# Pudgy Penguins

**Type:** Company  
**Domain:** Entertainment  
**Status:** Active  
**Founded:** 2021 (NFT collection), 2024 (corporate entity under Luca Netz)  

## Overview

Pudgy Penguins is a community-owned IP project that originated as an NFT collection and evolved into a multi-platform entertainment brand. Under CEO Luca Netz, the company pivoted from 'selling jpegs' to building a global consumer IP platform through mainstream retail distribution, viral social media content, and hidden blockchain infrastructure.

## Business Model

- **Retail Distribution:** 2M+ Schleich figurines across 10,000+ retail locations including 3,100 Walmart stores
- **Digital Media:** 79.5B GIPHY views (reportedly outperforms Disney and Pokémon per upload)
- **Web3 Infrastructure:** Pudgy World game (launched March 9, 2026), PENGU token, NFT collections
- **Content Production:** Lil Pudgys animated series (1,000+ minutes self-financed)

## Strategic Approach

**Minimum Viable Narrative:** Partnership with TheSoul Publishing (parent of 5-Minute Crafts) for high-volume content production rather than narrative-focused studios. Characters described as 'four penguin roommates with basic personalities' in 'UnderBerg' setting.

**Hiding Blockchain:** Deliberately designed consumer-facing products to hide crypto elements. CoinDesk noted Pudgy World 'doesn't feel like crypto at all.' Blockchain treated as invisible infrastructure.

**Mainstream-First Acquisition:** Acquire users through viral media and retail before Web3 onboarding, inverting typical crypto project trajectory.

## Financial Trajectory

- **2026 Revenue Target:** $50M-$120M (sources vary)
- **IPO Target:** 2027 (Luca Netz stated he'd be 'disappointed' without IPO within 2 years)
- **Pengu Card:** Operating in 170+ countries

## Key Personnel

- **Luca Netz:** CEO, architect of pivot from NFT project to consumer brand

## Timeline

- **2021** — Pudgy Penguins NFT collection launched
- **2024** — Luca Netz acquires project, pivots strategy toward mainstream consumer brand
- **2025-02** — Lil Pudgys animated series announced with TheSoul Publishing partnership
- **2026-03-09** — Pudgy World game launched with hidden blockchain infrastructure
- **2026** — 2M+ Schleich figurines sold across 10,000+ retail locations; 79.5B GIPHY views achieved

## Sources

- Animation Magazine (2025-02): Lil Pudgys series announcement
- CoinDesk: Strategic framing and Pudgy World review
- kidscreen: Retail distribution and financial targets