99 Kids Holdings Raises $5M to Relaunch THE 99, a Pioneering Children's Superhero IP for an Age of Intolerance
Global Superhero Franchise Returns with Free Distribution Strategy to Reach 99+ Countries
VANCOUVER, BC and DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 99 Kids Holdings Co., a dual Canada-UAE entertainment company, today announced the close of a $5 million Series A funding round led by Exponential Ventures to reboot THE 99—the groundbreaking comic book and animated series that introduced Islam-inspired superheroes embodying universal values to global audiences starting in 2006.
Launching just ahead of Ramadan, the reboot will introduce THE 99 to a new generation through 52 original episodes remastered in 4K with enhanced audio. The series will debut free on YouTube and select broadcasters in English, Arabic, Indonesian, Urdu, Hindi and other languages. This values-driven franchise—recognized by Forbes, studied at Harvard Business School and partnered with DC Comics in a Justice League crossover—returns amid rising global intolerance, delivering 99 heroes from every corner of the world.
A Mission for Today's World
"The world faces an epidemic of intolerance. THE 99 provides an antidote: stories that teach kids tolerance, empathy, kindness and understanding at critical developmental stages," said James Drage, Partner of Exponential Ventures and Chairman of 99 Kids Holdings. "After years of conversations through YPO, Dr. Naif and I agree: not rebooting THE 99 would let intolerance win."
Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of THE 99, added: "We proved superheroes can transcend faith, culture and geography using universal values. Now we'll reintroduce this message to kids who will build bridges, not walls." Since 2006, THE 99 has reached over 50 million viewers across 60+ countries—making it one of the first Arab-originated children's IPs to achieve global distribution.
Roadmap to Global Scale
99 Kids Holdings will build a global fanbase of 6-12-year-olds via free content:
2026 Launches:
- Remastered 52-episode series (YouTube + broadcast partners)
- Roblox game
- New comics and animated special
2027+ Expansion:
- Original animated series with new global characters
- Graphic novel series
- Gaming experiences and live-action television/film adaptations
The funding accelerates localization, team builds, broadcaster partnerships and AI-powered tools for personalized fan content.
Exponential Ventures: Civilization-Scale Impact
The investment aligns with Exponential Ventures' focus on Massive Transformative Purpose (MTP), seeking portfolio companies that create measurable societal impact alongside financial returns. THE 99 is the fund's first media and entertainment investment.
"THE 99 isn't just entertainment—it's a scalable solution for raising empathetic global citizens," said Salim Ismail, Co-Founder, who will join the advisory board.
99 Kids Holdings is in active discussions with additional strategic investors and partners across North America, Europe, MENA and Southeast Asia.
About THE 99
Launched in 2006, THE 99 featured 47 comics (plus six DC Justice League of America crossovers), 52 animated episodes, a Kuwait theme park and global licensing deals. Operations were suspended in 2014 amid political backlash and extremist threats—ironically proving why its message of tolerance was needed. Recognized by Forbes as a top global trend and with Dr. Al-Mutawa cited as one of the world's most influential designers, the IP embodies universal values such as empathy, justice, wisdom and compassion.
About 99 Kids Holdings Co.
99 Kids Holdings Co. is a dual Canada/UAE company rebooting THE 99 as a top-10 global children's IP, backed by impact investors and kids entertainment/tech advisors.
About Exponential Ventures
Exponential Ventures is a VC fund scaling Exponential Organizations with the Open ExO framework, tackling civilization-scale problems with profit and purpose.
Watch THE 99
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The99Kids
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Past media:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17YeYvQieP4wIOXn58GqzSZyN3DGlet1G/view?usp=drive_link
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