Genetic Moo

What Genetic Moo does

Genetic Moo is a UK-based creative-coding partnership, founded in 2008 and operated by Nicola Schauerman and Tim Pickup from Margate, that designs and produces large-scale interactive digital installations for museums, galleries and cultural venues. Its two signature products are Magic Place, an interactive playspace that translates children's body movements into light, colour and sound effects inspired by 1980s home computing and 8-bit video games, and Microworld, a digital ecosystem of responsive creatures that have toured continuously since 2013. The underlying technology combines creative coding with computer vision for real-time motion tracking, deployed as turnkey touring exhibitions that integrate with host-venue infrastructure.

The company serves primarily public museums, children's museums and university galleries, with a documented exhibition footprint spanning the UK (Eureka! Halifax, Somerset House, Ferens Art Gallery, Herbert Art Gallery, The Amelia Scott, The Word, The Jetty Museum), Norway (Sørlandets Kunstmuseum), Saudi Arabia (Ithra), China (Qianhai Center, Shenzhen), Singapore, and the United States (Millersville University). Over 22 touring exhibitions have been delivered, with cumulative audience reach exceeding 500,000 visitors. Recognition includes the Lumen Prize Founders Award and ongoing sponsorship of the biennial Schauerman Digital Art Prize at The London Group Open.

Genetic Moo generates revenue through exhibition commissions and touring-deployment fees paid by host venues, supplemented by grants and awards from arts councils and cultural organisations. Distribution is direct-to-venue, often in collaboration with production partners such as KitMapper. Pricing for visitor-facing experiences (for example, Magic Place at Eureka!) is typically bundled into standard museum admission rather than charged separately, indicating that the company monetises at the venue contract layer rather than the consumer ticket layer. The firm operates without external institutional investment, and its operating geography is global in scope though concentrated in publicly funded cultural institutions.

Name

Genetic Moo

Legal name

Genetic Moo

Website

https://geneticmoo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Genetic Moo is a UK creative-coding partnership that designs and tours large-scale interactive digital installations — Magic Place and Microworld — for museums, galleries and children's museums across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interactive Digital Art Installations

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Interactive art installations
• Creative coding services
• Museum exhibition design
• Digital art commissions
• Generative audiovisual art

Headquarters

HQ city

Margate

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Commissions: Museums and galleries commission or host touring exhibitions, paying for the deployment of interactive installations like Magic Place and Microworld
2. Grants and Awards: The company receives grants and commissions from arts councils, cultural organisations, and industry awards to fund their work

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Genetic Moo designs, builds and tours large-scale interactive digital art installations for museums, galleries and cultural venues. Its two flagship works — Magic Place (an 80s-inspired digital playspace that converts children's body movements into light, colour and sound) and Microworld (a digital ecosystem of responsive creatures) — are commissioned by cultural institutions and deployed as touring exhibitions, supported by grants from arts councils and cultural bodies.

Product overview

Genetic Moo is a digital art collective that creates large-scale interactive installations for museums and galleries. Their portfolio consists of two core products: Magic Place (an ever-changing digital environment inspired by home computing and 80s video games, transforming body movements into interactive light, color, and sound experiences) and Microworld (a digital ecosystem featuring responsive creatures that react to audience presence and each other). These installations are designed to encourage experimentation and play, targeting family audiences at cultural institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Magic Place: An ever-changing digital environment inspired by the magic of home computing and the golden age of video games. Transforms children's body movements into interactions with light, colour, and sound.
• Microworld

Products and services

• Magic Place An ever-changing digital environment inspired by the magic of home computing and the golden age of 80s 8-bit video games. The interactive playspace transforms children's body movements into real-time interactions with light, colour, and sound. Commissioned and hosted by museums, galleries and children's museums as a touring family-facing exhibition.
• Microworld A digital ecosystem filled with creatures that respond to the audience and to one another through motion sensing. Deployed as touring interactive installations at museums, galleries, children's museums and universities.
• Biocybernetic Universal System Tendency (B.U.S.T.) An online multiplayer ecological art game developed by Genetic Moo as a digital extension of their Microworld creative-coding practice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500,000 people have experienced Microworld exhibitions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Julia SchauermancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSound artist who works closely with Genetic Moo on their interactive installations, providing audio design for exhibitions including Microworld@HOME broadcasts and live collaborations.
• KitMapper / Jack AddiscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJack Addis, Head of Creative Production at KitMapper, produces Genetic Moo's touring exhibitions including Magic Place and Microworld installations at museums and galleries.
• The Computer Arts Society (CAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenetic Moo are members of CAS, a community for computer arts practitioners. CAS commissioned 'Interactive Art with Genetic Moo' as part of their guide series on Computer Art branches.
• The London GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenetic Moo are members of The London Group artists' collective and have sponsored the Schauerman Digital Art Prize at their biennial Open exhibition since 2017.
• Eureka! The National Children's MuseumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEureka! Halifax hosts Magic Place (Jan 2026 to 2027) and PixelPlay (Mar 2024 to Dec 2025) exhibitions. The museum provides physical venue while Genetic Moo provides interactive installations.
• Lumen Studios / Gigi HuijunminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced THE DIGITAL WILD exhibition at Qianhai Center, Shenzhen, China featuring Genetic Moo alongside Fuse, Huang Wei, Philip Artus, and Wu Ziwei. Mar to Jun 2025.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Cody Cobb / Onformative: Berlin-based creative technology studio specializing in generative and data-driven art installations exhibited in galleries and museums. Comparable as a small creative-coding studio producing technology-driven art for cultural institutions, though more focused on generative/algorithmic aesthetics.
• Artechouse: US-based operator of permanent and traveling immersive digital art venues featuring technology-driven installations. Comparable in focusing on interactive/immersive digital installations for cultural audiences, though Artechouse operates its own venues rather than touring to museums.

Direct peers

• Random International: London-based contemporary art studio known for large-scale interactive and responsive installations (e.g., Rain Room) exhibited in major museums and galleries. Directly comparable as a UK-based creative studio producing interactive installations for cultural institutions.
• Marshmallow Laser Feast: London-based experiential art collective creating immersive installations combining technology, light, and sound for museums and cultural venues. Comparable as a UK creative-tech studio targeting the museum/gallery touring circuit with motion-responsive immersive work.
• Universal Everything: UK-based digital art and creative technology studio producing generative and interactive installations for galleries, museums, and brand environments. Closely comparable as a UK-headquartered creative-coding studio serving the museum/gallery circuit with motion-driven interactive works.

Broad incumbents

• teamLab: Japanese interdisciplinary digital art collective producing large-scale immersive interactive installations for museums and exhibitions globally. Directly comparable to Genetic Moo in product category (creative-coded interactive installations for cultural venues), though operating at far greater scale and brand recognition.
• Moment Factory: Montreal-based multimedia studio creating immersive digital environments and interactive installations for museums, public spaces, and cultural institutions. Comparable in offering and target market (cultural-venue digital installations) but operates at significantly larger scale with broader service portfolio.
• Meow Wolf: US-based immersive arts and entertainment company producing large-scale interactive art exhibitions. Comparable in delivering interactive immersive art experiences, though Meow Wolf operates its own permanent venues and is significantly larger and better capitalized.
• Refik Anadol Studio: Los Angeles-based media artist studio producing large-scale AI-driven data sculptures and immersive installations for museums and galleries worldwide. Comparable in deploying technology-driven interactive art installations at major cultural institutions, though operating at higher price points and larger scale.

Others

• Hito Steyerl / Turbulence.org: Network of digital art commissions and experimental creative-tech practitioners. Related as an ecosystem of artist-led digital-art projects commissioned for museum contexts, though not a direct commercial competitor. Included to capture the broader artist-practitioner community Genetic Moo operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GeneticMoo
• Instagraminstagram.com/geneticmoo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Genetic Moo