Cosmos-Maya, Asia’s leading animation studio synonymous with market-dominating IPs like Motu Patlu, Selfie with Bajrangi, Titoo, Dabangg, and several marquee Indian and International shows, announced today that NewQuest Capital Partners (“NewQuest”) has acquired a majority interest in the company from Emerald Media, an investment platform backed by KKR. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Cosmos-Maya is one of the fastest-growing animation companies in Asia and is a microcosm of the Indian animation industry. For over a decade, the studio has consistently delivered several successful IPs to every major local and global broadcaster and OTT player present in the region. Having gained significant market share in India, the company is also aggressively expanding its operations in the western markets producing several successful TV series, shows, and independent feature films for leading platforms in Europe and the US. The company has also become one of the largest providers of animated content to leading EdTech players in India and the US. Cosmos-Maya has a proven track record of anticipating trends and setting industry benchmarks with quality productions and the use of the latest technology.
NewQuest has a strong track record of successfully partnering with business services enterprises and working alongside management teams to drive meaningful value creation. “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.
“Cosmos-Maya has had a phenomenal journey of 25 years in animation and has grown by leaps and bounds during this period. 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,” added Ketan Mehta, Founder & Promoter of the studio.
“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. Emerald Media has leveraged our industry expertise and the strength of our platform to help the company establish a solid foundation to expand its footprint in India and across the globe. 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, Managing Director, Emerald Media.
“This is a new and interesting chapter for us as we look at larger markets and newer challenges. Emerald Media has been a great support in our growth story and now this investment from another great investor like NewQuest is a testament to our market leadership and strong operating performance. 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.
GCA acted as exclusive Financial Advisor to Cosmos Maya and its shareholders, SNG & Partners and Cyril AmarchandMangaldas acted as Legal Advisors and EY and BDO acted as Due Diligence and Transaction Tax advisors.
About Emerald Media Emerald Media is a Pan-Asian platform backed by KKR to invest in the fast-growing media, entertainment, consumer tech and B2B industries across Asia for which KKR has committed up to $300mm from its KKR Asian Fund II. Emerald Media is led by industry veterans Rajesh Kamat and Paul Aiello, supported by an experienced team of investment and operating executives. Paul and Rajesh together have a combined experience of more than 40 years in the industry and bring a unique blend of operational and investment acumen to their business approach. Since its inception, Emerald Media has made key investments in YuppTV, one of the world’s leading OTT video platforms for South Asian content, Amagi Media Labs, India’s leading targeted-TV advertisement solutions firm, aCommerce, Southeast Asia’s leading e-commerce enabler, and e-distributor and Cosmos-Maya, one of the most successful animation content producers in Asia.
Emerald Media primarily focuses on providing growth capital to media, entertainment, consumer tech and B2B companies. The company looks to support growing public and private companies, by providing growth capital and strategic value add. For more information, please visit www.emeraldmedia.asia About NewQuest Capital Partners NewQuest is the leading dedicated secondary private equity platform focused on the Asia-Pacific region with offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Mumbai. NewQuest specializes in providing strategic liquidity solutions to private equity asset owners, including private equity funds, financial institutions, corporations, hedge and family offices. NewQuest was established in 2011 and currently manages four funds with capital commitments of over US$2.4 billion.
Source: Business World
