„Care Bears“ owner Cloudco sold to Ivest for $100 million dollars

Investment firm Invest Consumer Products has acquired Cloudco - the company that owns brands such as Care Bears, Holly Hobbie, 

as well as newer animated products like Buddy Thunderstruck - in a $100 million deal.

The Canadian buyer is particularly confident in the appeal of Care Bears, especially in light of the new Barbie movie, 

which is taking the box office by storm and giving the Mattel brand a big boost in consumer products.

“For us to be able to buy [Care Bears] is a rare opportunity,” IVEST co-Founder and Managing Partner George Jones told PE Hub. 

“This is one that has been around for 40 years. It’s one of the best-selling properties in retail. Usually what happens with a property like this, 

it goes on the market, and it’s snapped up by entertainment companies or toy companies and they pay a lot for it.”

The Weiss Family, which sold the Care Bears IP to Cloudco in 2018 and spun off the brand from its original company, American Greetings, and Cloudco's management 

did not want to work with one of the larger toy or entertainment companies that would simply integrate the brand into its existing business, Jones said. 

He also stressed that Ivest had relevant experience, having already acquired the collectible Entertainment Earth brand and the Dan Dee stuffed animal company.

IVEST intends to monetize new and existing Cloudco brands, with a focus on Care Bears, as well as develop new content and intellectual property, and make acquisitions and licenses. 

Jones tells PE Hub that Cloudco will be a platform from which IVEST can explore the list of potential properties to acquire.

Source: www.animationmagazine.net