Our Story

Spin Master was founded in Canada in 1994 by childhood friends, Ronnen Harary and Anton Rabie, soon after graduating from Western University. Ben Varadi, a former classmate of Anton's, joined them that same year. With an initial investment of $10,000, the nascent entrepreneurs launched their first product: the Earth Buddy—a nylon-stocking-covered head filled with sawdust and topped with grass seeds that grew to resemble hair. Within six months of its launch, Earth Buddy generated $1.5 million in sales, planting the seed that would propel Spin Master into the toy industry.

Spin Master has grown significantly since its inception, transforming from a small, single product operation into a leading global children's entertainment company with a diverse portfolio of innovative toys, entertainment franchises and digital games. Today, Spin Master is a publicly listed company with 29 offices in nearly 20 countries and close to 2,500 employees.

Toys

Best known for innovation, both from its own internal product and design teams and from its rich network of inventor partnerships, Spin Master has created award-winning brands that entertain and inspire children and families. Evergreen properties like PAW Patrol, Bakugan, Hatchimals, Kinetic Sand and Air Hogs have solidified Spin Master’s leadership position in the toy industry.

Bakugan, first launched in 2007 was one of the company’s most successful toy launches,  born from a first-time inventor’s sketch of a ball that could be opened to reveal a character inside. This simple concept would evolve into a highly successful and innovative toy line, popular card game, anime-adventure series and video game, becoming a global phenomenon. Working with Sega, TMS, Japan Vistec, Corus Television, and Nelvana Entertainment across gaming, production, distribution and media, the Bakugan franchise remains an  example of the strength of partnerships.Spin Master is constantly pushing the boundaries, reimagining products and play experiences. From the pop-open action of Bakugan, creativity-inducing Kinetic Sand, PAW Patrol playsets and vehicles that let preschoolers act out adventures in the playroom and the breakthrough innovation of Hatchimals and Bitzee, Spin Master products have shaken up the industry, gaining recognition and generating significant buzz while inspiring magical play experiences for kids and their families around the world, every day.

In addition to disrupting the sandbox with its own innovative toy brands, Spin Master is entrusted as the toy licensee for leaders in the entertainment world including FELD Entertainment (Monster Jam, Supercross), Universal Brand Development (How to Train Your Dragon and Jurassic Franchise), Universal Products & Experiences (DreamWorks Animation’s Gabby’s Dollhouse), Riot Games (League of Legends), Paramount Consumer Products  (Dora) and Sony Interactive Entertainment’s PlayStation brand and titles.

Strategic acquisitions have been an important element in propelling Spin Master’s growth over the past 30 years. Acquisitions, including Melissa & Doug, Rubik's Cube, GUND, Cardinal Games, SwimWays, Aerobie, Etch a Sketch, Perplexus, Meccano, Tech Deck, Hexbug and Marbles, have played a significant role in Spin Master’s growth, diversifying brand portfolios while also providing recurring revenue and opportunities for further innovation.

The toy teams at Spin Master have an unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation bringing meticulous detail to each item. As a result, Spin Master’s products have received numerous awards including 140 Toy of The Year (TOTY) nominations with 36 wins across a variety of product categories. These awards, known as the Oscars of the toy industry, demonstrate Spin Master’s commitment pushing the boundaries of creativity and fun.

Entertainment

The launch of Bakugan in 2007, and its accompanying zeitgeist, provided the catalyst for Spin Master to build upon this content development success. With a mandate to develop compelling “toyetic” cross-platform children’s content in tandem with great toys, Spin Master launched its Entertainment  creative centre in 2008.

In 2009, Spin Master entertainment set out to create a preschool series rooted in action and adventure. With the goal being to create relatable, exciting and aspirational characters and stories for young children, the teams approached a short list of renowned creators and best in class studios in the preschool space. Keith Chapman was one of those creators who came back to Spin Master with an idea for Robbie’s Rescue Dogs. The Spin Master team, together with Chapman, workshopped this initial concept eventually creating PAW Patrol which first aired in North America in 2013. Today, PAW Patrol is one the most successful series in kids’ television globally. Airing in over 160 countries and in 30 languages, PAW Patrol's universal messaging resonates with children around the world. 

Marking an exciting new chapter for this ever-growing franchise, Spin Master Entertainment brought PAW Patrol to the big screen in August 2021 with PAW Patrol: The Movie. The success continued with a second feature film, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, released in 2023. Together, the two films have earned over $350 million at the global box office. Building on the franchise’s proven box office success a third feature film, PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, is set to captivate preschoolers and their families when it hits theaters on July 31, 2026.

The foray into the arena of feature film marked a significant strategic expansion for Spin Master Entertainment, demonstrating a commitment to harnessing internal entertainment production teams to develop and deliver intellectual property in a motion picture format. While the PAW Patrol franchise was the first to be developed for audiences on the big screen, in 2025, it was announced that a Bakugan live action movie is in the works for its multigenerational and devoted fanbase.

Already a global powerhouse in animation for kids and families, Spin Master Entertainment's vision is to deliver world class content across genres and generations with captivating storytelling and engaging characters for screens of all sizes. Spin Master Entertainment has created numerous original shows, short-form series and feature films, with various series currently airing on television, streaming and digital platforms, including PAW Patrol, it’s spin-off series Rubble & Crew, Sago Mini Friends, Vida the Vet and Unicorn Academy which launched in 2023. 

Digital Games

Spin Master has closely studied play patterns and the convergence between physical brands, entertainment franchises and mobile digital platforms and has evolved to keep kids entertained and inspired. In 2012, Spin Master’s launched the company’s first digital gaming app for Tech Deck. Other successful apps connected to entertainment and toy intellectual property followed and in 2016, Spin Master further expanded its offering in the digital space with the acquisition of leading global mobile and digital app brands Toca Boca and Sago Mini. 

Toca Boca and Sago Mini studios are leaders in the creation of digital games that inspire and engage children through the power of play, using unique approaches of child-led exploration and play-based learning. Enriching and imaginative, Toca Boca and Sago Mini digital games create curiosity-led play experiences trusted by parents, evident by their combined network of millions of users.

In 2023, the company launched Piknik, an app subscription service that provides unlimited access to a continuously growing bundle of Toca Boca and Sago Mini’s top games. Piknik provides families with a convenient and streamlined approach to digital playtime at a significant savings for access to multiple apps and endless ways to play.

Today, Spin Master's Digital Games creative centre operates the award-winning studios Toca Boca, based in Stockholm, Sweden and Sago Mini, located in Toronto, Canada.

Over the years the founders have shared a vision rooted in innovation, partnership, collaboration and creativity. Spin Master continues to be guided by the inspiration of its founders, who remain actively engaged in the business today.

"When we began our venture together in 1994, we never envisioned that Spin Master would grow to become one of the largest toy companies in the world. At the time, we just knew that we loved working together, that we shared common values and that we wanted to build something magical."