Jimu Robot is an exceptional STEM-based line that was having a hard time getting traction with retailers. The tech team back in China was creating product priced anywhere from $150 to $400, and releasing it whenever the whim struck them. Meanwhile, retailers like Target wanted price-points <$100 and shown to them according to their buying schedule. So what do you do?

First, we got a gig on Good Morning America to demonstrate 100 dancing robots for the NYC Thanksgiving parade! But wait, where are we going to get all those built robots? Well, we reached out to SoCal & NorCal schools and offered up free robot kits to build a robotics curriculum upon, with the caveat that we needed to ship out the built end-product for the on-air show, to be returned afterward. I got my own girls’ school in on it, created the curriculum, and they still have that robotics program to this day!

As for the product challenge, we took matters into our own hands stateside and created a new product utilizing existing pieces, with a more efficient use of motors and sensors. Price Point: $99.99, and sold-in & sold-through at Target, Toys R Us, Amazon and Apple!