A new set of wheels is headed to the U.S. market. Spinnovation is a Dubai-based company that focuses on bicycles and scooters. First launched in 2009, the company is already a big name in the MENA market, with popular licenses including Marvel, Nickelodeon, and Disney. However, its original products have also been a massive success. Now, the company is looking to expand into the Americas.
“We were extremely successful in creating a moat,” says Rajeev Bhatia, Managing Director at Spinnovation. “If you came to the Middle East, you would not find anybody else’s product. There are established vendors from the West who were here before we were, and eventually, they lost their shelf space because we got really good at what we do.”
Since the company’s pop culture licensing deals don’t extend to the North American market, Spinnovation is focusing on launching its Lit collection as it plans to expand into the U.S. Lit is a lineup of scooters and bicycles that light up, as the name suggests. However, instead of standard LEDs, these rides feature what Spinnovation calls “lava technology,” which features seamlessly flowing light-up colors.
It’s attractive; you can see it from afar. The branding’s very simple ‘Lit,’ means just that — it’s lit. The lingo is very aligned with kids and it’s bold; it’s in your face. There’s not too much clutter on the packaging, and it’s a simple item. It’s just a light-up scooter, but the lights are better, and that’s it.”
Spinnovation first previewed its products in the U.S. at last year’s LA Fall Toy Previews.
“We chose the September fair because Lit had reached a maturity level where the packaging was beautiful; we’d tested it out across the Middle East and Africa,” Bhatia explains. “It’s a number one item at Toys ‘R’ Us in the Middle East, and it’s currently sold out at Makro, Walmart’s partner in South Africa. It’s been tremendously successful, and we are confident that our range of products will do well regardless of the geography.”
There’s inherent risk when jumping into any new market, but Spinnovation was welcomed to the City of Angels with open arms. Now, the company has inked rep agreements for countries in both North and South America.
“We weren’t disappointed,” Bhatia adds. “We had a fantastic turnout. I had the good fortune of having friends who introduced me to at least 50 customers. I had one of the best shows that I could ever imagine because we covered nearly the entire North and South American continents.”
Learn more at spinnovationhub.com.
A version of this feature was originally published in The Toy Book’s 2025 International Innovation Issue. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!
