Oli Hyatt, Tom Box and Adam Shaw: Blue Zoo productions

Oli Hyatt, Tom Box and Adam Shaw, 34, 34 and 35
Company: Blue Zoo Productions
Web: www.blue-zoo.co.uk

Founded in 2000, Hyatt, Box and Shaw’s cartoon animation studio has grown to become the UK’s largest animation company. Its client list includes some of the biggest names in the entertainment world; it has produced animations for Disney, the BBC, Sky, Shell, and the Rolling Stones, to name but a few. The studio’s 125-man team and commitment to the highest quality animation has also seen it recognised as Best Independent Production Company at the 2012 Children’s BAFTAs. And Hyatt’s creation of lobby group Animation UK led to George Osborne introducing tax breaks for the sector in direct response to the collective’s efforts.

One of the most impressive things about this rise to prominence is that, aside from £60,000 of investment at launch, Blue Zoo’s growth has been almost entirely organic. The profitable studio turned over £5.5m this year with this set to increase to £6.6m next year.