Hot Properties

The Science MuseumThe Science Museum Group licensing@sciencemuseum.ac.uk

The Science Museum Group is the world’s leading alliance of science museums and is a pioneer in helping children learn about science through play, welcoming over five million visitors to its museums each year. In its mission to inspire the scientists of tomorrow, the Group launched its first ever licensed stage production last year, Science Museum: The Live Stage Show, which played to enthusiastic audiences across the UK.

The Science Museum has a long history of engaging children with science through play, from the first Children’s Gallery in 1931 to today’s popular, interactive Wonderlab galleries at the Science Museum in London, the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford and at the National Railway Museum in York. Extending that experience beyond the walls of the museums, Science Museum: The Live Stage Show is based around the hands-on experiments and spectacular demos that are the hallmarks of the Wonderlab galleries. Bringing all the thrill from the museums to theatres around the country, the high-octane live show, presented in partnership with Mark Thompson Productions, is currently on the road again until October this year.

Having unveiled its official STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) badge last summer, the Science Museum Group is co ntinuing to seek out partners to roll out the badge across more interactive science products. As a STEM ambassador, the Group’s STEM badge offers a mark of quality assurance for sciencebased products, highlighting toys and games that encourage learning through play. The licensing team is keen to establish mutually beneficial partnerships with licensees to create STEM badge-approved products which communicate the science learning in an engaging way.

The first lighting product bearing the STEM badge is the 3” Mini Plasma Ball from licensee partner Funtime Gifts, which is available in WHSmith and Waterstone’s and was launched in October. The full range of products launched early this year and includes other lighting products and new materials science toys, such as slime and putty. The Science Museum Group’s licensing team has worked closely with Funtime Gifts to tease out the scientific principles of each product in the STEM badge packaging. The new lighting range includes eight new products: the Plasma Ball in five different sizes, up to a 14” design, the Fibre Optic Lamp, the Tornado Lamp, the Energy Stick, the Infinity Mirror, the Volcano Lamp, the Night Sky Projector and the Sunlight Jar. The Science Museum Group is keen to collaborate with toys and games creators on licensing agreements that benefit both parties, helping the Group inspire and educate new audiences, while licensees can work with one of the UK’s most-loved and trusted educational institutions. Potential licensees who are interested in working with the Science Museum Group are encouraged to contact the team.

Softlings Universe PMS Internationalsales@pmsplc.comjcostimouyia@pmsplc.com

Softlings Universe is a captivating new soft toy character IP that invites both children and kidults into a world where everyday objects transform into playful plush companions, designed to deliver an enchanting experience for all. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for creativity, Softlings Universe brings everyday items to life in the most charming and huggable way. Taking inspiration from the tremendous ongoing success of Softlings Foodies, which made its debut in 2024, Softlings Universe is swiftly gaining momentum, captivating consumers with its vibrant appeal. Softlings Universe offers a diverse range of characters, each with its own unique personality, bringing playful and innovative designs to life through school items, home products, musical instruments, building products, sport gear, gadgets and more. The core target audience is as diverse as the brand itself. Appealing to both children and adults, this range transcends age boundaries, creating a unique and engaging experience for everyone.

With over 50 Kawaii-inspired styles to choose from, Softlings Universe's range has been created to captivate anyone seeking a fun addition to their plush toy collection, looking for a unique gift, or a quirky twist to their home decor. Each meticulously crafted plush toy boasts intricate designs and utilises sumptuously soft, premium fabrics, rendering them not only durable but also exuding enduring charm. Available in various sizes and pack quantities, including 16cm for on-the-go fun, 27cm snuggle buddies and 12cm clip-on options for stylish accessorising, Softlings Universe offers an option for every preference and occasion.

Future plans for the brand include the introduction of new ranges, category extensions, engaging marketing activities and collaborations that will elevate the brand's visibility and engagement with consumers.

With a commitment to delivering trendsetting toys of the highest quality, diversity and affordability, PMS International aims to establish Softlings Universe as a leading brand in the industry.

Vegesaurs Studio 100 www.studio100media.com

Vegesaurs is a fresh and funny animated series for pre-schoolers, serving up laughter, learning and action in every five-minute episode. Set in a vibrant, prehistoric world, the series features food-based dinosaur characters led by Ginger, a cute Tricarrotops, and her Pea-Rex friends. Together, they embark on playful adventures that encourage positive social behaviour, curiosity and healthy eating habits in a comedy-action format perfectly tailored to young audiences.

Developed by Cheeky Little Media in association with ABC Australia, France TV and Studio 100 International, Vegesaurs has become a global success story. With three seasons already launched and two more in production for 2026 (each with 20 episodes), the brand has gained strong traction worldwide. The series is currently sold to more than 70 territories with recent airings in France, the UK, Australia, Canada, China and Hong Kong - and more to come across Europe and Asia.

Vegesaurs is the No. 2 commissioned animation show on ABC (Australia) and has racked up over 48m views on BBC iPlayer, where it regularly ranks in the Top 10 of kids’ shows, and continues to see strong performance on CBeebies, France TV and YLE in Finland. This success is matched by its expansive digital presence, with millions of views across YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms and robust support from broadcasters such as the BBC and ABC via apps, games and interactive web content.

On the licensing side, Vegesaurs is powered by a dynamic portfolio of international partners: Epic Story Toys (master toy partner), Macmillan (publishing), Globetrade (toys & plush), Immediate Media (magazines), L-Founders (retail loyalty) and iLove Snacks (healthy snacks). The brand’s standout retail campaigns include a major Lidl loyalty activation across Austria, Spain and Denmark—winner of the Bologna Licensing Award 2024 for Best Promotion/Loyalty Campaign.

This year promises even more excitement for the brand. The US launch via PBS member stations and streaming on PBS Passport will introduce Vegesaurs to families in key markets in North America. Meanwhile, fans can look forward to continuously released seasonal YouTube specials and a brand-new immersive experience, which made its debut in Australia in January. This interactive experience is also set to expand into other international territories, bringing the world of Vegesaurs to fans around the globe in a whole new way.

Kawaii Kuties Posh Paws01268 567 317Lshipman@poshpawsinternational.co.ukwww.poshpawsinternational.co.uk

Posh Paws launched its trend-led Kawaii Kuties plush brand in the spring of 2024 to unprecedented demand from both retailers and consumers in the UK, and this has quickly spread across the globe with strong international listings, establishing the brand as one of the hottest new plush ranges at retail.

Inspired by the growth of Japanese products and designs, Posh Paws has invested significant resources in designing and developing a fantastic product range of collectible plush, bag clips, blind bags, keychains, pocket money gifts and many more new products coming through for 2025 and beyond, to meet global demand for this trending brand and to continue bringing newness to the market.

The Kawaii Kuties characters that Posh Paws has brought to life with its adorable artwork and play patterns focus on the hottest trending animals, like Axolotls and Capybaras, as well as animals that are famous within kawaii and Japanese culture like Lucky Cats, Shibu Inu Dogs, Japanese Tanuki Dogs, Pandas, Penguins, Turtles and many more. These characters, the new ones being released and the kawaii-inspired style guide that Posh Paws has created, allow the brand to be applied to new product categories across apparel & accessories, stationery, arts & crafts, homeware, beauty and many more.

The first licensed Kawaii Kuties that Posh Paws has developed are its Kawaii Kuties Swizzels Squash’alotls which come in a variety of eye-catching colours to match the flavoured Swizzels Squashies sweets that they are holding. This new licensed collaboration highlights how Posh Paws has combined its trending brand and character with one of the UK’s most popular sweet brands and how different product categories can be successfully brought together for the Kawaii Kuties brand.

Posh Paws invested heavily in the launch of Kawaii Kuties with a digital marketing campaign targeting TikTok and META platforms and collaborating with leading teen and family TikTok influencers to create fun and engaging content that reached over 12.5m consumers, generating a buzz for the brand. Posh Paws will be investing in more digital advertising and influencer campaigns to maintain the brand's position among fans and reach new audiences, as well as invest in in-store point of sale to create stand-out Kawaii product displays.

Mojo Swoptops Blue Zoo karen.mcnally@blue-zoo.co.uk

Blue Zoo Licensing is introducing its new pre-school show, Mojo Swoptops, to international markets at Licensing Expo 2025. A coproduction between Tararaboom and Blue Zoo Productions, this action-adventure buddy show (52x11) combines the thrill of vehicles with magical transformations. It follows Mojo and best friend Bo as they solve problems in the vibrant town of Swoppiton using limitless Swoptops.

Based on the original Ladybird book series by Cindy Black and Rich Ward, publishing and toy discussions are underway with further categories being explored to launch from 2025.

The show launched in the UK on CBeebies in early October 2024 and has gone on to be a weekly top 10-rated show as well as a firm fan favourite. Confirmed international broadcasters include ABC, RTE, HOP, TVO, SVT, NRK, DR, YLE, TV3, Knowledge, Ketnet and S4C. Roll out on international platforms begins Q2 2025. Blue Zoo, working in partnership with Aardman Distribution, will be announcing more broadcast platforms in the near future.

Blue Zoo Digital, the team which has built the internationally renowned Blocks Universe IP from zero to 15.2b YouTube views, 872m watch hours and an impressive 30m subscribers across all Blocks channels in the space of three short years, will be responsible for the digital offering for Mojo Swoptops. The series launched simultaneously across YouTube and I iPlayer with ancillary content in development. Exclusive content, paid apps, music and digital first exclusives as well as a rigorous social media presence will ensure optimum reach amongst fans worldwide, building a solid foundation to sustain the planned consumer products programme. Discussions are ongoing for toys, remote control, publishing, apparel, arts and crafts and a host of other categories.

Blue Zoo believes in the potential of Mojo Swoptops and is confident that the international launches will match the success of the UK broadcast and capture the hearts and minds of children and parents alike.

For more information and global licensing enquiries, please contact Karen McNally via the details above.