Going for Growth: HoloToyz founder Kate Scott is passionate about nurturing the imaginative spirit of children through fun tech.
Award-winning business development scheme for women entrepreneurs Going for Growth is accepting applications for the 16th year of the programme.
The programme, which is supported by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG, helps ambitious female entrepreneurs to achieve their growth ambitions – helping to build stronger companies, create new jobs and increase revenues.
“The challenges we all face in business are universal, regardless of the industry and having this support network has been invaluable in navigating them”
The 15th cycle of Going for Growth reported significant results for its 69 participants. Combined turnover increased from €80.6m at the start of the cycle to almost €92.3m by the end, almost a 15% increase in just six months.
The deadline for applications for the 16th cycle of Going for Growth is Friday 17 November 2023.
Up to 60 places will be available and applications are sought from female entrepreneurs across all sectors who are strongly focused on growth. There is no charge for those selected and the six-month initiative will begin in January 2024. To learn more, click here
HoloToyz
Kate Scott, CEO and founder of HoloToyz, has always had a deep passion for creativity and technology. She studied Graphic Design and while working at senior level in Advertising and Brand Management firms, bringing digital innovation to campaigns and creating digital marketing strategies, she developed a real interest in Augmented Reality (AR).
This passion and interest in AR became Kate’s own reality when she and her husband, Declan Fahy, started their own toy business, HoloToyz in 2020.
Based in Co Meath, HoloToyz successfully blends AR with traditional toys for children aged between 3 and 10 years. The company offers an interactive line-up of educational books, puzzles, temporary tattoos, stickers and wall decals in a range of themes that all come to life in 3D animation when scanned with the HoloToyz app. The inspiration for the new toy startup was the couple’s belief that “children should be able to experiment, play with and learn through emerging technologies in a Kid-Safe environment away from the open web, whilst not losing touch with the physical world” says Kate.
HoloToyz, described as a ‘fun-tech’ company, has quickly become internationally recognised, and has already achieved a number of key milestones that include the securing of global licenses from Nickelodeon (Paramount) and SEGA, the establishment of distribution partnerships spanning the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, France and Greece and the winning of several prestigious awards.
The company won the Irish Times Innovation Award for Manufacturing and Design in 2022, as well as winning awards at the London Toy Fair in 2022 and The Toy Award at Germany’s Spielwarenmesse in 2023, one of only six awards presented amongst the 2,500+ exhibitors.
Another significant milestone for the company was securing its first round of investment by respected Irish tech investors and it has also secured funding from Enterprise Ireland through its High Potential Start Up programme. This funding will help to further expand into new markets through new licences, distribution partnerships including the US and the hiring of new team members.
Kate participated on the 15th cycle of Going for Growth and describes it as “a transformative and amazing experience. The challenges we all face in business are universal, regardless of the industry and having this support network has been invaluable in navigating them,” says Kate. Dr Anne Cusack was Kate’s Lead Entrepreneur and “was so generous with her personal time, providing amazing mentorship and support to us all.”
HoloToyz has recently been included in the top ‘10 most promising start-ups in Europe with a focus on children’ by EU Start-Ups. With a vision to establish a child-safe AR category that connects physical and digital play and learning in both toy and publishing, this awardwinning company is poised for further growth and success.
Plans include exhibiting at the New York Toy Fair, working with more much-loved licences, and focusing on further innovations in the educational space. “Our story is one of passion, purpose, and a deep-rooted belief in nurturing the imaginative spirit of children while embracing the potential of emerging technologies” says Kate.
The deadline for applications for the 16th cycle of Going for Growth is Friday 17 November 2023. To learn more, click here
