Award-winning weighted plush brand Hugimals World joins Relatable's expanding line of products centered on comfort, connection and play, strengthening its presence in the wellness and plush category

NEW YORK, June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Relatable, a modern entertainment company transforming social trends into games, plush and licensed products for Gen Z, millennials and families, today announced its acquisition of Hugimals World, the viral weighted plush brand known for its design-forward, sensory-friendly companions that helped popularize weighted plush with adults as well as kids.

The acquisition comes amid a broader cultural shift toward comfort, nostalgia and play, with adults now the fastest-growing toy-buying demographic in the U.S. According to Circana, adults surpassed preschoolers as the toy industry's largest spending group for the first time in 2024.

Relatable has built a leading portfolio in the plush and comfort space, with Emotional Support Pals®, Happy Helpers® and Cozy Concepts Co.® emerging as standout brands that blend emotional connection and trend-forward design. Together, the brands have helped establish a strong position in a category shaped by growing consumer demand for comfort-focused products.

"Relatable has built a strong position in plush and comfort-focused consumer products, and Hugimals represents an opportunity to expand into an identified white space at the intersection of emotional wellness, comfort and everyday play," said Karen Branson, Chief Commercial Officer at Relatable. "From our earliest conversations with the Hugimals team, there was clear alignment in how our brands approach emotional connection and thoughtful product design. We see significant potential for Hugimals to drive incremental growth by reaching consumers seeking products that deliver both comfort and calm on demand, while expanding the category in a meaningful way. We look forward to accelerating the brand's growth while preserving the product experience, quality and community consumers already love."

Hugimals World was founded in 2022 by health and wellness journalist Marina Khidekel, a former deputy editor at Women's Health and Cosmopolitan and former chief content officer at Thrive Global. The products were created in collaboration with therapists and designed to recreate the feeling of a real hug, helping consumers of all ages ease stress and anxiety through strategically distributed weight, sensory comfort and emotional support.

Since launch, Hugimals World has earned recognition including TIME's Best Inventions and Parents Best Toys and has been featured by TODAY, The New York Times, Good Morning America, The Strategist and Oprah Daily. The brand is also a two-time Toy of the Year Awards (TOTY) finalist for Plush Toy of the Year, for their Hugimals® and Hugarounds® lines.

Khidekel will join Relatable as Head of Innovation, Hugimals Brands, where she will lead innovation, franchise expansion, and long-term brand growth across the Hugimals universe and beyond.

"Relatable understands something central to Hugimals World's mission and to why the brand has resonated so strongly: we don't grow out of needing comfort, softness, and play, regardless of our age," said Khidekel. "Relatable has the scale, expertise, and brand-building capabilities to help Hugimals reach its next stage of growth, and I'm excited to join forces with this talented team to expand our reach and impact. At a time when so many people are feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, and stressed, this opportunity to bring more comfort, emotional support, connection and joy to people of all ages feels especially meaningful."

For more information on Relatable's full product lineup, visit www.relatable.com.

About Relatable

Relatable is a creatively driven entertainment company on a mission to bring more laughs, connection, comfort, and care into everyday life, always with a sense of humor. Founded in 2016 by Elie Ballas, Ben Kaplan, and Elliot Tebele, the brand started with its breakout game What Do You Meme? and rebranded as Relatable in 2023 to reflect a growing universe of games, toys, plush, and feel-good wellness products. Our lineup includes fan favorites like What Do You Meme?, Emotional Support Pals, Buzzed, Let's Get Deep, Kollide, Incohearent, Hunt A Killer, Happy Helpers, and more, plus our newest family hit, Cows in Space, a 2025 Toy of the Year (TOTY) finalist for Game of the Year. From game night to gift-giving, our products are designed to spark laughs, start conversations, and go a little viral along the way. You can find Relatable products at major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for the latest drops, laughs, and behind-the-scenes fun.

About Hugimals World

Hugimals World makes award-winning, stylish weighted comfort items for people of all ages, with the mission of healing the world's stress with the research-backed calming benefits of Deep Touch Pressure. The company was founded by health & wellness journalist and editor Marina Khidekel (previously chief content officer at Thrive Global and editor at Women's Health and Cosmopolitan) on a journey to relieve her nighttime anxiety, and has pioneered a viral category of elevated weighted plush for all ages. To learn more about Hugimals and its growing line of weighted comfort products, visit hugimalsworld.com and follow @hugimalsworld on Instagram and TikTok.

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SOURCE Relatable