Beanstalk will be tasked with launching a worldwide licensing program across multiple categories for Talking Friends, including Talking Tom Cat, Talking Ben the Dog and Talking Gina the Giraffe, among others.

Each of the Talking Friends apps features an animated 3D character that comes to life when poked, tickled and played with on mobile touch-screen devices for the iOS and Android platforms. The interactive character repeats everything a user says, and the apps create customized videos shared via Facebook, YouTube, MSS or email. Over 400,000 videos are spread virally every month.

Beanstalk will launch a global licensing program that will extend Talking Friends into a range of product categories including toys, games, apparel and accessories, social expression, arts and crafts, electronic accessories, home décor and health and beauty, tapping into best-in-class licensees. The program will be available across multiple retail channels, and will rollout next year, with some products ready for this holiday shopping season.

"While video games, digital and online properties have a long history of brand extensions and licensing, we are just witnessing the tip of the iceberg for app brand licensing," says Michael Stone, chief executive officer of Beanstalk. "Apps have become such a mainstream part of our lives now that they occupy the same kind of loyalty and affinity as movies, television programs and other entertainment properties."