October 6, 2025, 3:44 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Animaj acquires the international rights to Maya the Bee to expand the brand globally. The well-known character could soon be available in new digital formats worldwide.
The children’s character Maya the Bee is set to win new fans worldwide. The French media company Animaj is acquiring the brand rights to the popular character outside of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Benelux countries. The goal of the partnership with Studio 100 International is to expand the brand’s reach and better align it with an international audience. This was reported by the U.S. trade magazine “Variety.”
AI Technology for Modern Maya the Bee Productions
Animaj was founded by Gregory Dray, a former manager at Google and YouTube. The company uses its own AI-driven production systems to accelerate processes in animation development. This aims to create new Maya the Bee content more quickly and easily distribute it on digital platforms.
By the way, there are several movies and series about Maya the Bee. The more modern series from 2012 is currently available on Disney+ (as of October 6, 2025). If you don’t have a subscription yet, you can get one below:
Together with Studio 100 International, Animaj plans to reposition the brand for modern audiences. While Studio 100 retains the rights to film productions and theme parks, Animaj takes responsibility for digital distribution, international licenses, and new online formats.
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Financial Foundation for Global Expansion
The agreement is part of Animaj’s global growth strategy. In 2022, the company raised 100 million euros in capital. The financing included participation from Left Lane Capital in the U.S. as well as European investors Daphni and XAnge. Another funding round brought in 85 million U.S. dollars, including from HarbourView Equity Partners and the French state bank Bpifrance, which specifically supports technology companies in its home country.
This capital is intended to expand the production of new formats around Maya the Bee and market them internationally. The company aims to bring classic children’s characters to current media platforms through modern technology.
Familiar Characters in Animaj’s Portfolio
Maya the Bee is not the first franchise in the French company’s portfolio. Animaj had previously acquired the rights to the Spanish children’s series “Pocoyo.” The series, which tells the story of a little boy in blue clothing, has been a staple of international children’s programming for years.
With brands like Pocoyo and Maya the Bee, Animaj aims to digitally revitalize timeless children’s heroes. Through AI-driven production processes, the characters are expected to appear in modern formats and on new platforms. Thus, the traditional Maya the Bee could soon reach a global audience in a contemporary version.