Ankama Animation becomes majority shareholder of Andarta Pictures

Strong alliance to shape the future of independent animated storytelling

Ankama Animation, the leading independent animation studio in France and the creator of well-known IPs such as Dofus and Wakfu, officially announced at the end of August that it has acquired a majority stake (51%) in its long-term partner, Andarta Pictures. This strategic acquisition marks the deepening of the successful collaboration between the two companies since 2019, aiming to bring together their talents and resources to jointly create a new future for the animation industry.

The significance of this acquisition goes far beyond capital integration. It represents the highly integrated vision and creativity of two giants in the animation industry. Ankama is renowned for its ability to build vast and intricate fantasy worlds, while Andarta Pictures boasts outstanding animation production techniques and a mature team of artists. The combination of the two will form a powerful synergy, greatly enhancing control and flexibility over the entire industrial chain from project development to final production, ensuring that their works always maintain unique artistic quality and high narrative standards.

This cooperation is expected to have the following far-reaching impacts on the future business development:

• Accelerate content production and IP development: With more stable financial and resource support, both sides will be able to develop more original projects in parallel and further explore and expand the value of existing IPs, including launching new series and feature films.
• Enhancing international competitiveness and influence: The merged entity will enter the international market with greater strength, attract top global talents, and establish more solid partnerships with global streaming platforms and distributors, bringing the unique “Made in France” animation to audiences around the world.
• Consolidate the spirit of independent creation: In a market increasingly dominated by large groups, this collaboration aims to establish a strong base that can uphold artistic independence and innovation, providing artists with a platform for free creation and breaking the boundaries of traditional narratives

Anthony Roux, co-founder of Ankama, stated: “This is the natural evolution of our relationship with the Andarta team. We share the same passion, the same pursuit of high-quality animation, and the same determination to remain independent. Becoming the majority shareholder enables us to jointly plan for a long-term future and ambitiously undertake the projects we are most passionate about.”

The management of Andarta Pictures added: “We are proud of our past achievements and excited about the potential for the future. With Ankama’s support, we have obtained the resources and long-term stability needed to take it to the next level, while retaining the creative soul that inspires our team.”

This collaboration will undoubtedly bring about new changes to the global animation market landscape, heralding the opening of a vibrant and creative new chapter in independent animation storytelling.

About Ankama:
Ankama is an independent French group specializing in the entertainment sector, with business covering video games (DOFUS, WAKFU), animation, comics and publishing. It is renowned worldwide for its rich cross-media universe.

About Andarta Pictures:
Andarta Pictures is an animation production company based in Valence and Paris, France. It boasts a strong artistic and technical team and specializes in creating high-quality animated series and feature films for both domestic and international markets.