What Tomato Beach does

Tomato Beach is a New York-based creative production studio specializing in animation and visual storytelling across 2D hand-drawn, 3D computer animation, stop-motion, motion graphics, visual effects, and illustration. Founded over two decades ago and led by co-founders Kirill Yeretsky (Creative Director, former R/GA Creative Director with a decade directing animation for Nike, Samsung, Apple, and Google) and Gerta Xhelo (Creative Producer and TED-Ed Director of Production since 2013), the studio operates a virtual studio model with 1-10 core employees collaborating with independent artists and specialists worldwide. Its work spans documentary film sequences (The Bit Player, With Drawn Arms, In & Of Itself, Hoops Hopes & Dreams), educational content (TED-Ed, Cengage/National Geographic), corporate clients (IBM, Toyota, Boston Consulting Group, PBS, Martha Stewart Living), consumer product 3D animations (LEVEL Lock, NextBase, Car2Go), nonprofit (StoryCorps), medical visualization (Montefiore Einstein), and immersive art installations. The studio's TED-Ed work has contributed to a body of 1,600+ animated short films with 5.6 billion lifetime views, and individual projects include a TED-Ed video with 9M+ YouTube views.

Tomato Beach makes money through project-based professional services, delivering commissioned animation, illustration, and visual effects work on a quote-by-scope basis across multiple aesthetic styles ranging from Indian ink-inspired documentary sequences to woodcut installations to photorealistic 3D product renderings. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagements are negotiated directly with documentary filmmakers, brands, educational platforms, and agencies. Go-to-market is sales-led and portfolio-driven: the studio pursues projects aligned with curiosity and values, particularly those with educational or social impact themes, and leverages festival-circuit award credibility (Annecy Crystal 2018, Annecy Jury Award 2024, Sundance 2025 premiere, CIFF 2025 Best Documentary Short, Emmy nomination 2020) and direct client relationships as primary demand-generation mechanisms. Distribution is purely direct B2B; Tomato Beach does not sell software, subscriptions, or consumer products. The studio's core partnerships include an ongoing multi-project collaboration with conceptual artist Glenn Kaino, a strategic co-development relationship with Manifold.Digital, and a channel partnership with agency &Kind.

Name

Tomato Beach

Legal name

Tomato Beach

Website

https://tomatobeach.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tomato Beach is a New York-based virtual creative production studio delivering 2D, 3D, and stop-motion animation, motion graphics, and illustration for documentary filmmakers, educational platforms, and enterprise clients including TED-Ed, IBM, and PBS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative Production Services: Project-based creative production services for documentary films, educational content, corporate videos, and advertising. Work includes animated sequences, title sequences, product animations, illustrations, and visual effects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Tomato Beach is a New York-based creative production studio that crafts 2D, 3D, and stop-motion animation and motion graphics for documentary films, educational platforms, brands, and advertising clients. The studio operates on a project basis, delivering animated sequences, title sequences, product animations, illustrations, and visual effects tailored to each project's narrative and aesthetic requirements.

Product overview

Tomato Beach is a New York-based creative production studio specializing in visual storytelling through animation and design. The studio operates as a unified service offering rather than a software product platform. Their portfolio encompasses a broad range of animation services including 2D hand-drawn animation, 3D computer animation, motion graphics, visual effects, title sequences, and illustration work. Core service areas include documentary film animation (producing sequences for films like The Bit Player, With Drawn Arms, and In & Of Itself), educational content production for TED-Ed, 3D product animations for consumer electronics brands, corporate logo animations, and custom illustration services for apps and publications. The studio's work spans multiple design aesthetics and animation techniques, tailored to each project's unique voice and requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animation Services Full-service animation production spanning 2D hand-drawn animation, 3D computer animation, character animation, motion graphics, visual effects, and compositing for documentary films, educational content, and advertising clients.
• Documentary Film Animation
• Educational Video Production
• 3D Product Animations
• Logo Animation
• App Illustrations
• Art Exhibition Illustrations Woodcut-style illustrations for immersive art exhibitions, including laser-cut wooden panels for installations, such as the work created for Glenn Kaino's 'A Forest for the Trees' 28,000-square-foot LA exhibition.
• 3D Medical Visualizations
• Film Poster and Key Art

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 million+ YouTube views on single TED-Ed video
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Glenn Kaino's StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Ongoing collaboration with conceptual artist Glenn Kaino on multiple projects including immersive art installations, feature documentaries ('With Drawn Arms', 'In & Of Itself', 'Hoops, Hopes & Dreams'), and 'A Forest for the Trees' art exhibition. Tomato Beach created woodcut-style illustrations laser-cut from wooden panels for the 28,000 sq ft LA exhibition.
• Manifold.DigitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManifold.Digital produced the larger live-action video that Tomato Beach's 3D animated figures for Montefiore Einstein seamlessly integrated into.
• &KindminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor&Kind is an agency partner for LEVEL smart lock product animations, acting as intermediary between Tomato Beach and the client.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Psyop: Globally recognized animation and visual effects studio producing film, commercial, and experiential content; a larger but directly comparable creative production peer working with similar premium brand and entertainment clients.
• Block & Tackle: Independent animation and motion design studio producing commercials, brand films, and editorial content with a handcrafted visual style; a strong boutique peer to Tomato Beach on craft and client type.
• Gentleman Scholar: Independent animation and motion design studio known for award-winning short-form animation and brand storytelling; directly comparable in craft, scale, and client mix to Tomato Beach.
• Oddfellows: Independent animation and design studio producing commercials, music videos, and editorial content; a near-comparable boutique peer serving similar brand and entertainment clients with comparable style-driven animation.
• Buck: Los Angeles/New York-based animation and design studio producing 2D/3D animation, motion graphics, and visual storytelling for brands, agencies, and entertainment — a direct competitor in the premium boutique animation segment that Tomato Beach operates in.
• Thinkmojo: Boutique motion graphics and animation studio producing brand, explainer, and product-launch content; a directly comparable small-studio peer competing in the same commercial animation segment.
• Nexus Studios: London-based animation and film studio producing commercials, short films, and experiential content with award-winning directors; comparable in scale, prestige, and the project-based premium-animation model.
• Hornet Inc. Animation and design studio producing commercial, editorial, and entertainment content with a distinctive illustrative style; competes with Tomato Beach for the same kind of premium short-form animation and motion graphics engagements.
• Giant Ant: Animation and design studio producing animated brand content, commercials, and short films; comparable boutique peer with similar craft-led approach to short-form animation.

Broad incumbents

• The Mill: Large global VFX, design, and animation studio serving major brands and entertainment clients; broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities in animation and motion graphics and a prior employer of Tomato Beach co-founder Gerta Xhelo.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tomato-beach

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 Tomato Beach