Munich Startup: Who are you and what does Kekz do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
Cookie: With its wireless children's headphone system, the Munich-based startup Kekz is revolutionizing the way children consume their favorite audio content on the go. Kekz relies on intuitive operation to give preschoolers self-determined control of music and audiobooks – without distractions, without screens, and without an external audio source. With the simple plug-and-play mechanism, the Kekz chips are attached to the outside of the ear via magnets to start playback of the audio content. Kekz was developed by us, Carl Taylor and Adin Mumma. Founded in Munich in 2020 and has already been awarded the German Design Award 2021.
Carl Taylor has been responsible for brand and media cooperation at Sony Music Entertainment for the past few years. As a product manager, he has previously supported bands such as Die Fantastischen Vier, Silbermond, Clueso, and Joe Cocker. A business graduate and passionate marathon runner, he lives with his family near Munich.
Adin Mumma is an American industrial designer and entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in production for international brands and retailers. Many of his award-winning designs can be seen at major retailers and in museums. Adin's work is both whimsical and minimalist, creatively challenging the status quo. He has now settled in Munich with his family, where he founded his design firm, Muemma GmbH, in 2014.
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Cookie: Kekz solves a problem for both children and their parents. With our headphone system, we want to enable children to control and enjoy their favorite audiobooks and music without compromise – without being dependent on their parents' phone or tablet and without the distractions of touchscreens or unnecessary controls.
No registration, data connection or download required
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Cookie: With the simple plug-and-play mechanism, the Kekze chips are attached to the outside of the ear cup using magnets to start playing the audio content. At first glance, the connect-and-play mechanism seems familiar, but there are significant differences compared to similar systems. For example, the content is not stored on the Kekze chip. The entire available audio catalog is already pre-installed on the headphones. When connected to the headphones, the chip then decrypts the corresponding audio content on the headphones. This means that on the way to vacation, parents can simply buy a new chip at the next rest stop, click it, and off they go. Activating a Kekze chip requires neither registration nor a data connection, nor an initial download.
Munich Startup: What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Cookie: The biggest challenge at the beginning was moving out of our comfort zone of permanent employment. We are also very grateful to have a great team around us that supports us optimally with all the challenges that come with founding a company, developing a new product, patent applications, finances, communications, etc.
Christmas 2021 no one should be able to ignore Kekz
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Cookie: By Christmas 2021, no one looking for Christmas gifts for children will be able to ignore Kekz. We are working tirelessly to ensure that we can fully meet the demand we are already experiencing from the mid-year launch. Over the next five years, Kekz aims to become a household name in German-speaking countries when it comes to children's entertainment for on the go and at home. We are already working on strong strategic partnerships, and we also want to have achieved initial success internationally.
Munich Startup: How do you rate Munich as a startup location?
Cookie: This isn't really a matter of subjective assessment. According to the latest EY Startup Barometer, Bavaria as a startup location gained significant momentum in the first half of 2020 alone, quadrupling its investment volume. In this respect, we feel very much at home in the Bavarian startup landscape.
Munich Startup: Beach or mountains?
Cookie: In front of us the sea, behind us the mountains.
