Kattoos, a start-up that works with women from rural areas, is incubated under NSRCEL’s Women Start-up Program (WSP) at IIM Bangalore and offers a range of green DIY hobby resources created for hobbyists of all ages. Made from natural materials like clay, sticks and stones, products from Kattoos seek to redefine the hobby space, by reducing carbon footprint, while enabling everyone to give vent to their creativity.
The first Kattoos product was miniature terracotta bricks, launched in November 2019. The bricks come in five shapes and can be stuck together to build. They are reusable. There are currently 18 variants of this product, which are available on eight platforms, including Amazon. This product can be used to fashion 3D models, in terrariums and for architectural prototypes and wall art.
Tanishka Manoj, Selena George and Dr. Naveen Thomas, the founders of Kattoos, believe WSP 3.0 at NSRCEL has helped them ramp up production. They set up a second production centre in January 2021, and the third, in a village called Doddamalle, is set to begin operations, in September. They have enhanced their product portfolio from 3 to 22. They launched three small fast-moving low-price packs in February 2021, and two new wall-art products as part of the India Series in August 2021, targeting eco-friendly adult craft enthusiasts. They have crossed the 1000-boxes sale milestone in February 2021, automated sales and stock inventories and onboarded five new online vendors.
They say that thanks to WSP funds, they were able to hire a brand expert who has created a new landing page, a brand book and a video for marketing for Kattoos. Mentors at NSRCEL are currently helping them conduct workshops to map customers.
