Unima-usa

What Unima-usa does

UNIMA-USA is a U.S. nonprofit membership organization founded in 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia, that serves as the American national center of Union Internationale de la Marionette (UNIMA), the international puppetry federation. Its mission is to promote international friendship through the art of puppetry, and it operates as a community-led organization: members join online via a web form or downloadable PDF renewal, receive the biannual peer-reviewed publication Puppetry International by mail, gain access to a members-only scholarship for puppetry study abroad, receive quarterly newsletters, and are eligible for the Nancy Staub Award and UNIMA Citations for Excellence. Company members are additionally listed in the Puppetry Yellow Pages, an online directory that gives puppetry troupes visibility within the community.

The organization's core products are membership, the Puppetry International magazine (published since 1995, currently at Issue No. 59 for Spring/Summer 2026), an archive of back issues available as free or paid PDFs, the Puppetry Yellow Pages directory, the puppetry study-abroad scholarship, the Nancy Staub Award, and the UNIMA Citations for Excellence. Underlying technology is minimal: the website runs on Squarespace, which also powers a small e-commerce storefront for magazine and merchandise sales, alongside standard email newsletter and social media channels. The organization does not develop proprietary technology and has no disclosed AI, API, or integration footprint.

The revenue model is a mix of recurring membership dues, one-time sales of individual magazine issues and full back-issue sets priced from $2.00 to $75.00, gift memberships purchased by third parties, and a nascent digital advertising line on the homepage. The customer base is the U.S. puppetry community — individual puppetry artists and performers (primary), puppetry enthusiasts and scholars, and puppet companies seeking visibility — segmented horizontally rather than by enterprise tier. UNIMA-USA has no venture, private equity, or parent-company ownership; it is governed by a Board of Directors and affiliated with the global UNIMA federation rather than owned by it.

Name

Unima-usa

Legal name

UNIMA-USA

Website

https://www.unima-usa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UNIMA-USA is a 1966-founded Atlanta-based nonprofit and U.S. branch of the international UNIMA puppetry federation. It serves U.S. puppeteers, scholars, and puppet companies through membership, the biannual Puppetry International magazine, scholarships, awards, and a member directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide core organizational support, including subscription to Puppetry International magazine delivered twice yearly, eligibility for scholarship programs, and access to quarterly newsletters and members-only resources.
2. Puppetry International Magazine Sales: Sale of individual back issues and full sets of Puppetry International magazine. Issues are priced from $2.00 to $5.95 per copy. Full sets are sold for $75.00.
3. Gift Memberships: Gift membership purchases are available through the website, allowing individuals to purchase membership for others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UNIMA-USA is a nonprofit membership organization that promotes international friendship through the art of puppetry. Its core offerings are an annual membership program (delivering the biannual Puppetry International magazine, scholarships, and a quarterly newsletter), the publication and sale of Puppetry International magazine and its back-issue archive, study-abroad scholarship awards, the Puppetry Yellow Pages directory of company members, and excellence recognition programs such as the Nancy Staub Award and UNIMA Citations for Excellence.

Product overview

UNIMA-USA is a membership-based nonprofit organization (Union Internationale de la Marionette) promoting international friendship through the art of puppetry. The organization operates a unified membership program that delivers the bimonthly scholarly publication 'Puppetry International' to members twice yearly, along with access to puppetry study abroad scholarships, quarterly newsletters, and a members-only scholarship program. Supporting publications include back issues of Puppetry International available for free download or purchase, the Puppetry Yellow Pages directory of company members, and various citation and award programs including the Nancy Staub Award and UNIMA Citations for Excellence recognizing excellence in puppetry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Puppetry International Magazine A biannual scholarly magazine covering international puppetry arts, featuring peer-reviewed articles, thematic issues on puppetry topics, and editorial content on the art and craft of puppetry. Delivered free to UNIMA-USA members twice yearly.
• Puppetry International Back Issues Archive of past issues of Puppetry International magazine available for free download or purchase in PDF format, spanning from Issue 1 (1995) to Issue 59 (2026). Individual issues priced from $2.00 to $5.95 per copy and full sets at $75.00.
• UNIMA-USA Membership Annual membership program providing access to Puppetry International magazine (delivered twice yearly), eligibility for puppetry study abroad scholarships, quarterly newsletters on UNIMA and puppetry news, and access to members-only resources.
• Puppetry Yellow Pages Online directory of company members providing a listing service for puppetry companies, performers, and organizations in the puppetry community to gain visibility within UNIMA-USA.
• Puppetry Scholarships Scholarship program for puppetry study abroad, available exclusively to UNIMA-USA members to support education and professional development in puppetry arts.
• Nancy Staub Award Annual citation award recognizing excellence in puppetry, part of UNIMA-USA's citation and awards program honoring significant contributions to the puppetry arts. The 2026 edition was open for nominations.
• UNIMA Citations for Excellence Recognition program awarding citations of excellence to outstanding puppetry performances, companies, and individuals demonstrating exceptional achievement in the field, issued under the international UNIMA federation.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionette)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNIMA-USA is the U.S. branch of UNIMA, the international puppetry organization. The relationship provides the U.S. chapter with international recognition, access to the global puppetry network, and the authority to issue UNIMA Citations for Excellence.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Center for Puppetry Arts: A major Atlanta-based puppetry museum, performance, and education institution, sharing UNIMA-USA's home city and puppetry focus. Comparable as a peer in the U.S. puppetry ecosystem, though operating as an institution with a physical venue rather than a membership federation.

Broad incumbents

• Americans for the Arts: A leading U.S. nonprofit advocacy and service organization for the arts, with membership, publications, and field-building programs. Comparable to UNIMA-USA as a U.S. arts membership body, but operating at significantly greater scale and across all art forms.
• Association for Performing Arts Professionals (APAP): The national membership organization for the presenting, producing, and touring performing-arts field in the U.S. Comparable as a performing-arts membership and convening body, though oriented toward presenters and managers rather than individual artists.
• Theatre Communications Group (TCG): The national organization for the U.S. professional not-for-profit theatre field, providing membership, publishing, and grantmaking services. A broader incumbent in U.S. performing-arts membership that overlaps with UNIMA-USA's service to theatre-adjacent artists.

Emerging players

• International Association of Theatre Critics (AICT/IATC): A global organization of theatre critics organized through national sections, with publications, awards, and congresses. Comparable to UNIMA-USA as a small international arts body with national chapters, publications, and an editorial mission.

Direct peers

• International Theatre Institute (ITI): The world's largest international performing-arts organization, operating through national centers with UNESCO consultative status. Shares UNIMA-USA's structure of a U.S. national chapter feeding into a global arts federation with membership and exchange programs.
• OISTAT: International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians, organized through national centers worldwide. Comparable to UNIMA-USA in operating as a U.S. national center within a global performing-arts federation with member services and publications.
• UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionette): The international puppetry federation of which UNIMA-USA is the U.S. national center. Comparable as the umbrella body that issues UNIMA Citations for Excellence and coordinates global puppetry activity, with the same membership and international-coordination model.
• ASSITEJ: International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People, an international performing-arts organization structured around national centers with membership, publications, and exchange programming—directly analogous to UNIMA's international-center model.
• Puppeteers of America: The other major U.S.-based puppetry membership organization, serving professional and amateur puppeteers through festivals, publications, and education. Directly comparable to UNIMA-USA as a national puppetry membership body, though with a more domestic, festival-oriented focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Unima-usa