Toy Company KiwiCo Sees Children as 'Young Innovators'
*By: Madison Alworth*
Many toy makers may feel imperiled by the closing of Toys 'R' Us, but KiwiCo seems to be doing just fine.
The company, which sells kits that encourage kids to build and create their own toys, says sales have grown at an annual rate of about 60 percent a year since its founding in 2011.
"This year we are approaching $100 million in sales," said Sandra Oh Lin, the company's founder and CEO, in an interview with Cheddar.
KiwiCo took in a round of financing to the tune of $10 million early on. It started producing STEM-based toys, but evolved to sell crates of materials to build toys for everything from engineering to art to more.
"In a few weeks we are actually launching a new line called Atlas Crate, which is all about geography and encouraging kids to see themselves as global citizens," Oh Lin said.
"We are really about encouraging kids to see themselves as young innovators. We want them to embrace the thought that they are makers, that they have innate creativity. What we are trying to do is instill that creative confidence as well as the tools."
The crates are available as stand-alone products and through a subscription service. A [monthly subscription](https://www.kiwico.com/) starts at $19.95 but goes down in price if customers sign on for longer periods.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/kiwico-subscription-services-for-stem-toys)
Matt Hougan from Bitwise Asset Management joins Cheddar to discuss how and why Bitcoin is continuing to rise and what the future holds for the cryptocurrency.
Should real estate agents fear AI? Tushar Garg CEO at Flyhomes says no. He joined Cheddar to discuss the future of AI in the Real Estate business and more.
Christopher Zara, Senior Editor at Fast Company joined Cheddar to discuss the newly formed "DOGE"’s new goal to cut 2-trillion dollars from federal spending.
Sharon Price John CEO and President at Build-A-Bear Workshop discusses leading the brand, new offerings, the status of Brick-and-Mortar experiences and more!
A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims.