Best Animation Studios in São Paulo (2026)

Introduction

São Paulo is the centre of Brazilian animation, and the nine studios below cover most of what the city makes: original series for children’s channels, character work for brands, game cinematics and award-winning commercial films. They were chosen for recent work, 2025 and 2026 recognition, and the strength of their client lists.

The city’s studios work for two markets at once. Brazil’s advertising industry, which regularly finishes among the top three countries at Cannes Lions, keeps a steady flow of commercial animation coming from agencies on Faria Lima and in Vila Olímpia. At the same time, a growing share of the work is exported. Zombie Studio told Meio & Mensagem in March 2026 that about 90% of its revenue comes from abroad, mainly North America and Europe, and it ranked second in the publication’s 2025 table of the most awarded production companies. Series studios such as PinGuim Content and Birdo sell original shows to channels in well over a hundred territories.

Every studio here has an active São Paulo studio in 2026. The list is unranked, since the right choice depends on the format, the budget and whether you need a long-running series partner or a team for a single film. Houses that focus on visual effects and compositing appear on our separate VFX page.

The best animation studios in São Paulo

1. Birdo

Independent · São Paulo · birdo.com.br

Birdo was founded in 2005 by animators Luciana Eguti and Paulo Muppet, who started with two computers and a fax machine. It now has a team of more than 60 people and is one of the best-known Brazilian makers of original children’s series, including Oswaldo, Ninjin, Cupcake & Dino and Clube da Anittinha.

Alongside its own shows, Birdo takes on animation services for studios abroad, with credits on Star Wars: Forces of Destiny for Lucasfilm and work for Riot Games’ League of Legends. It has also been developing Arlindo, a coming-of-age feature with Canada’s Verité Entertainment. Advertising enquiries in Brazil go through its representative, People.

2. Zombie Studio

Independent, founder-led · São Paulo · zombiestudio.tv

Zombie Studio is a boutique animation studio headquartered in São Paulo, with offices in New York and Lisbon. Founder and creative director Paulo Garcia runs it with business partner Natalia Gouvea. It ranked second in Meio & Mensagem’s 2025 list of the most awarded production companies, with 37 festival awards.

Most of its projects come from international brands and agencies. Recent films include “47” for Café Joyeux and “18 Months” for Second Nurture, both made with Klick Health Toronto and both mixing stop motion with CGI. The studio favours emotional or comic storytelling and tailor-made craft over volume.

3. LOBO

Independent · São Paulo · lobo.cx

LOBO is a creative studio based in São Paulo and New York, working across animation, live action and AI-led projects. Its Brazilian sister company is Vetor Zero, and LBB reported in May 2026 that the two had restructured their operations. LOBO has spent 2026 building its directing roster, signing Pedro Becker, Paulinho Caruso and the duo OS OLGA, and it joined Lemonade Talent for representation in July.

Recent work includes Xbox’s “Villanova”, the Kansas City Chiefs’ “KC Wolf Jamz” YouTube series, Frito-Lay’s Simply NKD and spots for Mastercard, Corona and Vanish. Because the two brands share work, ask which company will hold your contract.

4. Mono Animation

Independent · Vila Mariana · monoanimation.com.br

Mono Animation is a 2D and 3D animation studio in Vila Mariana that works on both entertainment and advertising. Its series credits include Pipas, Turma do Chiquinho and Diário de Pilar, and it worked on the 3D feature Tarsilinha. Its shows have aired on Disney, Nat Geo Kids, Discovery Kids, Gloob and Gloobinho.

On the brand side, Mono builds characters and branded web series, such as Syngenta’s “A Hora do Percevejo”. It suits clients who want a character or universe developed properly before production starts.

5. Histeria

Independent · Sumaré · histeria.studio

Histeria is a São Paulo studio founded in 2013 that works in cutout, 2D and 3D animation. It has become a regular partner for games companies, and its portfolio is heavy with cinematic work for Riot Games: the League of Legends “Welcome Back, Summoners” cinematic, Valorant’s VCT Americas 2025 Stage 2 anthem and the Riot Forge film “Song of Nunu”.

Other clients include Discord, Doodles, Garena, Google and Netflix. For a brand that wants a stylised, illustration-led film, it is a strong fit.

6. Sailor

Independent · Água Branca · sailor.studio

Sailor was founded in São Paulo in 2019 by Luccas Oliveira and Gustavo “GGA” Almeida. It describes itself as an independent creative production studio covering 2D, 3D and motion design, illustration and key visuals, with live action and post-production in house. The studio reports more than 100 awards across its collaborations, including nine Cannes Lions, among them a Gold in 2025.

Its client list runs from Samsung, Disney and McDonald’s to Coca-Cola, Heineken, Vivo and O Boticário. Recent projects include Samsung’s Lollapalooza 2026 work, Vivo and Samsung’s FOOH campaign and Prime Video’s NBA launch.

7. Dirty Work

Independent · Vila Madalena · dwrk.it

Dirty Work is a design-led animation studio in Vila Madalena, with UK representation through Lemonade. Its work leans on strong illustration and graphic style, and it moves easily between brand campaigns and cause-led films.

Recent pieces include “Beat Cancer Off” (F*ck Cancer), “Feary Tales” for Nike, “Cracked” for Mercy for Animals and “Footsteps on the Wind”, made around Sting’s song “Inshallah”. Brazilian clients include Itaú, Nubank, iFood, Mercado Livre, Magalu and QuintoAndar.

8. BIG Studios

Independent · Brooklin · bigstudios.com.br

BIG Studios is a character animation studio on Avenida Santo Amaro, with further contacts in Dubai, Berlin and Warsaw and a US representative. Character design is the core of the business, and many of its projects are brand mascots built to run across years of campaigns.

Work includes characters for Atacadão and Buscopan, and spots for Disney, Hellmann’s, Honda, Aldi and Bausch & Lomb. It is a good choice for a brand that wants a mascot it can keep using.

9. PinGuim Content

Independent · São Paulo · pinguim.com.br

PinGuim Content was founded in São Paulo in 1989 by Kiko Mistrorigo and Célia Catunda and is one of Brazil’s longest-running animation producers. Its series, including Fishtronaut, Earth to Luna! and Tarsilinha, are distributed to more than 120 countries.

PinGuim works mainly on its own intellectual property for children and families, and it also runs an office in the US. Brands and broadcasters usually approach it for co-productions and licensing rather than one-off commercials.

What to look for in a São Paulo animation studio

Start with the kind of studio you need. São Paulo’s series producers, such as Birdo, Mono and PinGuim, are set up for long production runs, episode pipelines and children’s broadcast standards. Commercial studios such as Zombie, Sailor and Dirty Work are built around shorter, more intense projects with agency timelines. Many do both, but each has a centre of gravity.

Look at the style range in the reel. Some studios have a recognisable house look; others, like LOBO, work through a roster of directors. If you need a particular technique, such as stop motion mixed with CGI or cutout animation, ask to see finished work in that technique and who directed it.

Ask about language and time zones. Much of the city’s commercial animation is now made for clients in North America and Europe, and studios with offices or representatives abroad are used to working in English and to overlapping hours with New York and London. Contract structure matters too, since some studios bill through a sister company or a foreign entity.

Finally, check how the studio handles review. Animation moves through many stages (script, boards, animatic, layout, animation, comp), and each one produces files and feedback. A studio with a clear approval process and a single place for the latest versions will lose less time to rework than one running on email threads.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best animation studio in São Paulo?

It depends on the project. For commercial films with a strong awards record, Zombie Studio and Sailor stand out, with Zombie second in Meio & Mensagem’s 2025 ranking of the most awarded production companies. For original children’s series, Birdo and PinGuim Content have the longest track records.

Which São Paulo studios make animated series for children?

Birdo (Oswaldo, Ninjin, Cupcake & Dino), PinGuim Content (Fishtronaut, Earth to Luna!) and Mono Animation (Pipas, Diário de Pilar) all produce series for channels such as Disney, Discovery Kids and Gloob.

Do São Paulo animation studios work with international clients?

Yes, and many do so routinely. Zombie Studio has offices in New York and Lisbon, LOBO operates from São Paulo and New York, and both Dirty Work and LOBO have UK representation through Lemonade.

Where can I find São Paulo VFX houses?

Studios focused on visual effects, compositing and CG for live action are on our list of the best VFX studios in São Paulo. Some studios on this page, such as Sailor, also offer VFX as part of a wider production service.

How long does a commercial animation project take?

A 30-second animated spot usually takes several weeks to a few months, depending on technique, the number of review rounds and how settled the script is at the start. Character development or a new visual style adds time before production begins, so ask the studio for a stage-by-stage schedule.

Related lists

Animation studios in other cities: New York · London · Los Angeles · Chicago · Toronto

More in São Paulo: Creative agencies · VFX · Video production · Sound design · Design agencies

Run your studio on Fabric: Fabric for creative teams · Fabric for motion design studios · Best creative proofing tools