HarbourView Equity Partners is leading a $30 million investment in Lion Forge Entertainment, one of the entertainment studios behind the Oscar-winning Hair Love.
The Steward Family and Polarity are also investors in the round and continue to be the majority owners of Lion Forge Entertainment. The company is one of the few larger scale Black-owned entertainment studios in North America and was founded in 2019 by David Steward II with the goal of creating more stories with authentic, diverse voices in animated and live-action content.
The company plans to use the new capital to scale and expand its IP portfolio and premium franchise pipeline.
Lion Forge’s latest series, Iyanu, is one of the top children’s shows on both HBO Max and Cartoon Network. The company also has a multiyear first-look deal with Nickelodeon covering animated series and features, which thus far has resulted in multiple projects in development including Marley & The Family Band series in partnership with the Bob Marley Estate, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom in partnership with Simon & Schuster, and Iron Dragon in partnership with Mostapes. The company also has a partnership with Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House, to develop series and features based on children’s books.
Lion Forge also recently joined forces with George R. R. Martin, the Game of Thrones creator, to adapt the novella A Dozen Tough Jobs into an adult animated feature film.
“We believe that content has the extraordinary power to influence the world,” said Sherrese Clarke., founder and CEO of HarbourView. “This is a unique moment in the kids & family space and Lion Forge is seizing an opportunity to lean into its ability to tell compelling stories authentically and cultivate global franchises at scale. This synchronizes with our vision of how the next generation of multiplatform media companies can grow – by introducing fresh images, ideas and paradigms that reflect the evolving world in which we live and creating culturally authentic and socially relevant content.”
“Sherrese is a trailblazing investor, leading a culture-driving company. Her knowledge and track record will be immensely additive as we continue to scale our company and properties,” said David Steward II. “This is a validating moment for our young company. The synergy between the shrewd investment strategy of HarbourView and the franchise-building blueprint at Lion Forge will enable us collectively to optimize opportunities at the nexus of entertainment, culture and content and grow into a category defining leader from a position of strength.”