The VeeFriends have finally arrived at the VeeDome.

“VeeFriends,” an animated series designed for children aged 6-11, was developed by VaynerWatt in collaboration with Moonbug Entertainment, the studio behind “Cocomelon.” The first three episodes premiered on September 30th on YouTube Kids.

The series, created by Vaynerchuk, is designed to encourage kids to embrace challenges and competition and how to learn from defeat and missteps. Characters, including Dialed-in Dog, Emphathy Elephant and Perfect Persian Cat, compete in the VeeDome with the goal of finding common ground but also expressing their own voices. The character of Dome Master “ensures that each battle runs smoothly and that every character who steps into the VeeDome comes out a little stronger and a lot more self-aware,” per the series description.

“VeeFriends” represents the inaugural production from VaynerWatt, the partnership formed in 2023 between Gary Vaynerchuk, a serial entrepreneur, and Eric Wattenberg, a former executive at CAA and Wheelhouse Entertainment. The duo is seeking unconventional funding and distribution models for television shows at a time when the content landscape is undergoing a major transformation.

“Eric and I are starting to sell shows and it’s getting exciting,” Vaynerchuk shared with Variety. “This has been a journey for us. It feels like a significant milestone to release our first creative work.”

For Wattenberg, the opportunity to explore new approaches to content development and production has been a stimulating challenge. It allows him to leverage the skills and relationships he cultivated over a decade as a top CAA agent.

“The company’s mission is to maintain ownership and control over our intellectual property, collaborating closely with our creative partners,” Wattenberg stated to Variety . “Our goal is to work outside of traditional industry structures to maximize the monetization of our content.”

VaynerWatt’s other ventures in the works include a scripted comedy series for Fox’s advertising-supported streaming service Tubi, and numerous unscripted projects are coming to fruition. Vaynerchuk’s other businesses encompass creative advertising and brand management consulting services under the Vayner Media umbrella. Vaynerchuk’s extensive experience working with top-tier brands and Madison Avenue provides a significant advantage as the partners seek financing and marketing support. VaynerWatt also aims to produce branded content projects, leveraging the appeal that major brands hold with consumers to attract substantial audiences through online and social platforms.

“VeeFriends” is a natural starting point for VaynerWatt because the property holds special significance for Vaynerchuk. He began sketching the characters several years ago and transformed them into a series of NFTs during the pandemic. “VeeFriends” garnered a following through Vaynerchuk’s TikTok posts. The positive response from children led Vaynerchuk to recognize the franchise's strong potential for growth.

“For this initial animated series, we utilize epic, action-packed narratives to equip children with the tools to manage their emotions, develop resilience, and truly embrace their authentic selves. That’s where the real success lies,” he stated.

Moonbug Entertainment joined the project after Vaynerchuk met with Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, the partners in Candle Media, which owns Moonbug. Candle Media and VaynerWatt share a similar approach to the content marketplace, making them a natural partner on “VeeFriends” given the 2-D animation production capabilities at Moonbug.

“Gary and the VeeFriends team have built a vibrant and deeply engaged community, and we are proud to have co-produced a series that is highly entertaining, and also packed with important life lessons for kids and families,” Mayer and Staggs said in a statement. “This partnership aligns perfectly with Candle and our team at Moonbug: to create franchise content that both entertains and inspires.”

The process of collaborating with Moonbug to develop the franchise that Vaynerchuk created from scratch was eye-opening in terms of how characters and settings are built to endure, he said.

“I was impressed by the feedback I received from working with these talented animation professionals,” Vaynerchuk said. “It was a very open and collaborative process. For me, creating ‘VeeFriends’ is a breath of fresh air. It’s been a goal and a dream of mine.”

Moonbug’s Kathy Power, an executive producer on “VeeFriends,” credited Vaynerchuk’s strong vision for setting the overall tone.

“Gary had a clear vision of who these characters were, and the Moonbug team took that vision and incorporated it into both the stories and designs to bring these characters and their world to life,” Power said. The ultimate goal for everyone involved was to “build a series that could teach valuable life lessons to its audience in a fun and engaging way,” she said.