Spin Master to acquire Brooklyn's Hapiko, maker of AI sticker toy Stickerbox
What's the deal? Spin MasterDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Hapiko Inc.Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Brooklyn-based creative play technology company, the toymaker announced on August 17, 2026. Terms were not disclosed.
What each company does: Spin Master (TSX:TOY) is a global children's entertainment company behind PAW Patrol, Melissa & Doug, Bakugan, and Rubik's Cube. Hapiko builds creative play technology using kid-safe AI.
The product: Hapiko is best known for Stickerbox, which turns a child's spoken ideas into printable stickers they can colour and apply in the physical world. It uses voice-to-image generation, ink-free printing, and COPPA-compliant AI designed to cut passive screen time.
Why now? Stickerbox has sold out 13 times since launching in late 2025. That traction gives Spin Master a fast-moving property to fold into its portfolio.
What's the endgame? Spin Master wants to pair Hapiko's platform with its distribution and product pipeline. "By pairing Hapiko's platform with our track record of innovation, we can accelerate our vision for the future of play," said chief executive officer Christina Miller.
For Hapiko, the deal offers scale. "We built Stickerbox as a springboard for that creativity and by joining with Spin Master, we will have an even greater audience and platform for growth," said chief executive officer Arun Gupta.
The signal: The acquisition shows established toymakers reaching for AI-native startups to modernise physical play. Spin Master, which already runs digital games serving close to 60 million monthly active users, is betting that child-safe AI tools become a core part of how kids create.
Read more: Yahoo Finance
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
