Jens Peter de Pedro, who helped launch indie Swedish app maker Toca Boca into prominence back in 2011, is departing from his role as the company’s creative director in order to focus attention on his interactive consultancy, Little Frogs.

In de Pedro’s time at Toca Boca, the mobile publisher’s suite of 30 open-ended “toy” apps have seen more than 100 million downloads in 215 countries. Since de Pedro first joined Toca Boca as one of three employees in 2010, the company has expanded to employ a staff of 70 in three offices – including a San Francisco location and a recently opened New York outlet dedicated to the company’s move into the TV space. (On that front, Toca Boca plans to roll out its first video content initiatives next year, and like its apps, this programming will be developed from the perspective of actual children.)

In fact, de Pedro has been vocal about the importance of Toca Boca’s stance on allowing kids to pursue free-form and open-ended play – a position he intends to uphold at New York-based  Little Frogs, which consults on creating interactive play experiences for kids. At Little Frogs, de Pedro plans to focus largely on leveraging the power of play within the connected toys and e-learning industries.

de Pedro’s departure comes as rumors continue to fly about an impending Toca Boca sale. Parent company Bonnier Media Group denied a Toca Boca sale to Israel’s Tab Tale in September, yet speculative reports have continued to emerge throughout the fall.