PE Deals

RedBird invests in new children’s and family content company HPC

Along with RedBird, HPC was formed by best-selling children's book author/illustrator Mo Willems and media company Stampede Ventures.

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  • HPC will be led by Kathy Franklin as CEO
  • Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP advised RedBird Capital Partners in the formation of HPC
  • Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird targets media and entertainment, sports and experiential consumer and financial services

RedBird Capital Partners has made an undisclosed investment in Hidden Pigeon Company, a new multiplatform kids and family content company.

Along with RedBird, HPC was formed by best-selling children’s book author/illustrator Mo Willems and media company Stampede Ventures.

HPC will leverage Willems’ catalogue of children’s books and intellectual property across all entertainment platforms, including television, film, digital, gaming, live events, location-based experiences, publishing and consumer products.

HPC will be led by Kathy Franklin as CEO. Franklin joins HPC from Lightstorm Entertainment where she served as president of franchise development for nearly 12 years.

In addition, HPC will also house a new publishing imprint called Specific House, which has partnered with publisher Union Square & Co. to launch several of Willems’ latest New York Times best-selling books.

On the transaction, Gerry Cardinale, RedBird Capital founder and managing partner, said in a statement, “Working with creative entrepreneurs like Mo is at the core of our investing strategy. The creation of HPC is consistent with RedBird’s broader media investment thesis of acquiring best-in-class IP and scaling its scope of impact and commercialization. Our goal is to help this new company and partnership transform the traditional kids and family entertainment landscape and the way audiences experience Mo’s stories.”

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP advised RedBird Capital Partners in the formation of HPC.

Currently, Stampede Ventures has more than 150+ projects in development or set up with producing partners at Warner Bros., Netflix, Apple, FOX, Lionsgate, Peacock, MTV, HBO Max, Disney+, and Paramount+.

Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird targets media and entertainment, sports and experiential consumer and financial services.