Grom Holdings, Inc. — the privately-held parent company of Grom Social Inc. — has acquired 100% of award-winning, Philippines-based Top Draw Animation. The acquisitions is the latest step in Grom’s aggressive growth strategy for its “by kids for kids” social network. Grom Social intends to ramp up production for its growing video library for its website and mobile applications, as well as continue to service Top Draw’s clients.
Top Draw, based in Manila, is a leading producer of 2D animation for TV markets around the world. The studio is recognized by producers and broadcasters as a provider of quality television animation, and currently provides services to many high-profile properties, including My Little Pony, Tom and Jerry, and Mr. Peabody and Sherman.
CEO and Founder Wayne Dearing will continue to run Top Draw and oversee its animation production. He will also take on the role of Executive Vice President, Global Finance for Grom Social, and will play an integral role in Grom’s strategy to build a vibrant animation business, reporting to Grom Social’s President, Sander Schwartz. Prior to founding Top Draw, Dearing worked as a financial and operations leader at Hanna-Barbera, Australia and Hanna-Barbera Asia.
“The opportunity to join Grom Social and become a part of its growth was a compelling one,” said Dearing. “Transforming our company into a major player in digital media has been the focal point of our strategy to grow our business. By joining forces with Grom Social, we will achieve that goal and set the stage for strong growth within both the traditional television animation sector and new animated content for digital media. I can’t imagine a better fit for us than Grom Social.”
Dearing further stated, “With more than 500 employees based at its headquarters in Manila, TDA is a strong contributor to the local economy and an advocate for harnessing artistic talent in the Philippines and exporting their work to countries around the world. By the combination of these two entities, Grom Social will be able to benefit from TDA’s ‘best in class’ animation for its original content, while TDA will now be able to deploy the creative auspices of Grom Social to build its library of shows for online, for mobile, and across all platforms.”
