Smol Block[how this New startup is nurturing kids in 2023]

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B2B, B2C, indian startups, Internet, kids, startups in india, sustainable energy, toys Aug 17, 2023 0

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Smol Block is a Toy-Making Startup 

What is Smol Block?

Founded in 2022, Smol Block is a Goa-based startup, a niche toy company that manufactures eco-friendly, sustainable, durable wooden toys.

The designs are built based on Scandinavian aesthetics and what sets this toy-making startup apart is that it not only focuses on your child’s safety but also the environment’s safety as well.

The toys help kids in developing skills like focus, creativity, hand-eye coordination, and patience and help to enhance their problem-solving capacity. The minimalist design of Smol Block’s toys promotes exploration and imagination, allowing children to create their own narratives and develop their own play styles.

“Toys can be tools for little minds”, Founder, Aaron D’Costa said.

The vision of the startup is “the wooden toys should reach a large number of kids.”

The mission of the startup is “to offer products that not only entertain but also promote the development of early learning skills in children”

Startup Smol Block
Website smolblock.com
Founded 2022
Headquarters Goa, India
Products Wooden Toy
Revenue Model b2b,b2c One Time Payment

How did Smol Block Start?

The founders, Aaron D’Costa, Caleb Fernandez, Adam Fernandez, and Juda Fernandez were struck with the idea of making sustainable and safe wooden toys about a year back.

Three of the founders were already parents and were in touch with the toy industry so they started playing around with this idea as all of the founders had a passion for this field.

The talks eventually turned into a business idea, continuous testing of some of the ideas was done, and surveys were conducted within their network which was mainly from India, US, and Europe.

This business idea eventually turned into a company namely Smol Block and they started marketing the products in the US, Europe, and India.

Quick overview of Smol Block

 

smolblock overview

Area  of operations

Smol Block is a Goa-based startup but one can find its products through social media, Amazon, and Flipkart as well.

Team

It started off with a small number of people other than the founder Aaron D’Costa, the co-founder believes that finding people with the right aptitude, right skills, and similar mindset was a challenge then and continues to be a challenge now as well. The startup still comprises of a small team only.

Targeted Market

The main target market of the startup comprises of children Design inputs are mainly taken from parents, teachers, and educators from Europe, the US, and these designs are mainly made on the basis of the tastes and preferences of these people.

In India, the startup is mainly focused on finding a niche segment in the market that is looking for such products.

Growth Rate

The startup is continuously making and testing out new products and has seen an increase in this. The founder believes that the startup has undergone a gradual growth movement upwards and aims to make the growth exponential in the future.

SWOT Analysis

The strength of the startup is the ability to take quick actions and decisions due to a small team, constantly taking feedback and listening to the customers and also the idea of sustainability of its products.

“I don’t really see weaknesses, I see challenges”, Aaron D’Costa said when asked about the weaknesses. He also mentioned Smol Block’s challenges as competing with bigger players in the market and having a small team with less experience.

India is a growing market for wooden toys and the customers are getting aware and conscious of the impact on the environment, so producing sustainable toys gives the startup a great opportunity to tap.

The founder believes that unforeseen circumstances can be a threat to the startup.

smolblock screenshot

Expansion Plans

This Goa-based startup aims to set up larger production units and expand into a similar line of products that revolve around early education and awareness.

Competition

There are many wooden toys manufacturing companies in India like Shumee Toys, Bombay Toy Company, and many companies abroad as well. But very few of these companies focus on sustainability, high quality, and minimalistic designs and Smol Block is one of them.

Smol Block Funding

The startup is not so heavy on the capital side, initially, Smol Block was bootstrapped and still continues to do so. Partners bring in whatever they can and eventually, the revenue that’s generated goes back into the business.

Founders

Aaron D’Costa, who is a mechanical design engineer along with three brothers of Aaron, Judah, and Caleb Fernandez who has successfully run a few companies and specializes in building tech products, providing services, and marketing.

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