Subscription box service Surprise Ride acquired by Fat Brain Toys

Surprise Ride, a subscription box service for kids, was acquired by independent toy company Fat Brain Toys. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. D.C.–based Surprise Ride creates products to get kids to put down the electronic devices and was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, Technical.ly DC previously reported.

Did you hear the big news today? We've joined the @FatBrainToys family! Read more here: https://t.co/FlIY08kh0C

— Surprise Ride (@SurpriseRide) November 14, 2018

Founded in 2013 by sisters Donna and Rosy Khalife, Surprise Ride has developed more than 50 kits in an array of categories like crafts, STEM projects, books and games to keep kids away from the screen, a press release states. Surprise Ride subscriptions are already available under Fat Brain Toys’ brand on its website. The Khalife sisters will continue to develop products following the acquisition with Fat Brain Toys.

“We’ve been evaluating the subscription space for a number of years knowing families today want more convenient ways to get quality products for their kids,” Fat Brain Toys CEO and cofounder Mark Carson commented in a statement. “Surprise Ride’s mission to get kids off their devices and help them engage in the real world with hands-on activities is just what the market needs.”

This is a big move in the toy industry, given Toys R US’ bankruptcy and the closing of all its U.S. stores in June, the as the Washington Post reported. Omaha, Nebraska–based Fat Brain Toys was founded in 2002 by Adam Carson and his father. The company started as an online toy store and has grown into a manufacturer of educational toys and games for kids. Fat Brain Toys employs more than 300 people to meet the holiday rush needs, the company stated in the press release.

“This acquisition means big things for the toy industry,” Surprise Ride COO and co-founder Rosy Khalife said in a statement. “Every subscription category from food to beauty has a clear leader, except toys. With our products, Fat Brain has the infrastructure to build a global billion-dollar toy subscription.”