Company Profile
HoloToyz
Adding tech to play
Kid-tech specialist HoloToyz has enjoyed a remarkable first couple of years, largely thanks to the passion and drive of its co-founders, husbandand-wife team Declan Fahy and Kate Scott, and Paul Cosgrave, a longtime business partner. In this exclusive interview, Declan and Kate share why they believe tech has a place in play, what new licensing deals bring to the table, and their plans for the future.
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Positive’ is perhaps not a word everyone would choose to describe the past two years, but for HoloToyz, which was officially founded during the first lockdown in March 2020, it’s a very suitable one. Right before Covid struck in Europe, Kate explains, she and Declan had exhibited the HoloToyz concept – stickers, temporary tattoos, books and wall decals that come to life through the magic of Augmented Reality (AR) - in Nuremberg. It proved so overwhelmingly popular that upon their return from the show, the duo, whose backgrounds are in digital sales and marketing, decided to take the plunge. Just over two years later, HoloToyz has major licensing deals with Paw Patrol and Sonic the Hedgehog under its belt. The company also won Silver in the Editor’s Choice Awards at London Toy Fair 2022, following a snap decision to exhibit following the cancellation of this year’s Spielwarenmesse – not bad considering
the company, up to now, has been run primarily from Kate and Declan’s living room. “In 2021 we took part in Spielwarenmesse digital, and it was at that point licensors started to get in touch with us about working together,” Kate says. “We’re now working with Paramount on launching our Paw Patrol range. In 2021, we were also introduced to the team at Sega, who loved what we were doing and saw a real synergy with Sonic the Hedgehog. The timing of these deals couldn’t be better: the recent Paw Patrol movie was a huge success, and a follow-up has now been greenlit, while Sonic 2 has just landed in cinemas. A third feature length Sonic movie, a new animated series and a game are also in the works; there’s so much going on and things are accelerating all the time.” Declan notes that Covid appears to have either helped or hindered businesses. When viewed through
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the HoloToyz lens, it’s certainly done the former. The pivot to digital meetings and shows has made the world smaller and infinitely better connected, helping the pair get in front of people across the globe without the associated travel costs and ‘dead’ time – time which could be better spent working on things behind the scenes. It also made it easier to secure meetings with big companies that might not have had the time or inclination offer slots at busy trade shows, something many start-ups find challenging. Finally, the shifts in the ways of working brought about by Covid have also allowed Kate and Declan to strike a much happier balance between work-time and family-time, something they both feel is exceptionally important. The couple have two children, a five- and an eight-year-old, and their experiences as parents have helped shape their view of the toy sector. Kids these
