Click logos for more information.
Grom Social Enterprises’ “Mother Ship,” Grom Social, is a media platform focused on safe social media for kids under the age of 13, who are barred from most social media platforms without parental consent. The app allows kids to chat with friends, view original content and/or play games that are created by the company, and is monitored by live associates, 365 days a year. Last year, a new feature was introduced that allows teachers and their students through the app. Grom is currently in development on new features to be added later this year and has proven to be a valuable synergy platform. Recently, it heavily promoted the debut of Thunderous in bookstores and featured interviews with the author and a plea for kids to embrace reading as a lifelong habit.
The company purchased internet content filtering software, NetSpective Web Filter, in 2017, providing scalable network monitoring and security solutions services to schools, libraries and select government municipalities. NetSpective Web Filter delivers an easy-to-use, fully automated and highly reliable solution that has one of the lowest total costs of ownership in the industry, and is compliant with CIPA (Child Internet Protection Act) guidelines.
CIPA requires schools and libraries with internet access to certify that they have internet safety compliance and technology protection measures, including internet filtering technology, for both on and off-network. Additionally, CIPA requires libraries and K-12 schools to educate students on how to be good digital citizens and the NetSpective Web Filter solution provides a built-in Digital Citizenship course (DCL) that assists schools in meeting some CIPA requirements. NetSpective Web Filter generates its revenue through the sale of hardware and subscription fees for the use of its software. The majority of its customers are K-12 educational institutions looking to keep students safe on campus and on school-issued internet devices. These customers pay in advance for filtering services ranging from 1 to 5 years agreements. NetSpective Web Filter has provided its services to thousands of schools and millions of students since 2003.
Acquired by Grom in 2016, Top Draw Animation provides premium animation production services for global and international entertainment companies. Last year, when Grom purchased Curiosity Ink Media, the company tapped Curiosity execs, Russell Hicks and Jared Wolfson, each of whom built stellar careers in animation and toys, respectively, to give Top Draw a long-overdue and meaningful presence in Hollywood. There, the executives can streamline their access to key entertainment decision-makers and seek buyers of original Curiosity content, while promoting the animation services of Top Draw, based in Manila, the Philippines. In our opinion, this will help Top Draw potentially secure more assignments.
Here’s how it works: Top Draw contracts with third parties to produce animated films and television shows, which are then sent to Top Draw for production treatment at its studio. With over 400 animation animation experts hard at work at its state-of-the-art facility, Top Draw produces more than 200 half-hour segments of animated content annually, making it one of the largest producers of animation for television globally.
The success of Top Draw is due to its premium and carefully crafted production of animated features and series. The company earns its revenue from contracts with customers for pre-production and production services for developing animated movies and television, and its work is seen on screens all over the world.
Top Draw’s customers have included Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks and Warner Bros. Pictures. In our opinion, these blue-chip customers speak to the quality of the product that Top Draw produces.
Top Draw competes with other animation businesses from production companies in Korea, Taiwan, Canada, India, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Its competitors located within the Philippines, include Toon City Animation, Snipple Animation Studio and Synergy 88 Digital.
In March of 2021, Grom recruited former Nick at Nite exec, Paul Ward, to join its leadership ranks. At his encouragement, Grom took a hard look at Curiosity Ink Media, a creator, developer, and producer of kids’ and family entertainment content, led by Russell Hicks, Ward’s former peer at Nickelodeon. Hicks opened Curiosity in 2017 with the goal of championing original intellectual property (IP), much as he did during his tenure at Nickelodeon, where he led the charge on several groundbreaking hits including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and Paw Patrol, among others. Grom loved what it saw and in August of 2021, the company acquired an 80% stake in Curiosity, and placed itself squarely in Hollywood and in the family entertainment arena.
These are just some of the productions Grom and Curiosity intend to offer to both domestic and international programmers and publishers to round out their offerings with premium content. If these productions find success, we believe the company will be able to generate additional revenue through consumer products, distribution licensing fees as well as merchandising opportunities.