Pit stop at the Spielwarenmesse StartupArea

By Sibylle Dorndorf

Since its inception in 1950, Spielwarenmesse has been the central meeting place for the international toy industry. It is not uncommon for real success stories to have started and continue to start in its halls.

Everyone starts small

While large companies and corporations are often weighed down by their own size, start-ups are agile and innovative. Even today's largest technology companies often began as garage projects. The saying "everyone starts small" is at the heart of start-up culture. Start-ups are what the economy needs to gain new momentum. 

The StartupArea – Welcome to the Toy Think Tank

Since 2021, the national and international start-up scene in the toy industry has been meeting in the Start-up Area of Spielwarenmesse in Hall 3A. Young entrepreneurs have 726 square metres of space at their disposal. It is divided into manageable-sized stand modules. At the last Spielwarenmesse, it was the StartupArea that emphatically demonstrated that not everything that is fun for children of all ages has already been invented. 

“You can do it”

Jeff Lawber, industrial designer and father of the Marmals, is taking a coffee break and has time for a chat. The modular vinyl figures, conceived as a tactile springboard for creative play and storytelling, are his “babies”. His goal: to establish distribution for Marmals in Europe. “I exhibited at Spielwarenmesse for the first time and was extremely nervous. It was my first international fair and I didn’t know what to expect. The best tip came from a neighbouring exhibitor at a fair in Atlanta. He had already participated at Spielwarenmesse and said: ‘You’ll manage it.’ At the time, I didn’t realise how much that offhand piece of advice downplayed the importance of the fair.”

The stand concept corresponds to the minimalist design of the Marmals. For Jeff this is ideal: “The aesthetic of my brand is clear and uncluttered; the simplicity of the stand modules suits that.” His expectations were far exceeded: “When entering a new market I set myself realistic goals. That keeps the pressure manageable and allows me to concentrate better.” He was also impressed by the high level of service and the professionalism of the Spielwarenmesse team: “From staff who watched my stand while I was in meetings, to the StartupLounge and the overall organisation, the support was perfect—better than at many national fairs I have taken part in.”

Like many other founders, he was overwhelmed by the RedNight and the sense of community that developed there. His enthusiasm for the toy industry is palpable. The spark caught.

A whole bag of play fun

Among the first-time exhibitors at the StartupArea, Dutch entrepreneur Evelien Stobbe also confesses to being a big fan of the RedNight: “That party with many exhibitors was incredibly fun and brought people together. I won’t forget a South Korean karaoke performance anytime soon…”

Evelien’s startup Pit and Play specialises in handcrafted sensory toys. The core product is colourful little sacks filled with cherry pits that promote open-ended play and motor development in children. 

The founder not only had a great after-work time in Nuremberg: “We look back on a fantastic week with many new international contacts. It was our first time there, but it definitely left us wanting more. Our expectation that Spielwarenmesse would help us make new international contacts was fully met.” 

Evelien virtually travelled the world at the StartupArea: “We had many contacts, especially with new potential customers from all over the world. There was at least one company from every continent that visited our stand.” And the learnings? “I will make our stand even more attractive and professional. I also want to look for a different location that might be even better suited.”

A special momentum

One thing is clear: participation at the fair was no misstep: the game Akte Fehltritt catapulted the founders of Momentum Games, Hannes Geng and Stefan Ringer, from zero to a place on the shortlist for the ToyAward at Spielwarenmesse 2026. The game makers, passionate about entrepreneurship, experienced the event as a source of countless new inspirations. As new exhibitors in the StartupArea, they felt optimally supported. The learnings they take away mainly concern the trade fair stand: “We will in future divide our stand more clearly according to our different brands.” Valuable contacts were made both nationally and internationally and, almost incidentally, ideas for new games emerged. Momentum Games has a future. The start was already promising: the nomination of Akte Fehltritt for the ToyAward in the Startup category brought the young entrepreneurs media attention they can build on.

Always along the wall

Next on the StartupArea are a Montessori-style activity wall and its inventor, Ukrainian Olha Molieva. Welcome to Baf Space. That is how the sensory and interactive wall panels for all ages are called. Olha is also a first-time exhibitor and had clearly defined her goals in advance: “First of all, we created a plan with individual steps and deadlines. The best decision was to take advantage of a free consultation with a trade fair expert well before the fair started. At this meeting the most important points were discussed and planned.” Olha’s advice to rookies: “Use all the free tools and help that the fair provides!” Could the Baf Space team have spared themselves this meticulous preparation? “As far as that goes, I can say that nothing is pointless, except the idea that everything will run smoothly.” 

Will there be Baf Spaces in the rest of the world in future? “Yes. Although the Baf Space team had primarily European visitors in mind during planning, we welcomed interested parties from all over the world and therefore we will definitely come back next year.”

Connections matter

A designer and an engineer meet… what emerged from the inspiring collaboration of the Saller couple combines wooden railway tracks and interlocking bricks from different systems, resulting in even more play value.

Max Saller and his wife are old hands, appearing for the third consecutive time with Yamba Toys as exhibitors in the StartupArea. But that’s about to change: “Next year a new phase begins for us: we will take the leap out of the StartupArea and position ourselves in a different hall area.” The Swiss company has learned its lesson and now focuses on quality rather than quantity of contacts. “We had very good conversations with new international distributors and made noticeable progress with some larger potential partners with whom we have been in contact for some time. In addition, interested parties actively contacted us before the fair and requested appointments.” Even immediate neighbouring exhibitors turned out to be Yamba Toys fans: “Our friendly stand neighbours already knew our products, had bought them in advance and their children love playing with them. That was a nice start to the fair days.”

Two heads. One ball. One idea that moves

Now things get sporty. Joachim Ganthaler is a mental coach, Dieter Kofler a sports scientist. Together they developed a finger game that sharpens mind and senses and has a connection to climbing sports. 

The Boulderball, a sporting device consisting of 44 individual parts, is also an eye-catcher thanks to designer Martin. Gertraud Lantschner takes care of marketing and strategic development. The team gained surprising insights from participating in the fair that went beyond their planned path: “For the first time we came into contact with the concept of Kidults and realised that our products appeal not only to children but also to adults. That fits perfectly with our philosophy. We will deliberately take this perspective into account in our future communication and strategy and emphasise play as something valuable and exciting for all age groups.”

Gertraud Lantschner summarises: “For us, the experience as an exhibitor at Spielwarenmesse was very positive and inspiring. It is a unique place where you meet a wide variety of people. The atmosphere was open and curious, and we felt that visitors really took the time to understand new concepts rather than just looking for quick trends.” In future the Boulderball team intends to allow more time for the fair in order to meet other exhibitors and discover new ideas. That cries out for a repeat in 2027.

Washed clean by every means

Water, yuck - those days are over. With Feny, the first sink for children aged 18 months to seven years, splashing becomes fun. Feny enables the little ones to wash their hands independently and helps them learn hygiene habits. 

After her first experience as an exhibitor in the StartupArea, Yassmina El Fene, the inventor of the Feny sink, has a hot tip: “Don’t wait for visitors to come to you. You have to actively go into the halls, meet brands and retailers that are close to your area. Best is to arrange appointments in advance and use the fair as a platform for your customer acquisition.” The young entrepreneur’s goal was, on the one hand, to present her product, but equally important for Yassmina was to test market interest, meet retailers and understand how to build an omnichannel sales strategy. She is satisfied with her fair participation. She was able to make new contacts and gain a better understanding of the industry’s dynamics.

Hanni and the ladybird

With a lucky ladybird in the logo, nothing can really go wrong. And indeed, Dagmara Wnuk-Romstorfer and Andreas Romstorfer are shaking things up with their young company HanniLine - named after their daughter Hanni. The founders dedicate their products to the sensory development of newborns and babies. With feeling cards, feeling games, contrast cards and puzzle cards they promote the development of the little ones. Both have been exhibitors at Spielwarenmesse since 2023 and wanted to take the next step for their young company in 2026: “We want to establish contacts with kindergarten and school suppliers, as our products on the subject of emotions have received very positive feedback in institutional settings. Personal meetings with our existing customers were equally important. Through intensive conversations, new ideas and constructive feedback you build a valuable foundation for future collaboration.”

They judge their event planning before the fair critically: “You can plan events at the stand and announce them online. For us it was a quiz with a prize opportunity. Unfortunately, no one specifically came to us because of this event. We could have saved ourselves that.”

From bouncy ball to Flippy

It happened in the sandbox with a bouncy ball and a mould. That provided Ronny Lehmann with the initial spark. He sketched and tried things out. The prototype consisted of a mould, a ring and a lot of hot glue. Not at all durable, but full of potential: out of the play in the sandbox came the toy Flippy. A movement game that challenges the imagination. Ronny Lehmann presented Flippy in October 2025 at SPIEL in Essen: “At times we played with 30 Flippys simultaneously in the aisles; the interest was enormous. Nuremberg, by contrast, was a completely different experience with a B2B focus, more structured and an important next step for Flippy and me.” A step that paid off, because Ronny Lehmann’s self-imposed goals were exceeded thanks to his meticulous planning: “The preparation via the fair app was very helpful. I specifically selected contacts in advance and researched potential partners. In practice, however, everyday fair life turned out to be significantly more dynamic than planned. There was hardly any time to systematically visit all the contacts.”

His recommendation for trade fair newcomers: “Get in touch early with experienced distributors or industry colleagues. The most valuable tips don’t come from checklists but from experience. Those who listen and filter these tips for themselves have a steeper learning curve.” For Ronny Lehmann, exhibiting at Spielwarenmesse was worthwhile both in content and strategically: “Nuremberg offers very great potential, especially internationally, and was an important milestone. I’m already looking forward to the next fair and to building on these experiences.”

The curious own the world

“I was looking for something that would excite my grandpa in his care home just as much as my daughters.” Max Hartmann is a product designer at Frechling GmbH. Felix (Theurer), another Felix (Hübner) and Max make toys for generations. These include Loggos, design objects made of stackable wooden elements, then the flitzers and climbing arches with matching accessories. All made in Germany. From the first cut in the Allgäu to the final finish in Leinfelden near Stuttgart, everything is handmade. They source wood exclusively from local suppliers. Spielwarenmesse is not their first trade fair. They have already shown their exceptionally beautiful products in museums and concept stores. Their goal at Spielwarenmesse: “For us it is particularly important to find international contacts and distributors. We now need a mix of future potential and immediate sales. Both are important to keep risks low while investing enough in opportunities. Participation in the fair is a big investment for us, but it has paid off.” Unanimous conclusion: “It was really wonderful in Nuremberg!” One piece of advice for those considering participating in 2027: “Spend little time on your phone and have something at the stand that people want to look at, touch or try out.”

Start-up articles Overview

Start-ups Part 1: In the beginning was the idea
About innovation, success and the risk of failure

Start-ups Part 2: Starting a business in the toy industry
Smartek Toys – From company foundation to universal genius

Start-ups part 3: Welcome, zebras and unicorns
The creature kingdom and start-up potential at a time of omnicrisis

Start-ups part 4: The vision of a better world
Agnawool – Social responsibility over profit maximisation

Start-ups Part 5: Even global players start small
The success story of tonies and what founders can learn from it

Start-ups part 6: Are they top dogs or rebels on the shelves?
Start-ups offer retailers innovative products and fresh ideas

Start-ups, Part 7: The pulse of the future
How start-ups are driving change in the toy industry

About the author Sibylle Dorndorf:

Sibylle Dorndorf has written about the toy industry for almost 30 years; most recently the journalist was editor-in-chief of the TOYS magazine family at Göller Verlag, Baden-Baden. Her passion: companies that reinvent themselves, brands that position themselves credibly, people who have something to say and products with a future.