Tumblehead
Tumblehead is an independent CG animation studio founded in 2011 in Viborg, Denmark, producing commercials, TV content, short films, and experiential installations for international brands including Nike, Disney, LucasFilm, Google, and LEGO, alongside Danish government and NGO clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersViborg, Denmark
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Tumblehead does
Tumblehead (legal name: Tumblehead Animation) is an independent animation studio founded in 2011 and headquartered in Viborg, Denmark. The studio operates with a small team of approximately 6 employees, led by Co-Director Magnus Igland Møller, Producer Peter Smith, and Technical Director Søren Nørbæk. Tumblehead produces CG animation and compositing services for an international client base spanning major brands (Nike, Disney, LucasFilm, Google, Sony, YouTube, LEGO), entertainment networks (Adult Swim, Danish National Television), gaming companies (Sybo Games, Kiloo Games, Tell Tale Games), agencies (BlinkInk, Some Such & Co), and Danish municipalities and NGOs. The core technology stack is built around SideFX Houdini, with particular expertise in procedural animation using the KineFX and APEX systems for character animation, rigging, look development, and compositing.
The studio's commercial work spans character-driven commercials (Kobe Bryant Nike Air tribute, Jayson Tatum Tatum 2 launch, Cazoo, LEGO Brick Slam), TV show segments and series (Street Race for Adult Swim, Tales from the Multiverse, Subway Surfers teaser, The Swineherd for Danish National Television), short films (Turbulence co-produced with SideFX, Freelance, BRUS, Rob 'n' Ron), documentary series (Scandinavian Star), explainer and educational content (The Story of Animation, Rusmiddelcenter Vidorg, Physical Therapy), and experiential installations (Inside Out projection mapping on Viborg Cathedral). Revenue is generated through project-based one-time contracts with custom quotes per engagement; no recurring licensing, subscription, or SaaS revenue model is present. The studio is privately held and founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional investment, parent company, or M&A activity. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-client, supported by a portfolio website and social channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn).
The company has earned recognition at premier animation and film festivals including Annie Award nomination, SIGGRAPH selection, Annecy, Cannes 2023, National Film Awards 2024, London Film Critics Circle 2024, and Gotham Awards 2024. The client base is globally distributed despite the single Viborg headquarters, with Nuance Notes indicating that the studio operates on direct enterprise engagement rather than localized sales motions. Key partnerships include SideFX (technology showcase), Grin Machine (co-direction on Turbulence), BlinkInk (recurring agency partner), Some Such & Co (Nike campaign collaboration), and various Danish municipalities for government-sector projects.
Tumblehead firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tumblehead
- Legal name
- Tumblehead Animation
- Website
- https://tumblehead.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Tumblehead is an independent CG animation studio founded in 2011 in Viborg, Denmark, producing commercials, TV content, short films, and experiential installations for international brands including Nike, Disney, LucasFilm, Google, and LEGO, alongside Danish government and NGO clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tumblehead industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animation Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219), Teleproduction and Other Postproduction Services (512191)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Animation Production (2D/3D/Stop-Motion) (MPAAAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- 2D/3D Rigging & Character Setup (MPAHACAE), Short-Form Animation (Shorts, Web Series) (MPADACAI)
Keywords
Where Tumblehead is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Viborg
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tumblehead business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Animation Production Services: Project-based animation production for commercials, TV shows, and films. Revenue generated through creative services contracts with brands, agencies, and entertainment companies.
- Brand Animation Projects: Custom animated content creation for brand marketing campaigns, including character animation, visual effects, and branded storytelling.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Tumblehead product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tumblehead is an independent animation studio that produces CG animated content for commercial, television, and film clients. Services span character animation, compositing, rigging, lighting, look development, and environment design for brand campaigns, TV segments, short films, explainers, and immersive projection mapping installations. The studio executes projects end-to-end on a per-engagement basis using industry-standard tools including SideFX Houdini's procedural animation systems (KineFX and APEX).
Product overview
Tumblehead is an award-winning independent animation studio and production company operating since 2011. The studio offers a diverse portfolio of animation services and projects spanning commercials (Nike Air, Cazoo, Loytech, VELUX Seanics), TV shows (Street Race for Adult Swim, Tales from the Multiverse, Subway Surfers teaser), short films (Turbulence, Freelance, The Swineherd, BRUS, Rob 'n' Ron), explainer videos (Rusmiddelcenter Viborg, Physical Therapy, The Story of Animation), promotional films (VAF, Flyt til Næstved, Kultur med Vilje, Arno House), documentary series (Scandinavian Star), and innovative installations (Inside Out projection mapping). The studio creates original storytelling across different media for an international client roster including Nike, Disney, LucasFilm, Google, Sony, YouTube, BlinkInk, Tell Tale Games, and various Danish municipalities and organizations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commercial Animation Production Custom animated commercials for brand marketing campaigns, including character animation, visual effects, and branded storytelling. Past work includes Nike Air campaigns, Cazoo car retailer campaign, LEGO Brick Slam, and VELUX promotional films.
- TV and Streaming Animation Production Animated segments and series for television and streaming platforms, including show openers, interstitials, and series episodes. Examples include Street Race for Adult Swim's Off the Air and Tales from the Multiverse.
- Short Film and Documentary Animation
Companies that use Tumblehead
Customer profileNamed customers25 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Tumblehead technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Tumblehead partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Grin MachinecoreCo-directed Turbulence animated short film with Christopher Rutledge of Grin Machine, developed in collaboration with SideFX to showcase Houdini's animation capabilities
- SideFXcoreCollaborated on Turbulence project to comprehensively explore and demonstrate Houdini's procedural animation and rigging tools including KineFX and APEX systems
- Some Such & ComajorProduction company for Nike campaigns including Kobe Bryant and Jayson Tatum projects, working together on animation direction
- CM StudiosminorAgency partner for Nike animation projects providing creative direction and production management
- LEGOmajorLEGO Brick Slam animated project featuring heroic LEGO sets, with Tumblehead responsible for all CG animation and compositing
- Viborg KommuneminorInside Out projection mapping installation at Viborg Cathedral during 2021 Viborg Animation Festival, developed in collaboration with municipality
- The Animation WorkshopminorCo-development partner for Inside Out projection mapping installation at Viborg Cathedral during VAF 2021
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tumblehead competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Studio AKA: London-based animation studio producing commercials, short films, and TV content for major brands and broadcasters. Comparable to Tumblehead in commercial/short-form animation mix and award-winning pedigree.
- Psyop: New York and Los Angeles-based animation and content studio specializing in commercials, music videos, and branded storytelling. Directly comparable to Tumblehead in commercial animation craft, blue-chip client roster, and emphasis on distinctive visual storytelling.
- Buck: Los Angeles-based animation and design studio producing commercials, branded content, and short-form animation for global brands. Directly comparable to Tumblehead as a premium boutique animation shop with a similar brand-storytelling focus and similar festival/award credibility.
- Blink Industries: London-based animation and production company producing commercial, branded, and original short-form content. Directly comparable to Tumblehead in size, commercial-animation focus, and emphasis on distinctive character-driven storytelling for brand clients.
- Nexus Studios: London-based animation and film studio producing commercials, shorts, and interactive content for major international brands. Closely comparable to Tumblehead in client caliber, multi-format output (commercials, shorts, installations), and award-recognition profile.
- Golden Wolf: London-based animation studio producing commercials, music videos, and brand content for global clients. Directly comparable to Tumblehead as a boutique animation shop with a similar commercial/short-form mix and brand-led storytelling approach.
Broad incumbents
- MPC (Moving Picture Company): Global VFX and animation studio serving feature films, streaming content, and brand commercials. Comparable to Tumblehead in animation/VFX capabilities for brand clients but operates as a large incumbent with extensive post-production infrastructure.
- Aardman Animations: Bristol-based animation studio famous for stop-motion features, shorts, and commercials. Comparable to Tumblehead in festival-circuit reputation and brand-commercial animation but with significantly larger scale and an owned IP library (Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep).
- Blur Studio: Venice, California-based CG animation and VFX studio serving game cinematics, commercials, and feature films. Comparable to Tumblehead in CG animation craft for premium entertainment and brand clients, but at substantially larger scale.
- Passion Pictures: Larger London-based production company with extensive animation capabilities serving commercials, documentaries, and feature films. Comparable to Tumblehead in animation-driven brand storytelling but operates at significantly greater scale and with broader service offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tumblehead social profiles
Digital presenceTumblehead financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tumblehead leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Tumblehead funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tumblehead 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 Tumblehead
What does Tumblehead do?
Tumblehead is an independent animation studio that produces CG animated content for commercial, television, and film clients. Services span character animation, compositing, rigging, lighting, look development, and environment design for brand campaigns, TV segments, short films, explainers, and immersive projection mapping installations. The studio executes projects end-to-end on a per-engagement basis using industry-standard tools including SideFX Houdini's procedural animation systems (KineFX and APEX).
Is Tumblehead a public or private company?
Tumblehead is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tumblehead founded?
Tumblehead was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Tumblehead based?
Tumblehead is headquartered in Viborg, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Tumblehead make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Animation Production Services are the primary driver. The others are brand Animation Projects.
Who are Tumblehead's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Studio AKA, Psyop, Buck, Blink Industries, Nexus Studios and Golden Wolf. Broad incumbents are MPC (Moving Picture Company), Aardman Animations, Blur Studio and Passion Pictures.
Does Tumblehead have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tumblehead.
What industry is Tumblehead in?
Tumblehead's product category is Animation Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAMAD, Animation Production (2D/3D/Stop-Motion), with a secondary code of MPAHACAE, 2D/3D Rigging & Character Setup. Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.