Sleep Country Canada closed its books on a four-year acquisition saga in May 2024, buying the remaining shares of Hush to hold 100% ownership of the Toronto-based sleep brand. The final transaction followed a 16% stake purchase in 2023, capping a deal that originally valued the startup at C$48 million. This move secures Sleep Country’s control over a direct-to-consumer competitor that has become a staple in its own retail ecosystem.
The story began in 2017 when founders Aaron Spivak and Lior Ohayon, working nights after their full-time jobs, launched a weighted blanket inspired by sensory therapy. Spivak told Forbes in December 2025 that early sales jumped from C$30,000 in month one to C$300,000 by month four. But summer heat killed the momentum. Customers complained the blankets were too hot, a problem that nearly stalled the business.
Spivak and Ohayon solved the heat issue with Hush Iced, a cooling weighted blanket they launched on Kickstarter in March 2019. The campaign raised C$1,116,334 from 5,394 backers—44 times their C$25,000 target. This viral success allowed Hush to pivot from a single-product niche to a broader sleep ecosystem, adding pillows, sheets, and mattresses. In October 2021, Sleep Country bought a 52% stake for C$25 million, betting on Hush’s rapid growth from C$700,000 in revenue to C$10 million.
Under Sleep Country’s ownership, Hush continued to expand, introducing the Hush Little Baby line in April 2025 for infants and toddlers. Hush president Phil Besner told Retail Insider that the brand now focuses on cooling accessories and premium bedding. The full acquisition signals Sleep Country’s intent to dominate the Canadian sleep market by merging its retail footprint with Hush’s digital reach.
Analysts watch how Sleep Country integrates Hush’s manufacturing and marketing into its own supply chain. The next milestone is Hush’s expansion into the US market, where Sleep Country operates extensive retail networks. Investors expect the combined entity to leverage Hush’s direct-to-consumer data to optimize Sleep Country’s inventory and pricing strategies.