From Spain to Latin America and the world, Gookapi is redefining children’s content with its own universe that combines universal values, sustainability, and technological innovation. In an interview with ttvnews, Marianella Gomis talks about the group’s evolution, its commitment to international co-production, and the strategic expansion of the Elves as a growth model that unites creativity, business, and purpose.
Headquartered in the Basque Country, Gookapi is a company that stands out from the crowd thanks to its goal of promoting edutainment content based on universal values and sustainable development, fostering children’s creativity and abilities.
The group seeks to create stories and content that present a safe space where parents can trust that they will find violence-free, eco-friendly, and inclusive content; as well as interactive content where children can participate in the episodes.
Gookapi’s main catalog is set in a special universe of characters called Elves, each with a distinct identity and a specific theme.
Thus, Liz, Mithy, Pintxo, Hur, and Ezki are the protagonists of great adventures, where Mithy explores nature, Pintxo combats climate change, Hur introduces preschool concepts, Liz conducts experiments and crafts in her workshop, and Ezki tells stories about great legends; in addition to the secret songs of the Elves, a playlist to dance along with the characters.
In the following interview with ttvnews, Marianella Gomis, Project Development, Head of Sales & Content Acquisitions at Gookapi, talks about the group’s evolution and its new growth strategy, one that seeks to strengthen ties between Europe and Latin America, and pave the way with production companies and exhibitors of all kinds, both for distribution and co-production.
What is your assessment of 2025 in terms of growth and business for Gookapi?
2025 was a key year in expanding our international visibility and focusing our efforts on the catalog of original properties that make up the Elves universe. We participated in Content Americas, Quirino Awards, Annecy and Cartoon Forum where very interesting conversations and negotiations took place.
For five years, we were committed to creating a safe, values-driven, and child-friendly interactive platform. But as the year drew to a close, we made the difficult decision to discontinue it; the competition for audiences in the sea of exhibition platforms is so fierce that it’s very difficult to grow. It was an honest gamble, taken with a lot of hard work, love, dedication, and conviction by a great team. We transformed the learning experience into an in-house innovation opportunity to develop a tool that allows us to offer our interactive content to exhibitors.
At Gookapi, we continue with distribution, sales agents, production, and projects that incorporate digital storytelling and technology.
Since we last spoke, the group has invested heavily in its content catalog, adding new series and projects to the pipeline. What’s new?
Our catalog of original IPs under the Elves brand, produced by the Basque production company Baleuko, includes six series for preschoolers up to nine years old, all aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Sharing a common universe and aesthetic, each series focuses on a distinct theme:
Mithy the explorer (Biosphere, nature, professions, culture)
Liz’s Creative Workshop (Recipes, experiments, crafts, recycled and reusable materials)
Pintxo Against Climate Change (The impact of our actions on the planet)
Ezki the Storyteller (Legends from around the world)
Hur Learns (Preschool and basic concepts)
The Elves’ Secret Songs (Nature and Human Rights).
This 2026, we’ve added to our offerings the season of Mithy the explorer: Guatemala and a new installment of Ezki the Storyteller.
Mithy the explorer: Guatemala (8 x 7′) is a co-production between Baleuko and Guatemala TV. It joins a linear (30 x 4′) and interactive (30 x 5.5′) IP series that blends live-action and 3D integration, adding to the previous seasons of Mithy in both formats. Furthermore, the 2027 installment, Mithy the explorer: Spain (10 x 7′), is currently in pre-production.
Ezki the Storyteller also returns with a new season of 10 episodes, for a total of 20 x 10′. Ezki is a series that blends 3D animation with 2D illustrations, reviving world legends and bringing them into the present day with values that remain relevant today, adapted so that children can see them reflected in their own experiences.
Among our new developments, we are working on a technological solution that will allow us to offer exhibitors the three interactive series in our catalog and monetize them: in these series, the audience chooses which paths the stories take. We also have another linear gamification project that we can discuss later.
Another avenue for growth for the group has been dubbing some of its content into new languages, such as neutral Spanish and English. What is the strategy behind this initiative? What potential do you see for your catalog in the international market?
The original version of the Elves (Iratxoak) IPs is in Basque, and the dubbing into Spanish is being done simultaneously. Strategically, we are focusing on dubbing our content into neutral Spanish as a natural way to enter the Hispanic market. Regarding the English language, after analyzing the various markets we visited last year and considering the interest we received, we determined that English offers us the opportunity to open new territories and global opportunities.
Our catalog of original edutainment content is still largely untapped; we’ve closed a few deals in the last two years. Interest has been growing, and we’re in very attractive negotiations to expand our distribution reach.
We’ve focused on adding seasons and series, enhancing the value of the Elves universe, and diversifying with a collection of three storybooks with AR, gamified and traditional learning units in digital and print formats, AR products, a collection of six activity books from the Hur aprende preschool series along with a dedicated app, and internal processes to offer a differentiating factor.
What is your current vision of the children’s content industry in Latin America, and what role does Gookapi play in this landscape?
At the heart of Gookapi since its inception has always been strengthening ties between Europe and Latin America. The rich culture, diversity, and the imaginary world where stories, aesthetics, realities, and perceptions intersect preserve something unique.
Our roadmap involves forging a path with production companies and exhibitors of all kinds, both for catalog distribution and by exploring co-production models that leverage the incentives available in Bizkaia and Spain. Initially, for productions that aren’t our own, joining as a minority partner would be the first approach; however, we’re not ruling out any avenues. We’re excited to learn about projects.
If we consider our IPs, the one most suited to co-production is Mithy the explorer. The blend of real-world locations with 3D integration gives it a unique aesthetic. The intention has always been for this friendly elf to explore as many places as possible with children, creating seasons in different countries and eventually packaging them by region or continent. When we facilitated co-production with Guatemala TV, a natural door opened, and we’re exploring replicating the model with other countries. That’s our medium- and long-term vision.
With the Ezki the Storyteller series, there are countless legends that can be adapted for children. Currently, there are episodes inspired by stories from across the Americas, including Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Mexico.
Besides its own original creations, is Gookapi exploring potential co-productions with international partners? Any you can tell us about?
We are currently evaluating several projects and are open to receiving proposals and identifying potential international co-productions. We will share more information as collaborations and partnerships are finalized.
Speaking of partnerships, are you looking to add third-party catalogs to expand your distribution reach?
Yes, we are actively seeking to add third-party properties to our catalog that fall within the edutainment category and complement our current offerings.
What do you think will be the main trends in children’s content in 2026?
I believe that, with the rise of digital platforms and on-demand consumption, digital-first content will continue to grow significantly. The strengthening of international co-productions will contribute to enriching narratives and expanding distribution possibilities, allowing us to scale our audience reach, especially in the current global context.
Aesthetically, the combination of 3D and 2D animation, along with edutainment narratives that incorporate socio-emotional aspects, is gaining increasing traction in how stories are developed and conveyed in children’s series. Likewise, co-viewing and more participatory, interactive, and immersive experiences are opening up new business opportunities.
On the other hand, the controversial topic of artificial intelligence will continue to generate debate in the industry. Its regulation and incorporation in different regions of the world, as well as the definition of rights and ethical uses in production processes, will be key issues to harness its potential in streamlining processes without losing human participation or artistic judgment.
