Starter Film
Starter Film is a Cologne-based media production company that produces custom hand-drawn animated explainer videos for startups, growing companies, and enterprises, with multilingual delivery across 30+ languages and project pricing starting at €3,500.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersKöln, Germany
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Starter Film does
Starter Film is a Cologne-based media production company that produces custom animated explainer videos, primarily for startups and growing companies. Its offering centers on a single core service: hand-drawn, custom-animated explainer films produced with modern animation tools (notably a proprietary After Effects Expressions system for dynamic color customization) and supported by a video review tool that enables timecode-accurate client feedback. The company is led by founder and Managing Director Milan Grünewald, who also runs the related entity Grünwald Buchtrailer, and the creative team claims 15 years of specialized explainer-video experience. Production is grounded in scripts informed by scientifically-founded sales strategies, and the company distinguishes itself from generic stock-video providers through fully bespoke illustration and storytelling.
The business model is a pure project-based professional services engagement. Pricing starts at €3,500 per explainer video, with scope, language count, and format driving the final fee. Go-to-market is sales-led and digital: prospects reach the company via the website, email, phone, or self-serve Calendly booking for a free initial strategy consultation, followed by a discovery call and a defined production workflow (concept, script, storyboard, animation, review). A distinctive operational layer is the multilingual production pipeline, coordinating roughly 120 translators, proofreaders, and native-speaker voice actors across 30+ languages, with the SoSafe case study citing 11 training videos localized into 30+ languages.
Customer segments span startups (primary), growing companies, and enterprise clients, with named references including SoSafe GmbH (cybersecurity/e-learning), Alnatura (retail), Universitätskliniken Bonn (healthcare), and Institut LW & Veggie Specials (training). The company is privately held and founder-owned, with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity. It markets primarily through its website, case studies, Google search presence, and direct outreach, and offers an adjacent video-marketing service to assist clients with distribution and ad-campaign management.
Starter Film firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Starter Film
- Legal name
- Starter Film
- Website
- https://starterfilm.de
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Starter Film is a Cologne-based media production company that produces custom hand-drawn animated explainer videos for startups, growing companies, and enterprises, with multilingual delivery across 30+ languages and project pricing starting at €3,500.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Starter Film industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Explainer Video Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 3D Product/Explainer Animation (MPAHACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Short-Form Animation (Shorts, Web Series) (MPADACAI), Animation Pipeline Tools & Technical Direction (Scripts, Plugins, Automation) (MPAHACAL)
Keywords
Where Starter Film is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Köln
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Starter Film business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Explainer Video Production: One-time project-based fees for custom explainer video production, including concept development, scriptwriting, storyboard, animation, sound design, and voiceover. Prices start at €3,500 per project. Additional services include multilingual adaptations and video marketing support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Explainer Video Production |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Starter Film product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Starter Film produces custom animated explainer videos (Erklärfilme) for start-ups and growing companies, combining hand-drawn illustrations, scientifically-founded sales strategy scripts, and high-quality animation. Services cover concept development, scriptwriting, storyboarding, animation, voiceover, and sound design, with optional multilingual adaptation (30+ languages via native speakers), subtitling, multiple video formats for ad placements, and accompanying video marketing support.
Product overview
Starter Film offers a single core service: custom animated explainer videos for startups. The company produces hand-drawn, professionally animated videos based on scientifically-founded sales strategies. Services include film concept development, scriptwriting, storyboard creation, animation production, video review tools for feedback, multilingual translation (30+ languages), subtitles, and video marketing support. Pricing begins at €3,500. The offering is a unified production service rather than a software platform or modular product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Custom Explainer Video Production (Erklärfilme) End-to-end custom animated explainer video production for start-ups and growing companies, including film concept, scriptwriting based on scientifically-founded sales strategies, storyboard creation, hand-drawn illustration, high-quality animation, voiceover, and sound design. Delivered as video(s) usable across multiple ad placements.
- Multi-Language Video Adaptation Adaptation of produced explainer videos into 30+ languages using a coordinated pipeline of approximately 120 translators, proofreaders, and native speaker voice actors, including native speaker voiceover and per-language subtitle integration.
- Video Marketing & Ad Campaign Support Online marketing experts assist clients with distribution of produced videos and management of advertising campaigns, including support for ad placements such as in-stream video ads and Instagram Stories, plus subtitle and SRT file delivery for YouTube and Facebook.
Quantifiable outcome
- Customer company grew to 370+ employees and €10M revenue within 3 years using produced training videos
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Starter Film
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Starter Film technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Starter Film partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Starter Film competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Animaker: DIY animated video creation platform targeting SMBs and marketers. Adjacent incumbent enabling customers to produce explainer-style content in-house, substituting for agency services.
- Vyond: Established animated video creation platform serving enterprise L&D, marketing, and communications teams. Broader incumbent offering template-based animation that competes with custom explainer agencies on price-sensitive segments.
Direct peers
- Switch Video: Canadian explainer video studio specializing in animated explainers for SaaS, fintech, and enterprise clients. Comparable on custom-animation production model and B2B positioning.
- Ydraw: US whiteboard and animated explainer video production company. Direct competitor in custom hand-illustrated explainer content for marketing and training use cases.
- Epipheo: US-based explainer video studio producing animated and live-action explainers for enterprises. Closely comparable in service scope, custom illustration approach, and target buyer (mid-market to enterprise marketing teams).
- Wyzowl: UK-based explainer video agency producing animated and live-action videos for brands and SaaS clients. Direct competitor in the custom explainer video category with a comparable startup/SMB target market.
- Demo Duck: US explainer video agency producing custom animated videos for B2B and SaaS companies. Directly comparable on custom-animation model and startup/enterprise target segment.
- The Sketch Effect: US animated explainer video studio focused on hand-drawn illustration style. Comparable on artistic, custom (non-template) animation production for B2B marketing.
- Explainify: US explainer video agency producing animated videos for SaaS and tech companies. Comparable on premium positioning and storytelling-led production approach.
Emerging players
- Synthesia: AI avatar video generation platform increasingly used for explainer, training, and corporate communications content. Represents the emerging technology-driven substitute for traditional animated explainer agencies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Starter Film social profiles
Digital presenceStarter Film financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Starter Film leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Starter Film funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Starter Film 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 Starter Film
What does Starter Film do?
Starter Film produces custom animated explainer videos (Erklärfilme) for start-ups and growing companies, combining hand-drawn illustrations, scientifically-founded sales strategy scripts, and high-quality animation. Services cover concept development, scriptwriting, storyboarding, animation, voiceover, and sound design, with optional multilingual adaptation (30+ languages via native speakers), subtitling, multiple video formats for ad placements, and accompanying video marketing support.
Is Starter Film a public or private company?
Starter Film is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Starter Film founded?
Starter Film was founded in -1. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Starter Film based?
Starter Film is headquartered in Köln, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Starter Film make money?
One revenue line is on record: explainer Video Production.
Who are Starter Film's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Animaker and Vyond. Direct peers are Switch Video, Ydraw, Epipheo, Wyzowl, Demo Duck, The Sketch Effect and Explainify. Synthesia is listed as an emerging player.
Does Starter Film have an API?
No public API is recorded for Starter Film.
What industry is Starter Film in?
Starter Film's product category is Explainer Video Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHACAD, 3D Product/Explainer Animation, with a secondary code of MPADACAI, Short-Form Animation (Shorts, Web Series). Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.