Playmobil manufacturer acquires 25 percent of Kekz

The Horst Brandstätter Group secures a quarter of the Munich-based headphone start-up.

In the toy sector, the Horst Brandstätter Group is one of Germany's leading corporate groups, thanks in part to the successful Playmobil brand. Now it is expanding its portfolio with the Munich-based start-up Kekz, which has been producing headphones for children since 2020.

Founded in 2020 by Carl Taylor and Adin Mumma, the company won the "German Design Award 2021" and the "IF Design Award 2021" for its so-called Kekz earpieces. In addition, Peter Maffay, a prominent investor, is already on board. "The idea of a distraction-free entertainment option that is almost reminiscent of analog times immediately excited us," the rocker is quoted as saying at munich-startup.com quoted. That's because what makes the cookie headphones so special is that children can listen to their audio files without downloads or screens. The headphones work through special magnetic chips that are attached to the outside of the devices. The target group for this is primarily preschool children.

For the Horst Brandstetter Group, it says this investment is part of a new strategy to take entrepreneurial initiative. In particular, new business areas are to be created within the group. At the same time, however, investments will also be made in concrete projects and ideas of partners in the future, as is now the case with Kekz.