Kidlandia builds personalized fantasy maps that let parents and kids create a custom fantasy land where the child is the King or Queen. Users can insert family members' or friends' names into the map, and the maps feature whimsical characters from Kidlandia's brand Kreechurs. Shortly after launching in 2009, Kidlandia signed a deal with Pottery Barn to feature its maps in the catalog, on the website, and in retail stores. Its retail reach has since expanded to include Snapfish, FAO.com, DisneyStore.com, and NickShop. The company is opening a mini-store at FAO Schwarz's flagship New York City store in the next few weeks. Kidlandia has also started creating branded maps for toy and entertainment companies and is producing products for Disney, Nickelodeon, Lego, and Marvel. The startup recently raised $2.5 million, bringing total funding to $3.5 million. Kidlandia is a web destination where parents and kids create personalized cartoon fantasyland maps that place the child as the King or Queen of an eponymous kingdom. Users can insert family members’ and friends’ names into the map and populate it with whimsical characters like Uniquills, Grumps and Yuhoos. Parents can order physical prints of the maps on scrolls or stretched canvas, with prices ranging from $40 for a small scroll to $180 for a larger framed print. Founder Brian Backus, inspired by childhood stories and with experience as a producer at Disney Interactive, positions the business around emotional engagement and merchandising. Backus says he plans to expand the product line to include additional merchandise such as stuffed animals and puzzles. The site currently focuses on customized physical products rather than an interactive virtual world experience.

Total raised

$3M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Feb 2011