Nazara invests 83.5 cr in India’s largest kids subscription company Paper Boat Apps (October 2019)
Oct 15, 2019

Their flagship product ‘Kiddopia’ has garnered 2.5M downloads around the world and has over 100,000 paying subscribers

Mumbai, October 15, 2019: Nazara Technologies Ltd., a leading global interactive gaming and digital sports media company announces their investment of Rs. 83.5 crores in Paper Boat Apps, a Mumbai based indie studio today. The company acquires a majority stake of 51% at a pre-money valuation of Rs. 154 crores. Paper Boat Apps is the creator and publisher of Kiddopia, an award winning, subscription based preschool edutainment app. This transaction is subject to shareholders approval and customary closing conditions including any other regulatory approvals.

Kiddopia offers a wide array of interactive games and activities that foster cognitive development, self-expression and also social-emotional learning. Till date the app has been downloaded by more than 2.5 million parents around the world and has over 100,000 active subscribers. The company has grown 5x in the last 2 years and received immense recognition, awards and fame. Kiddopia has been awarded the Tilly-Wig Brain Child Award, Parents Choice Award, the National Parenting Product Award and many more. Kiddopia is completely ad-free and adheres to the highest standards of privacy and kid’s safety.

Nazara is the largest free to play kids games publisher in India with over 20 million monthly active kids playing Nazara’s games on Google Play and App store. Nazara has presence in 64 countries across Africa, Middle East and South East Asia in addition to the Indian subcontinent. Nazara has taken license mobile gaming rights of the most popular Indian IP characters like Chhota Bheem, Motu Patlu, Mighty Raju, Veer the Robot, Eeena Mina Deeka, Shikari Shambhu and global IP’s like Oggy the Cockroach, Shin Chan and many more.

According to Anupam Dhanuka, Co-Founder & CEO, Paper Boat Apps Pvt. Ltd., “The leadership at the two companies have very similar DNA and our goals are well aligned. This investment will help us grow our team, strengthen our market share in the US and expand to other high value markets such as Latin America, Europe and Japan. We also plan to leverage Nazara’s existing network of users to quickly grow in India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.”

Nitish Mittersain, Founder and MD, Nazara Technologies Ltd. says “Kiddopia addresses the concern where young children are found to consume digital content through their parent’s devices. Kiddopia offers a positive alternative while bringing high quality, curated educational content packaged within an entertaining framework that keeps both kids healthy and parents happy. Kiddopia will be leveraged to over 100 million users through the Nazara network”

Paper Boat Apps was founded in 2013 by husband-wife duo, Anupam and Anshu Dhanuka as a boot-strapped startup to create world class edutainment apps for preschool kids. In July 2017, Paper Boat Apps launched their flagship app, Kiddopia. The app became an instant hit and reached the #1 rank in the Kids category on the US App Store.

About Paper Boat Apps Pvt. Ltd.

Paper Boat Apps is an indie studio engaged in designing, developing and publishing world class edutainment apps for kids. Based in Mumbai, India, the company was cofounded in 2013 by husband-wife duo, Anupam and Anshu Dhanuka. The company’s core product is a subscription based kids’ edutainment app called Kiddopia which is available on Apple, Google and Amazon app stores. Kiddopia is a dynamic app that runs the gamut of early education and teaches a huge variety of skills to preschool kids.

Kiddopia has won several awards such as the Tilly-Wig Brain Child Award, Parents Choice Award, National Parenting Product Award and is consistently ranked amongst the Top 5 Kids Apps on US App Store. Since its launch in June 2017, Kiddopia has been downloaded by more than 2.5 million parents around the world and has more than 1 lakh active subscribers. The app is completely ad-free and adheres to the highest standards of privacy and online safety of kids.

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