Pesky
Pesky is a founder-owned UK animation studio founded in 1996 that produces TV series, interactive media, and character design for children of all ages, serving broadcasters including BBC, CBeebies, CBBC, Channel 4, Disney, and eOne.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersBrighton, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Pesky does
Pesky is a privately-held animation studio founded in 1996 by Claire Underwood and David Hodgson and headquartered in Lewes, East Sussex, United Kingdom. The studio produces playful, humorous, and character-driven animated content for children of all ages, spanning TV series, interactive media, web games, TV idents, character design, and licensing brand development. Core productions include the CBeebies preschool series Boj (52 x 11 minutes) and the BAFTA-winning The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers (78 x 7 minutes), which has been distributed in over 80 countries. The studio has also developed originals at Cartoon Forum (The Invisible Network of Kids) and pursued co-production partnerships with French producer Samka, Disney, eOne, and Hit Entertainment.
Pesky's technology stack is built around animation production and interactive media development, with the studio having been an early pioneer of interactive animation for CD-Rom and web before becoming Flash trailblazers and later expanding into interactive TV and full TV series production. Across nearly three decades the studio has completed over 120 projects for clients including BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Cartoon Network, MTV, Disney, eOne, and Hit Entertainment, alongside non-broadcast work for healthcare (Guy's and St Thomas Hospital), consumer (Philips), education (Espresso Education), and agencies (M&C Saatchi for Nestle).
Revenue is generated through project-based animation services, broadcast licensing fees for produced series, and character licensing/merchandise (notably Boj, which has spawned licensed products and the Giggly Park attraction at West Midland Safari Park). The studio operates on a custom quote-based pricing model with no public rate card, relying on direct broadcaster relationships, industry events, and portfolio visibility rather than broad digital marketing. With 1-10 employees and no disclosed external funding, Pesky is a small, founder-owned, capital-light creative studio whose operations are entirely dependent on the two principals.
Pesky firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pesky
- Legal name
- Pesky Ltd
- Website
- https://pesky.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Pesky is a founder-owned UK animation studio founded in 1996 that produces TV series, interactive media, and character design for children of all ages, serving broadcasters including BBC, CBeebies, CBBC, Channel 4, Disney, and eOne.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pesky industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animation Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Character & Creature Animation (MPADACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO) (MPAFAKAM)
Keywords
Where Pesky is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brighton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pesky business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- TV Series Production: Animation studio creates and produces TV series for broadcasters, earning production fees and potentially retaining intellectual property rights for further exploitation
- Character Licensing: Developed characters and brands (such as Boj) generate licensing revenue through merchandise, partnerships, and related products
- Animation Services: Provides animation, character design, and interactive media services to corporate clients, broadcasters, and educational institutions on a project basis
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Pesky product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pesky is a BAFTA award-winning animation studio that creates, develops, and produces animated TV series, characters, and interactive media primarily for children and family audiences. The studio delivers project-based animation production services to broadcasters, entertainment companies, and educational institutions, while also developing and licensing its own original intellectual properties such as Boj and The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers.
Product overview
Pesky is a BAFTA award-winning animation studio founded in 1996 by Claire Underwood (Director) and David Hodgson (Producer). The studio specializes in creating playful entertainment for children of all ages, having worked on over 120 projects. Their portfolio spans multiple product categories: TV series (Boj, The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers, Invisible Network of Kids), interactive entertainment (CyberPest, web games for CBeebies), character design and licensing (MissyMiss), TV idents (Cartoon Network), and educational content. The studio evolved from early pioneers of interactive animation for CD-Rom and web, through Flash animation, to developing TV series concepts. Their work serves clients including the BBC, CBeebies, Channel 4, Cartoon Network, Disney, and various other broadcasters and entertainment companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Boj A 52 x 11 minute preschool animated TV series that aired on CBeebies and was distributed worldwide, with associated licensed merchandise and a themed adventure playground (Giggly Park at West Midland Safari Park).
- The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers A 78 x 7 minute animated TV series distributed in over 80 countries worldwide, winner of a BAFTA award. The property began as CBBC shorts in 2002 before becoming a full series.
- Animation Production Services End-to-end animation production services including concept development, character design, storyboarding, production, and delivery of animated content for TV, web, and interactive platforms. Services are delivered to broadcasters, entertainment companies, educational institutions, and brands on a project basis.
- Character Design and Licensing Development of original character IP for licensing across multiple media formats including television, print, interactive media, and physical products. Includes the creation of properties like Boj, MissyMiss, and bespoke character work for corporate clients.
- Interactive Media Development Design and production of interactive animated content including CD-Rom entertainment, web games, interactive educational cartoons, and web-based branded experiences. The studio was an early pioneer of interactive animation and Flash animation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 120+ projects completed for major broadcasters and entertainment companies
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Pesky
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Pesky technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Pesky partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CBeebiescoreLong-standing partnership producing Boj TV series (52 x 11 minute preschool series) and web games for Little Robots, Tweenies, and Tikkabilla. Boj series aired on CBeebies and was distributed worldwide.
- West Midland Safari ParkminorPartnership to design 'Giggly Park' adventure playground themed around Boj characters, providing physical attraction licensing opportunity.
- SamkacoreFrench producer Samka further developed and produced The Invisible Network of Kids from Pesky's original concept into a half-hour series.
- DisneycoreDevelopment partnership for Billion Dollar Bow-Wow TV series concept.
- eOnecoreDevelopment partnership for Frank's Zapper TV series.
- Hit EntertainmentcoreDevelopment partnership for Thingamigiggles TV pilot, Pesky's first preschool concept.
- Glen BaxterminorFeature film development partnership for Empire of Sponge.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pesky competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pesky social profiles
Digital presencePesky financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pesky leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Pesky funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pesky 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 Pesky
What does Pesky do?
Pesky is a BAFTA award-winning animation studio that creates, develops, and produces animated TV series, characters, and interactive media primarily for children and family audiences. The studio delivers project-based animation production services to broadcasters, entertainment companies, and educational institutions, while also developing and licensing its own original intellectual properties such as Boj and The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers.
Is Pesky a public or private company?
Pesky is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pesky founded?
Pesky was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Pesky based?
Pesky is headquartered in Brighton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Pesky make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. TV Series Production is the primary driver. The others are character Licensing and animation Services.
Does Pesky have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pesky.
What industry is Pesky in?
Pesky's product category is Animation Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADACAE, Character & Creature Animation, with a secondary code of MPAFAKAM, Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO). Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.