Spain’s Zinkia explores shock sale of ‘Pocoyo’ to France’s Animaj Investment

Pocoyo

Spanish kids company Zinkia could be about to sell its hugely popular children’s brand Pocoyo to a French investment firm, it has emerged.

Zinkia will vote on the sale of Pocoyo to France’s Animaj Investment during the next shareholder meeting, which takes place a week after MIFA on 23 June.

Pocoyo

Should the deal progress, Paris-based Animaj would acquire “the rights of the intellectual and industrial property of Pocoyo, as well as the licensing and distribution contracts, the apps, and, in general terms, all the material and intangible assets of this line of business,” the companies said, in a move that has taken the market by surprise.

Zinkia stake in Animaj

The Spanish firm would only keep worldwide rights linked to the educational side of pre-school show Pocoyo, which was internationally coproduced and first ran on Spanish net Clan TV and ITV in the UK before selling around the world.

The Spanish company would also acquire an equity stake of 7.99% in Animaj SAS, parent company of the buyer.

In addition, Animaj Investment and Koyi, the Gran Canaria-based animation studio bought by Zinkia in December 2021, would agree to produce new episodes for season five of Pocoyo.

Animaj Investment was set up in April 2022 by co-founders Sixte de Vauplane, Jemuel Durand and Gilles Gaillard. Its line-up, which includes 3D animated TV series such as Hey Kids, Kidibli and Raving Rabbids, would be notably reinforced by the addition of Pocoyo.

The show is 20 years old and is available on more than 150 TV channels and streaming platforms around the world, becoming one of the most watched children’s brands on YouTube.

Zinkia, which went into administration in 2014 before exiting a year later, is also developing several children’s animated IPs, such as Bumpy: The Bear and Ghost Bros. The company is helmed by CEO Alberto Delgado, while Miguel Valladares is president of the board of directors and Víctor López is GM.