London-based Moonbug has brought in US$145 million in a Series A equity financing round led by merchant bank The Raine Group with Felix Capital, Fertitta Capital and others. It plans to use the money to develop and distribute safe but fun content for kids, following its recent IP acquisition of popular digital property Little Baby Bum.

Moonbug wants to acquire more kids media properties that it can create, grow and distribute to build essential life skills for children. The company is co-founded by former Disney president of international for non-linear media networks Rene Rechtman, and ex-WildBrain managing director John Robson.

The Little Baby Bum IP is available on YouTube, Amazon and Netflix, and has generated more than 23 billion global views. The latest Monitor Preschool Report from Childwise found that original YouTube videos are very popular with UK preschoolers, with Little Baby Bum mentioned often as a fave by kids surveyed. The IP’s YouTube channel also took its show on the road, touring its first live stage show across the UK from June to November, hitting more than 30 cities.