SuperAwesome Buys Starglow in Kids' Audio Play
SuperAwesome has acquired Starglow Media, the world's largest ecosystem of premium audio content for kids and families. The deal marks a significant consolidation in the audio IP sector and positions SuperAwesome to dominate the market for safe, high-quality content for Gen Alpha and Gen Z.
This acquisition is SuperAwesome's first major move since its leadership team completed a management buyout from Epic Games, a deal finalized in January 2024. Epic, which had acquired the "kidtech" firm in 2020, remains an investor in the newly independent SuperAwesome. Founded in 2013, SuperAwesome built its business on enabling brands like Lego and Hasbro to advertise to under-16 audiences without tracking personal data, ensuring compliance with regulations like COPPA and GDPR. The company's technology powers digital engagement for nearly half a billion kids and teens monthly across various platforms. Starglow Media, though only launched in 2023, quickly scaled to deliver over 120 million annual listens across 45+ shows. Its portfolio mixes licensed properties from partners like Paramount (*Blue's Clues*, *Dora the Explorer*) with original content, attracting brands such as Disney and Netflix. The deal is a strategic push into a rapidly expanding market driven by parental demand for screen-free entertainment. The global kids' podcast market alone was valued at $1.54 billion in 2024 and is forecast to hit $4.65 billion by 2033. The broader kids' audiobooks market is projected to reach approximately $3.55 billion by 2030. By consolidating Starglow's audio content, SuperAwesome aims to solve a key market challenge: providing the scale necessary to attract consistent advertising investment for individual kids' properties that might otherwise struggle for reach. As part of the acquisition, Starglow's founder and CEO, Jed Baker, will join SuperAwesome as its new Head of Audio, with Agerenesh “Aggi” Ashagre Palmer set to lead audio operations. Prior to the deal, Starglow had raised $2.7 million from investors including Powerhouse Capital and Watertower Ventures.
