KOCHI: Kochi-based techtainment startup Bhooshan’s Junior is foraying into Africa by entering an agreement with Wiflex OTT platform, which is popular in Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and Kenya.
Incubated at Infopark in Kakkanad, Bhooshan’s Junior had decided last year to go beyond mere animation in order to make it big. This realisation prompted co-founders Sarath Bhooshan and Joseph Panikulam to work on AVGC (audio visual gaming comics), 3D animation, gaming, music and robotic toys.
In August 2023, the company raised a pre-seed fund of Rs 2 crore in a combination of debt and equity. “Currently, the seed round is on. We are getting encouraging responses,” says Sarath.
Currently, the company’s cartoon and animation productions are available on Viacom 18, Shemaroo, Hungama, Patreon, YouTube, Rumble and various platforms of Jio. Bhooshan Junior is a commercial partner of Viacom 18, Shemaroo, Hungama, and Reliance Jio.
The inroads into Africa hold promise, as the continent tops in viewers of Indian digital content abroad. “We are planning to further broaden the reach of cartoons among expatriate Indians,” says Sarath, adding that Bhooshan Junior enjoys presence in 16 countries across the Gulf and North Africa.
Bhooshan Junior’s musical entertainment series, titled ‘Jhoom Tara Ra Ra’, features four ducks and their coach Joe, a cat. Another production, ‘Namaste Meawoo’, is India’s first globally-sold product of its kind.