Carlichauns
Carlichauns is an Irish children's entertainment company founded in 2023 that builds a digital-first franchise around Irish folklore leprechaun characters. It produces a CG-animated series in development, an AR mobile app, YouTube shorts, and a children's book series sold via Amazon and Lulu, targeting children aged 4-7 and their families globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersCarlingford, Ireland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Carlichauns does
Carlichauns Limited is an Irish children's entertainment company founded in 2023 and headquartered in Carlingford, Co. Louth, Ireland. It builds a digital-first franchise around Irish folklore leprechaun characters (the 'Carlichauns'), targeting children aged 4-7 and their families. Its product portfolio spans a CG-animated series in development, YouTube 2D animated shorts, an Augmented Reality mobile application (the Carlichauns Adventure Trail app, available on iOS and Android), and a series of illustrated children's books. The books are sold directly via Lulu (Ireland) and Amazon (global), each containing six activity pages; three titles have been published (Mission to New York Kitty, St. Patrick's Day Wish, A Wish From Sydney) with a fourth announced. The AR app achieved 2,000+ downloads, a 4.9/5 user rating, and the #1 rank in Ireland's Free Kids & Family App charts across 21+ nationalities.
The company's revenue model combines three streams: unit-priced consumer book sales through Amazon and Lulu, a freemium AR mobile app, and an international licensing and merchandising strategy targeting toys, apparel, and merchandise categories. The go-to-market is digital-first, supplemented by physical Adventure Trail events in parks (e.g., People's Park Dun Laoghaire, Los Angeles) and industry presence at MIPCOM Cannes and the Las Vegas Licensing Expo. The company has secured strategic partnerships with Enterprise Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Discover Ireland, and Ireland's Ancient East, and uses Imvizar as its AR technology partner. The company operates as a private limited entity with 1-10 employees and no disclosed institutional funding.
The leadership team is a notable asset: Co-Founder and CEO Niall Watters; Co-Founder and Executive Chair / Chief Content Officer Tim Patterson (former senior roles at Nickelodeon, BBC, UKTV, Disney, ITV); Co-Founder and CFO Eoin McCormack; Co-Founders Kevin Woods and Steve Woods; Executive Producer and Brand Ambassador Keith Chapman (creator of Paw Patrol and Bob the Builder, whose IP has generated US$22B+ in global sales); and Brand Ambassador Dan Mulhall (former Irish Ambassador to the US, UK, Germany, and Malaysia). The company is recognized as a Business Post Top 100 Startup (Leinster) in 2024.
Carlichauns firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Carlichauns
- Legal name
- Carlichauns Limited
- Website
- https://carlichauns.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Carlichauns is an Irish children's entertainment company founded in 2023 that builds a digital-first franchise around Irish folklore leprechaun characters. It produces a CG-animated series in development, an AR mobile app, YouTube shorts, and a children's book series sold via Amazon and Lulu, targeting children aged 4-7 and their families globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Carlichauns industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Entertainment
- NAICS
- Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Game Subscription & Membership Services (BPAMAKAD)
Keywords
Where Carlichauns is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carlingford
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Carlichauns business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Children's Books Sales: Physical and digital book sales through Amazon and Lulu platforms. Four books published to date (Mission to New York Kitty, St. Patrick's Day Wish, A Wish From Sydney, with Book 4 upcoming). Each book includes 6 activity pages.
- Licensing & Merchandising: International licensing strategy following strong momentum at Las Vegas Licensing Expo. Building a digital-first franchise for global audiences with licensing across entertainment categories.
- AR App Downloads: Free mobile app available on iOS App Store and Google Play. App drives engagement through AR experiences at physical trail locations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual book purchases |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free AR mobile app |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Carlichauns product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Carlichauns is a global kids and family entertainment brand that creates and distributes a CG-animated series, an augmented reality mobile app (Carlichauns Adventure Trail), a series of illustrated children's books, and YouTube 2D animated shorts, all anchored in Irish folklore traditions and targeted at children aged 4-7. The company monetizes its IP through direct-to-consumer book sales, free app distribution, and an international licensing and merchandising program.
Product overview
Carlichauns is a global kids and family entertainment brand offering a multi-platform portfolio anchored by a CG-animated series, an AR-powered Adventure Trail mobile app, YouTube 2D shorts, and a series of illustrated children's books. The flagship CG-animated series brings Irish leprechaun folklore to life for children aged 4-7, while the Adventure Trail app uses augmented reality to create immersive outdoor experiences at parks and events. The YouTube shorts provide short-form digital content, and the published books (with a fourth on the way) extend the brand into physical media with interactive activity pages. The products share the common theme of wish-granting adventures rooted in Irish folklore, with characters including Dara, Zara, Hazel, Big Green, and Riley.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Carlichauns Adventures: Book series featuring Dara, Zara, Hazel, Big Green, and Riley as characters granting wishes to children worldwide.
Products and services
- Carlichauns Adventure Trail AR App A free augmented reality mobile application that transforms local parks into magical adventure zones for families and children ages 4-7. Children scan physical signs with their phones to bring Carlichaun characters to life in AR, complete trails, and unlock surprises. Available on iOS App Store and Google Play.
- CG-Animated Series A computer-generated animated television series following Carlingford leprechauns (Carlichauns) who embark on adventures to grant wishes to children worldwide. Targeted at 4-7 year olds, blending Irish folklore tradition with modern digital storytelling. Currently in development/production.
- YouTube 2D Shorts Short-form 2D animated content distributed on YouTube featuring Carlichaun characters and adventures, complementing the main animated series and serving as a top-of-funnel brand awareness channel.
- Carlichauns Children's Books Series of illustrated children's books featuring characters Dara, Zara, Hazel, Big Green, and Riley. Each book includes 6 activity pages with puzzles, colouring, and spot-the-difference challenges. Published titles include 'Mission to New York Kitty', 'St. Patrick's Day Wish', and 'A Wish From Sydney', with a fourth book forthcoming.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,000+ app downloads with 4.9/5 rating
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Carlichauns
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Carlichauns technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Carlichauns partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Enterprise IrelandcoreGovernment-backed enterprise development agency supporting Irish companies with international growth. Partnered for business development and export support.
- ImvizarcoreTechnology partner providing AR (Augmented Reality) platform capabilities for the Carlichauns Adventure Trail mobile application.
- Tourism IrelandmajorNational tourism development organization promoting the island of Ireland overseas. Strategic alignment with Irish cultural heritage and folklore themes.
- Discover IrelandmajorOfficial Irish tourism website and promotion channel highlighting Irish attractions, culture, and experiences.
- Ireland's Ancient EastminorRegional tourism initiative promoting the ancient heritage and culture of eastern Ireland, including County Louth where Carlingford is located.
- The Last Leprechauns of IrelandminorHeritage and cultural organization preserving Irish leprechaun folklore traditions. Alignment with Carlichauns' Irish folklore roots.
- Gateway HotelminorLocal hotel venue potentially supporting Carlichauns events and community activities in the Carlingford area.
- Fairways HotelminorLocal hotel venue potentially supporting Carlichauns events and community activities in the Carlingford area.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Carlichauns competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hasbro: Hasbro operates a broad portfolio of children's entertainment and toy brands (Peppa Pig, My Little Pony, Transformers) and is a likely licensor or strategic acquirer of emerging preschool IP. Carlichauns competes for shelf space and licensing partnerships within Hasbro's global consumer products network.
- BBC Studios (CBeebies): BBC Studios produces and distributes preschool content including Bluey and CBeebies programming globally. As a major broadcaster and IP owner in the 4-7 demographic, BBC Studios is the most likely broadcast partner (and a competitor for the same slot on a child's screen) for Carlichauns' CG-animated series.
- Mattel: Mattel owns preschool IP such as Barbie, Thomas & Friends, and Fisher-Price brands, and licenses content globally. As a broad incumbent in children's entertainment and toys, Mattel represents the kind of strategic partner or acquirer that could commercialize the Carlichauns franchise at scale.
Direct peers
- Spin Master: Spin Master owns and operates Paw Patrol, Keith Chapman's most successful creation, and runs the global toy, licensing, and entertainment machine that monetizes the franchise. Carlichauns is pursuing a structurally similar IP-to-licensing-to-toys pathway but at a pre-launch stage with Chapman now leading the executive producer role.
- Moose Toys: Moose Toys combines toy development with original IP creation (e.g., Bluey toy line, Magic Mixies) and licenses entertainment properties for global retail. Carlichauns is building a licensable IP that Moose or similar partners could commercialize into toys and consumer products.
- Moonbug Entertainment (CoComelon): Moonbug owns CoComelon and other preschool digital-first properties, monetizing via YouTube, streaming, consumer products, and live events. Carlichauns' YouTube 2D shorts, CG series, AR app, and books map directly onto Moonbug's digital-first, multi-format preschool IP model.
- Pinkfong: Pinkfong (SmartStudy) built a global children's entertainment franchise from short-form digital content into licensed consumer products, most notably via Baby Shark. Carlichauns mirrors this digital-first, animation-to-licensing approach for the preschool segment.
- WildBrain: WildBrain is a children's entertainment and licensing company managing IP like Strawberry Shortcake, Teletubbies, and Caillou across content, consumer products, and digital. Carlichauns operates a comparable digital-first kids' IP-to-licensing model and competes for the same global broadcaster, streaming, and licensing partners.
Emerging players
- Tonies: Tonies (Boxine) sells the Toniebox audio player with collectible character figures linked to licensed children's audio content. Tonies demonstrates the emerging 'physical-plus-digital' children's entertainment model that Carlichauns' AR-trail-plus-book approach also targets, though in a different content category.
- Yoto: Yoto is an emerging player in children's screen-free audio entertainment, combining a hardware player with a content and creator marketplace that includes children's books and stories. Carlichauns' AR + book model addresses a comparable parent demand for engaging, less-passive children's experiences.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Carlichauns social profiles
Digital presenceCarlichauns compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Carlichauns financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Carlichauns leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Carlichauns funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Carlichauns 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 Carlichauns
What does Carlichauns do?
Carlichauns is a global kids and family entertainment brand that creates and distributes a CG-animated series, an augmented reality mobile app (Carlichauns Adventure Trail), a series of illustrated children's books, and YouTube 2D animated shorts, all anchored in Irish folklore traditions and targeted at children aged 4-7. The company monetizes its IP through direct-to-consumer book sales, free app distribution, and an international licensing and merchandising program.
Is Carlichauns a public or private company?
Carlichauns is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Carlichauns founded?
Carlichauns was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Carlichauns based?
Carlichauns is headquartered in Carlingford, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does Carlichauns make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Children's Books Sales are the primary driver. The others are licensing & Merchandising and AR App Downloads.
Who are Carlichauns's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Hasbro, BBC Studios (CBeebies) and Mattel. Direct peers are Spin Master, Moose Toys, Moonbug Entertainment (CoComelon), Pinkfong and WildBrain. Emerging players are Tonies and Yoto.
Does Carlichauns have an API?
No public API is recorded for Carlichauns.
What industry is Carlichauns in?
Carlichauns's product category is Children's Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAFAO, Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing, with a secondary code of BPAMAKAD, Game Subscription & Membership Services. Its NAICS code is 459210 and its SIC code is 7900.