The company closure will see the loss of nearly 200 jobs.

Anki has announced its closure and is set to terminate the contracts of nearly 200 employees this week. In a statement, the company said, “A significant financial deal at a late stage fell through with a strategic investor, and we were not able to reach an agreement.”

Since its launch in 2010, the company has raised more than $200m in venture capital, enjoying successful sales of key products Cozmo and Vector. Vector launched last year after a Kickstarter campaign, and recently received Alexa integration.

The company has explored many options to fund future product development, and it is reported that Microsoft, Amazon and Comcast had expressed interest in acquiring the business.

A representative for the company said: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Anki will be letting go of our employees, effective Wednesday. We’ve shipped millions of units of product and left customers happy all over the world, while building some of the most incredible technologies pointed toward a future with diverse AI and robotics driven applications. But without significant funding to support a hardware and software business and bridge to our long-term product roadmap, it is simply not feasible at this time. Despite our past successes, we pursued every financial avenue to fund our future product development and expand on our platforms. A significant financial deal at a late stage fell through with a strategic investor and we were not able to reach an agreement. We’re doing our best to take care of every single employee and their families, and our management team continues to explore all options available.”

Tony will take up his role as chief executive officer on 1st May, based at Sambro’s UK headquarters in Bury.

Tony has 25 years of experience delivering growth strategies for major business units across Europe, Asia and North America for market leading international consumer brands including Carlsberg, Molson Coors and Mars.

Additionally, Tony brings significant toy industry experience from his time with Vivid Toy Group, where he led the business turnaround and subsequent sale to Goliath. At leading US toy company LeapFrog he successfully developed the group’s international business in existing core markets, whilst also developing opportunities in a number of new markets.

Tom Falcon, chairman of Sambro and operating partner at Elysian Capital, commented: “We are delighted to have Tony on board, who shares our ambitious growth plans for Sambro. Tony’s strategic background and experience in leading international FMCG and toy businesses, coupled with his strong relationships across the toy industry and licensing community, will be critical to delivering further growth for our business and driving our international expansion.”

Tony said: “It is a real privilege to be joining Sambro at this exciting stage in its development. Sambro is a strong business with a fantastic track record developing licensed products and has been expanding further into other categories and segments. The team has built a strong distribution network and retail relationships worldwide that are primed for the next level of growth. I look forward to expanding on the great business that has been developed by the team since the business started in 1996, as well as exploring the many new growth opportunities for the company. I also want to say how excited I am to be back in the toy business again so soon – it is a wonderful business that I really enjoy working in.”

The campaign celebrates Transformers’ 35th anniversary.

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Transformers franchise, Hasbro has revealed a new marketing brand campaign, More Than Meets The Eye. The campaign will unite fans, celebrities and the creative minds behind the franchise to showcase how they are More Than Meets The Eye, a phrase which has been associated with the Transformers brand throughout its history.

A video featuring Angela Bassett , who starred in 2018’s Bumblebee film as the voice of Decepticon character Shatter, kicks off the campaign. In the video, Angela mentions that besides being a Golden Globe Award recipient, she is also a graduate of Yale College and Yale University.

The campaign will be promoted throughout 2019, with new videos to be unveiled every month. Fans can expect to see familiar faces who have been associated with the franchise over the last 35 years. From individuals involved in the creation of the 1986 Transformers animated movie, to Transformers game designers and comic book creators, a wide variety of people have been approached to contribute to this campaign.

Each video will feature the same call to action: “How are you More Than Meets The Eye?” Using hashtag #MorethanMeetstheEye, Hasbro is asking fans to post videos to social networks which showcase how they are ‘more’, whether it’s a hidden talent, a charitable passion, or a hobby.

Clive and his team of charity walkers are raising money for the charity Brainstrust. 

The 2019 Follow the Seagulls Charity walk was successfully completed at the weekend. The 52 mile endeavour saw fundraisers cover over 117,000 steps across the two days, according to the team’s various Fitbits/Garmins/Apple devices.

In excess of £60,000 was raised from this walk and the accompanying walks in Dartmouth, Whitby and Fife. All fund will go to the brain tumour charity Brainstrust.

Clive, country manager at Geomag, said: “We’d like to thank our toy trade friends who generously sponsored my walk – it makes all the difference. I’m now going to lie down in a dark room for some considerable time!”

It’s not too late to sponsor Clive; to donate, click here.

Paw Patrol is championing little heroes across the country for the second year with the Paw Patrol Little Heroes Paw Awards 2019.

The Awards programme is set to be bigger and better than before with individual sponsors for the Awards from high profile organisations that support the pups’ values and characteristics, as well as further support through popular Nick Jr channels.

Launched at Kidtropolis over the Easter holidays, the eight Awards champion kids who deserve to be recognised for the challenges they have faced in their lives and how they have touched the lives of others. Whether they have shown strength or courage, kindness or loyalty, have made a difference or shown leadership skills, the Awards celebrate children’s real-life stories.

The winners of the eight awards will be chosen by a panel of judges and can look forward to some exciting prizes. The eight lucky finalists will spend the weekend in the UK’s capital with the ultimate VIP experience and attend an exclusive Awards ceremony. The lucky runners up will receive a fantastic bundle of Paw Patrol toys.

If you know or have a little hero in your life who is between the ages of 3-10 years, and you would like to nominate them, you can enter the Awards by visiting www.PAWAwards.co.uk and sharing why they deserve to be one of the Paw Patrol Little Heroes of 2019. If you are nominating someone else’s child, you should seek permission of the child’s parent first.

The Awards include: the Rubble Award for Strength, the Skye Award for Courage, the Marshall Award for Loyalty, the Rocky Award for Making a Difference, the Chase Award for Leadership, the Everest Award for Kindness and Friendship, the Zuma Award for Being Helpful, and the Ryder Award for Kindness to Animals.

The theme of this year’s show, which runs today and tomorrow, is Puzzles & Jigsaws. 

Ravensburger is set to showcase its extensive range of British puzzle images sourced from British artists and agencies, featuring a heady mix of iconic British landmarks, buildings, eccentricities and uniquely British lifestyles.

More than 80% of the Ravensburger Adult Puzzle range is developed in the UK, in its Oxfordshire-based offices. Heading up the development of Ravensburger’s Adult Puzzle range is Sarah Stevens, who boasts more than 35 years’ experience in the toy industry.

With more than 250 puzzles in the range to choose from, and over 100 new developments added to the range each year, Ravensburger’s selection of adult puzzles offers a comprehensive choice of puzzle images and piece counts. Ranging from 100-piece puzzles specifically developed for adults with limited dexterity, to the world’s biggest jigsaw puzzle measuring 680 x 192cm and cut into 40,320 pieces, there’s something for every age and taste.

Celebrating Ravensburger’s deep-rooted British heritage at this year’s show, the company will demonstrate how puzzles can be injected into any lifestyle and home setting. Visitors can get up close and personal with 20 British artists, find out their backgrounds and specialities, and discover the ranges they are responsible for bringing to life each season. From highly-detailed illustrated artwork to computer generated compositions and uniquely styled photographs, the value lays in the diversity and collectability of Ravensburger’s jigsaw puzzle ranges.

Attendees can also vote for their favourite Ravensburger artist to be in with a chance of winning an afternoon tea for two on the B-Bakery Sightseeing Tour around London.

Data shows an average spend of £159 on newborn toys, and a further £208 in a baby’s second year.

With the imminent arrival of another royal baby, The NPD Group has offered some insights into the market for toys for newborns. The United Kingdom is the fourth largest toy market in the world and has the highest per capita spend in Europe. British consumers spent £3.3b on toys in 2018, buying 371m items.

In the UK, an average of £159 is spent on a newborn’s toys such as play mats, gyms, infant plush, rattles, teethers and soft toys in their first year. As babies grow, toys and play become a crucial part of discovery and learning. Therefore, in a baby’s second year, the average toy spend rises to £208; by a baby’s second birthday, the total average amount spent on toys is £367.

For more than half of toys bought for a newborn, parents and gift givers were primarily influenced by a promotion or discount, and this factor was a secondary influence for 29%, even though the average price spent on those toys is only £11.15. VTech’s First Steps Baby Walker, the best-selling Infant/Toddler toy, retails for approximately £24, and Fisher-Price’s Laugh & Learn Smart Stages First Words Puppy, the best new toy in the category, is selling at approximately £15.

In the first year, parents account for 39% of the overall spend on toys for baby, and grandparents for 30%. Parents buy more than one-third (36%) of their baby toys online, while grandparents prefer to shop in-store.

Frederique Tutt, global industry analyst, Toys, NPD says: “Toys and play are synonymous with key milestones in early learning, from lying down and discovering the world to sitting stages, crawling, walking and talking so there’s a significant focus on development and learning in the top 10 best-selling baby and toddler toys.”