The Future Is Wild
The Future Is Wild is a privately-held media franchise that produces scientifically-grounded educational entertainment about future evolution, monetizing through global TV licensing, book publishing, animated series, and technology-driven exhibitions for families, schools, and visitor attractions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersWiesbaden, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Future Is Wild does
The Future Is Wild is a privately-held media franchise founded in 1996 by British entrepreneur Joanna Adams that produces scientifically-grounded speculative content about future evolutionary scenarios on Earth. The franchise operates a multi-platform portfolio spanning a flagship television documentary series (exploring Earth at 5 million, 100 million, and 200 million years in the future), a 26-part animated children's series, a publishing division with four titles in 20+ language editions, technology-driven exhibitions using AR, animatronics, holograms, and CGI, and a curated education program with UK curriculum-specific lesson plans. The core intellectual property was developed through a six-year academic collaboration with scientists from Stanford, Cornell, the Natural History Museum UK, and other leading institutions, which functions as the franchise's primary differentiator versus generic speculative content.
The company's business model is a multi-channel licensing franchise. Revenue streams include TV broadcasting licensing royalties from global networks (BBC, ZDF, NHK, Globo, Discovery Animal Planet), exhibition licensing to museums and theme parks, publishing royalties, animated series co-production, branded merchandise, and mobile games. Distribution is global, with confirmed presence across Western Europe, North America, East Asia, South America, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. The firm is incorporated in Australia as The Future is Wild Australia Pty Ltd, with active operations managed from Wiesbaden, Germany by a small team (1-10 employees) consisting of a CEO, Creative Director/Founder, Production Director, and New Media lead. The franchise has accumulated 25+ years of operational history, with a 30th Anniversary milestone planned for December 2026 and a new documentary series reportedly in development as of 2025.
The Future Is Wild firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Future Is Wild
- Legal name
- The Future is Wild Australia Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://thefutureiswild.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Future Is Wild is a privately-held media franchise that produces scientifically-grounded educational entertainment about future evolution, monetizing through global TV licensing, book publishing, animated series, and technology-driven exhibitions for families, schools, and visitor attractions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Future Is Wild industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Media & Entertainment Franchise
- NAICS
- Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Travel & Adventure Documentaries (MPADADAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Finished Program Sales & Window Licensing (Domestic/International) (MPABANAB), Ancillary & Derivative Rights Licensing (Remakes, Spin-offs, Merchandising) (MPABANAJ), Children’s Licensed & Media Tie-In Publishing (MPAJAFAK)
Keywords
Where The Future Is Wild is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wiesbaden
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Future Is Wild business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- TV Broadcasting Licensing: Licensing documentary series to major TV networks worldwide including BBC, ZDF, NHK, Globo, and Discovery Animal Planet. The US premiere doubled Animal Planet's previous highest viewership.
- Publishing: Book publishing in multiple languages. Four titles published in 20+ language editions. The flagship title sold 150k copies in Japan alone. Also available as eBook and iBook versions through Apple Books.
- Exhibition Licensing: Licensing exhibition and visitor attraction installations to museums, theme parks, and aquariums worldwide. Custom-designed or modular installations for various venues.
- Animated Series Licensing: 26-part animated kids series co-produced with Nelvana Inc. and ST Electronics. Licensed for broadcast on TV and VoD channels.
- Merchandise: Branded merchandise associated with the franchise.
- Mobile Games: Mobile game applications related to the franchise.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Future Is Wild product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Future Is Wild is a global media and educational entertainment franchise that produces, develops, and licenses scientifically-grounded content about future evolution on Earth. Its commercial portfolio includes an award-winning documentary series, a 26-part animated children's series, a multi-language book publishing line, immersive AR/CGI/animatronic exhibitions for museums and theme parks, and UK curriculum-aligned educational resources. Revenue is generated primarily through content licensing to major TV broadcasters, exhibition licensing to visitor attractions, book publishing, and related merchandise.
Product overview
The Future is Wild is a multi-platform entertainment and education franchise centered on scientific exploration of future evolution. The portfolio consists of the flagship Documentary Series (award-winning TV program exploring evolutionary scenarios at 5, 100, and 200 million years), Animated Kids Series (26-episode children's show with Nelvana), Publishing Division (four book titles in 20 languages including AR-enabled editions), Education Program (curriculum-specific lesson plans), Exhibitions (visitor attractions with AR and animatronics), and official YouTube Channel. These components form an integrated cross-media franchise spanning television, books, digital media, live attractions, and educational outreach.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Documentary Series Award-winning television documentary series exploring scientifically-grounded future evolutionary scenarios at 5 million, 100 million, and 200 million years from now; licensed to major TV broadcasters worldwide for broadcast as a 3-hour episode format.
- Animated Kids Series 26-part animated children's series following four kids and their pet Squibbon traveling through time to explore future environments; produced in collaboration with Nelvana Inc. and ST Electronics and licensed for TV and VoD broadcast.
- Publishing Division Book publishing arm offering four titles in 20+ language editions, including reference books, manga, augmented reality-enabled editions, and The Living Book digital format; distributed in print and via Apple Books (eBook and iBook).
- Education Program Educational resources including UK curriculum-specific lesson plans, school programs, and outreach initiatives designed to teach evolution, planetary change, and environmental science through the franchise's future world concept.
- Exhibitions Visitor attraction installations featuring augmented reality, animatronics, holograms, Dreamoc, and CGI displays; customizable modules licensed to museums, theme parks, and aquariums worldwide, ranging from permanent purpose-built attractions to temporary weekend events.
- Official YouTube Channel Official YouTube channel streaming high-definition documentary series content exclusively, including special high-resolution versions not available elsewhere.
Quantifiable outcome
- US premiere doubled Animal Planet's previous highest viewership and remains No. 1 show in channel history
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Future Is Wild
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Future Is Wild technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Future Is Wild partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.
- Dinopark Münchehagen (Germany)coreGermany's premier dinosaur park featuring The Future is Wild hall as the 'journey's end' of a 400 million year walkway experience. Traditional exhibition with life-size models. Opened 2012.
- Sydney Aquarium (Australia)corePremium aquarium featuring species-specific The Future is Wild installations spread throughout the venue using AR, animatronics, holograms, Dreamoc and CGI technologies. Included schools outreach program. Opened 2010.
- Futuroscope Parc (France)flagshipFrance's technology and design showcase theme park. Site of world's first AR theme park ride and fully interactive exhibition. Winner of prestigious Laval technology prize. Opened 2008.
- Nelvana Inc.coreCanadian children's entertainment specialist co-production partner for the 26-part animated kids series. Nelvana handled production direction and creative development alongside Singapore-based ST Electronics.
- ST Electronics Pte Ltd.coreSingapore-based technology company co-producer of the animated kids series (26 x half hour episodes). A co-production between children's specialist Nelvana Inc. (Canada) and ST Electronics Pte Ltd. (Singapore).
- Media Development Authority SingaporesupportingGovernment agency that provided support for the animated kids series production. Part of Singapore's media development ecosystem supporting content creation.
- Discovery Animal PlanetflagshipUS broadcast partner for documentary series. The US premiere doubled Animal Planet's previous highest viewership and remains the No. 1 show in its history.
- BBCflagshipBritish public service broadcaster airing The Future is Wild documentary series in the UK market.
- ZDFflagshipGerman public-service TV broadcaster airing The Future is Wild documentary series in Germany.
- NHKflagshipJapan's public broadcaster airing The Future is Wild documentary series in Japan.
- GloboflagshipBrazilian media conglomerate airing The Future is Wild documentary series in Brazil.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Future Is Wild competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Merlin Entertainments: Global theme park and visitor attractions operator (LEGOLAND, Madame Tussauds, SEA LIFE) — comparable as a partner/buyer profile for TFIW's licensed exhibition and theme-park installations.
- COSI (Center of Science and Industry): US science center and museum operator — comparable as a venue/partner profile for TFIW's educational exhibition licensing business and a benchmark for science-themed visitor attractions.
Broad incumbents
- Warner Bros. Discovery: Owns Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, the US broadcaster where TFIW achieved its No. 1 viewership record — a major incumbent partner and competitor in nature/science content commissioning.
- National Geographic Partners: Major nature/science documentary franchise and broadcaster with global distribution — overlapping audience and content positioning with TFIW's documentary and educational platforms.
- BBC Studios (Natural History Unit): BBC Studios' Natural History Unit produces flagship speculative and natural-history documentary franchises including Walking with Dinosaurs and Planet Earth — directly comparable in content category, educational positioning, and global broadcaster relationships to The Future Is Wild.
Direct peers
- Nelvana (Corus Entertainment): Canadian children's entertainment company and TFIW's co-production partner for the 26-part animated kids series — comparable as a producer of branded children's animated series with global broadcast and consumer products reach.
- Silverback Films: Independent UK production company behind Netflix's Our Planet and Our Planet II — directly comparable as a natural-history/environmental documentary franchise with global streaming distribution and educational mission.
- Prehistoric Planet (Apple TV+): Apple TV+ speculative prehistoric-life documentary franchise produced with Jon Favreau and BBC Studios — directly comparable as a scientifically-grounded speculative evolution docuseries competing for the same broadcaster and platform commissioning slots.
Regional players
- NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation): Japan's public broadcaster and TFIW's Japanese broadcast partner — comparable as a regional incumbent producing nature/science documentary content for the Japanese market.
- ZDF: German public-service broadcaster and TFIW's German broadcast partner — comparable as a regional incumbent producing nature/science documentary content for German-speaking markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Future Is Wild social profiles
Digital presenceThe Future Is Wild financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Future Is Wild leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Future Is Wild funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Future Is Wild 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 The Future Is Wild
What does The Future Is Wild do?
The Future Is Wild is a global media and educational entertainment franchise that produces, develops, and licenses scientifically-grounded content about future evolution on Earth. Its commercial portfolio includes an award-winning documentary series, a 26-part animated children's series, a multi-language book publishing line, immersive AR/CGI/animatronic exhibitions for museums and theme parks, and UK curriculum-aligned educational resources. Revenue is generated primarily through content licensing to major TV broadcasters, exhibition licensing to visitor attractions, book publishing, and related merchandise.
Is The Future Is Wild a public or private company?
The Future Is Wild is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Future Is Wild founded?
The Future Is Wild was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Future Is Wild based?
The Future Is Wild is headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does The Future Is Wild make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. TV Broadcasting Licensing is the primary driver. The others are publishing, exhibition Licensing, animated Series Licensing, merchandise and mobile Games.
Who are The Future Is Wild's main competitors?
Others on record are Merlin Entertainments and COSI (Center of Science and Industry). Broad incumbents are Warner Bros. Discovery, National Geographic Partners and BBC Studios (Natural History Unit). Direct peers are Nelvana (Corus Entertainment), Silverback Films and Prehistoric Planet (Apple TV+). Regional players are NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) and ZDF.
Does The Future Is Wild have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Future Is Wild.
What industry is The Future Is Wild in?
The Future Is Wild's product category is Educational Media & Entertainment Franchise. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAM, Travel & Adventure Documentaries, with a secondary code of MPABANAB, Finished Program Sales & Window Licensing (Domestic/International). Its NAICS code is 516 and its SIC code is 7822.