The latest acquisition for Smart brings brainteaser puzzle company Recent Toys International and its subsidiaries into the group
Smart Toys and Games has acquired Dutch company Recent Toys International and its subsidiaries.
It becomes the most recent addition to the Smart group following the acquisitions of The Happy Puzzle Company (2022), All Jigsaw Puzzles (2023), WOW Toys (2024), Inside3 (2024) and Word United (2024).s
Guido Lap, who founded Recent Toys 25 years ago in 2001, said the deal is a “natural fit”, and that the companies have long shared “common goals and values”.
“I am delighted to announce that we are joining the Smart family,” he said. “With our combined brands, products and most importantly design potential I can only see huge potential for the future.”
Smart’s UK CEO, Peter Rooke, said: “We are looking forward to working with the Recent Toys team and their early input has been amazing. We rely on the experience and expertise of the people within our recent acquisitions to help us build the Smart business even further. The Recent Toys range gives us the opportunity to build business with our existing trade partners and to welcome new relationships for the future.”
Recent Toys is known for brainteaser puzzles for all ages and experience levels, including those by Meffert’s, Constantin, Oskar Van Deventer, Andrea Mainini, Gabriel Songel, Vladamir Krasnoukhov and many more.
Smart’s Global CEO, Rolf Vandoren, added: “For a while, we wanted a branded line of mechanical brainteasers and twisty puzzles next to our successful SmartGames brand. And with Recent Toys, we now have that solid base into this new world. With both our creative teams as well the product development and engineering teams already in place, we feel having a lot of innovation to bring to the market for years to come.
“Supported by Smart’s solid network of Smart subsidiaries in my home-markets as well as international distribution partners in over 50 countries, Recent Toys in Amsterdam can evolve to becoming the specialized brainteaser studio in our group,” he added. “I’m delighted to be working together with Guido, Rogier and their team for the long term.”
