Cosmos-Maya, Indian Animation Studio, Acquired by Financier NewQuest Capital (EXCLUSIVE)
NewQuest Capital Partners has acquired majority ownership of Singapore and India-based animation studio Cosmos Maya. The company has been owned since 2018 by media and investment fund Emerald Media.
The deal terms were not disclosed.
Cosmos-Maya was founded some 25 years ago by Indian filmmakers Ketan Mehta and Deepa Sahi. It produces high quality 2D and 3D animated content, with a focus on creating IP in the kids’ animation space. Its flagship shows include These include “Motu Patlu,” “Selfie with Bajrangi,” “Titoo,” “Eena Meena Deeka,” and “Dabangg.”
The company is currently working on multiple Indian animation TV series with all the major linear & non-linear broadcasters. It has 18 shows on air and 10 in production, including four finished European co-production series and an international animation feature film “Dogtanian and the Three Muskethounds.”
The company also operates a bouquet of YouTube channels under the umbrella brand WowKidz. Together they boast a subscriber base of over 65 million and total view count of over 35 billion, to May 2021. The studio’s own IP on WowKidz is also complemented by internationally successful shows including “Hotwheels” and the Chinese animation series “Boonie Bears.”
“We are excited to bring NewQuest on board as we embark on our next growth phase to become a fully-integrated, global animation production and distribution company. Their experience, network and industry knowledge will help supercharge our growth, organically and through strategic acquisitions,” said Anish Mehta, CEO of Cosmos-Maya.
“The partnership with Emerald Media heralded a strong growth era for us. I am very happy that we are now getting a partner in NewQuest. The partnership marks yet another important chapter in the global journey of our studio, which is poised for accelerated growth,” said Mehta, founder and promoter of the studio.
NewQuest is a secondary private equity platform focused on the Asia-Pacific region. It specializes in providing strategic liquidity to private equity asset owners, funds, financial institutions, corporations, hedge funds and family offices.
“Cosmos-Maya has been one of the most dynamic companies in this segment with a remarkable growth trajectory. With a portfolio of over 20 IPs and a highly talented team, we strongly believe that Cosmos-Maya is exceptionally well placed to consolidate its leadership position in the segment,” said Amit Gupta, partner and head of India and Southeast Asia at NewQuest.
Emerald Media is a pan-Asian platform providing growth capital and strategic value add in the media, entertainment, consumer tech and B2B industries across Asia. Led by industry veterans Rajesh Kamat and Paul Aiello, Emerald has $300mm of committed capital from KKR Asian Fund II. It previously backed streamer YuppTV and Amagi Media Labs, a targeted-TV advertisement solutions firm, and aCommerce, an ecommerce enabler and e-distributor.
“We are privileged to have worked closely with Ketan and Anish over the years to support Cosmos-Maya’s journey in becoming a leading animation studio in India and the wider region. Cosmos-Maya has shown a robust growth trajectory on the back of its creative and innovative IPs through the years, and we are confident that the company will continue its success in the future with NewQuest,” said Rajesh Kamat, MD of Emerald Media.
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