Baobab Studios

Baobab Studios is an independent interactive animation and transmedia entertainment company founded in 2015. Based in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, it combines animated storytelling with real-time interactive technologies, creating experiences in which audiences can participate in a story rather than simply watch it. Its work spans virtual reality, games, publishing, television and film, with original properties developed for multiple formats.

The studio first became known for cinematic VR experiences. Its debut short, Invasion! (2016), introduced an approach that gives viewers an active role within an animated scene. Later productions include Asteroids!, Crow: The Legend, Bonfire, Baba Yaga and Namoo. These projects explore character-driven interaction and immersive narrative, bringing together animation, performance and audience agency. The studio’s portfolio also includes the immersive theatre installation Jack, the VR narrative Paper Birds, co-produced with 3DAR, and the Meta Quest fishing and exploration game Galactic Catch.

Stories across platforms

Baobab has expanded from standalone VR productions into a broader business built around original intellectual property. Its capabilities include interactive character animation, real-time storytelling engines, cross-platform game development and animation pipelines. The research also identifies AI and real-time graphics as tools for pre-visualization and production acceleration.

Its Momoguro franchise extends into Roblox gaming and a television adaptation developed with 9 Story Media Group. Other adaptations include The Witchverse, an anthology project growing out of Baba Yaga, and Intercats, a graphic novel series being developed for television with Disney Branded Television. Its publishing and screen development slate also includes The Magic Paintbrush.

In March 2026, Baobab acquired film and television rights to the Roblox experiences Natural Disaster Survival, Barry’s Prison Run and Deepwoken. In August 2026, Naver Ventures announced a strategic investment alongside joint development of Shine, an animated feature by Erick Oh and Madeleine Rosca. These projects extend the studio’s approach of developing story worlds across interactive experiences, books and screen entertainment.