, production, and post-production for commercials, branded content, promo, TV, and feature film projects. Clients include BBC Bitesize, Red Bull Media House, Hilton, the United Nations, Baillie Gifford, and National Galleries of Scotland, with projects delivered in 36 countries across all continents.

Product overview

Heehaw is a talent-led video production studio offering a multi-asset delivery model across four core service departments: Strategy, Animation, Motion Design, and Production (Film). The studio specializes in hybrid live action combined with animation and VFX, providing clients with an end-to-end service spanning commercials, branded content, promo, TV, and feature film. Services include VFX supervision, 2D/3D animation, motion design, and full-scale production. The company also develops original IP through its subsidiary Nickie-Ben, focused on scripted feature film and television projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nickie-Ben: Independent scripted entertainment company aimed at championing Scottish film and television projects with an edge. Platform for developing IP in genre and feature film/TV with international focus.
• Cloud Break

Products and services

• Production Full-service video production spanning feature films, TV commercials, documentary, social content, and branded entertainment, scaling from a 90-minute feature film or a 70-person crew to a 15-second TikTok or self-taped mobile-phone shoot. Strategy-led, the service is built around the brief, not the equipment.
• Animation Animation services ranging from 2D illustrative animation to 3D assets and visual effects, often combining live action with animated content to create hybrid video pieces. Used by clients including BBC Bitesize, Baillie Gifford, Red Bull, and Lee Kum Kee.
• VFX (Visual Effects) Visual effects and CGI services for digital, TV and film productions, including on-set VFX supervision, set extensions, clean up, and 2D/3D animation. Supports clients in commercial, TV, and film work.
• Motion Design Bringing movement to graphic design with focus on emotional impact as well as conveying information through animated visual content. Used by clients such as Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home and other branded and campaign work.
• Experiential Experiential content creation for live events and immersive brand experiences, extending Heehaw's production capability beyond screen into physical brand activations.
• Original Content / Nickie-Ben Development and production of original intellectual property, including feature films and scripted TV content through the Nickie-Ben subsidiary. Focused on championing Scottish film and television projects with international appeal, including genre features and factual content developed via the Cloud Break platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8.45 million views on Red Bull Media House projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Motif StudioscoreTechnology or Integration · 17 June 2025Creative partnership between Heehaw and Motif Studios combining video content production with visual effects expertise. Offers clients seamless end-to-end service across commercials, branded content, promo, TV and feature film. With offices in Edinburgh and Cape Town, enables clients to leverage co-production treaties, tax incentives, and grants in both the UK and South Africa.
• Nickie-BencoreOthers · 25 October 2023Heehaw's scripted genre entertainment company launched as a sister company to develop and nurture Scottish film and TV IP. Current slate includes feature project LURE. Leverages Heehaw's production, post, and marketing talent while building a commercially viable imprint championing Scottish talent.
• Reel One EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Canadian studio partnership for feature film production. Heehaw serves as service producer for internationally distributed features. Two films delivered: 'Meet You in Scotland' and 'Christmas in Scotland'. Provides workflow and organisational experience for sustaining production complexities over time.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Buck: LA-based design and animation studio producing motion design, VFX, and branded content for global brands. Highly comparable in hybrid animation/film offering and enterprise client roster.
• UNIT Image: Motion design and animation studio producing visual content for advertising, film, and games. Comparable in combining live action, animation, and VFX for enterprise clients.
• Nexus Studios: London-based boutique animation and production studio combining live action, CG, and design for advertising and broadcast clients. Closely comparable to Heehaw in scale, hybrid capability, and enterprise client mix.
• Tendril: Toronto-based animation and design studio serving global brands with motion design, VFX, and CG work. Comparable boutique scale, creative-led model, and global brand client base.
• Studio AKA: Multi-disciplinary London animation and design studio producing commercials, short films, and branded content. Comparable boutique size, animation-led offering, and similar mix of advertising and broadcast clients.

Broad incumbents

• The Mill: Global VFX, design, and content production studio serving advertising, film, and immersive. A broader incumbent offering overlapping production, VFX, and animation capabilities across a wider portfolio.
• Framestore: Global VFX and animation powerhouse with feature film, episodic, and advertising divisions. Operates in the same hybrid production/animation/VFX space as Heehaw but at vastly greater scale and brand recognition.
• MPC (Moving Picture Company): Global VFX and post-production house working across advertising, film, and streaming. Provides overlapping VFX and content production services but at significantly larger scale than Heehaw.

Emerging players

• Blue Zoo Animation Studio: London-based animation studio producing children's content, commercials, and branded entertainment. Comparable UK-based boutique scale with animation-led offering and BBC-adjacent client relationships.
• B-Reel: Stockholm-based creative and production studio producing films, interactive content, and branded experiences. Comparable boutique creative-led model with similar enterprise client work and multi-format delivery.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/weareheehaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/weareheehaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heehaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Heehaw Digital