Rovio Invests In ‘Moominvalley’ Studio Gutsy Animations, Developing ‘Moomins’ Game

Gutsy Animations, the studio behind the cg series Moominvalley, has received an investment from Angry Birds developer Rovio Entertainment.

Here are the details:

• Rovio will invest a €5 million (USD$5.95 million) into Gutsy Animation.
• As part of the deal, Rovio has acquired exclusive rights to the Moomin brand for all game and mobile platforms. It struck a deal with Moomin Characters Ltd and Rights & Brands, the global licensing agency for the franchise.
• The company’s first Moomin game is being developed, and is due for a soft launch later in the year. The visuals will be inspired by the Moominvalley series.
• The Moomins were created by Finnish author Tove Jansson, and have appeared in over a dozen books and comics. The hippo-like creatures have inspired countless spin-offs, including several animated series.
• Rovio has built a franchise out of its immensely successful mobile game Angry Birds. There have been multiple animated series and two features. The developer is headquartered in Espoo, Finland.
• Gutsy was founded in 2016. The studio animated Moominvalley, which won multiple awards and was nominated for an International Emmy for best kids’ series. It is based in Helsinki, Finland, with an office in Bristol, U.K.