WOW STORY OF THE DAY: Two Founders Aged 21 and 22 From Pune Built India's Most Loved Screen-Free Educational Toy Brand

A BBA Student, a Psychology Student, and a Mission Born From a Pandemic

Clapstore Toys was founded in 2020, born directly from the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. As physical play was restricted and children's screen time surged, Yash Thombare, who had pursued a Bachelor of Business Administration, and Vedang Nalawade, a psychology student, combined their complementary expertise in a partnership that was uniquely equipped to tackle child development challenges from both a business and a scientific angle.

They started with a dropshipping model, running it for one and a half years to understand market dynamics and consumer behaviour before pivoting to their own original product line.

"Our mission was clear from the start: to create toys that inspire creativity and curiosity without relying on screens," Vedang explained.

That conviction drove them to develop busy boards, interactive wooden activity boards designed to enhance motor skills, sensory development, and hand-eye coordination in children aged 0 to 6 years, the most critical developmental window in early childhood. In January 2023, Clapstore launched its first prototype. Within months, the product was selling. Within a year, it had reached 50,000 families.

Portable Wooden Busy Boards, One-Week Launches, Blinkit, and Nikhil Kamath

The boldest operational decision Clapstore made was to invest ₹15 to 20 lakh in an in-house manufacturing unit, completed in March 2024. That investment gave them the ability to launch a new product in just one week, an extraordinary speed-to-market advantage in a category driven by parental awareness and developmental trends.

The hero product is India's first portable busy board made of wood, an interactive activity tool that engages children's senses with no screen, no app, and no battery required. Products are priced between ₹500 and ₹1,800, making quality developmental toys genuinely accessible to India's growing middle-class parent consumers.

The brand is backed by Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath as an angel investor, one of India's most respected entrepreneur-investors, alongside two institutional investors Sunrise Sunset Family Trust and NKSquared Global. Distribution has expanded beyond D2C into quick commerce, with Blinkit and Zepto now confirmed as active platforms, ensuring parents can access Clapstore products instantly. The brand has a strong presence across marketplaces, quick commerce platforms, and its own website.

Vineeta Said Cool, Anupam Praised the Branding, and All Five Said Yes

Clapstore Toys appeared on Shark Tank India Season 4 Episode 22, seeking ₹80 lakh for 4% equity at a ₹20 crore valuation. Before the pitch began, the Sharks experienced the toys firsthand in a heartwarming pre-pitch moment with children, immediately understanding the product's developmental power.

Anupam Mittal commended the quality and branding. Vineeta Singh described it as "very different and cool." All five Sharks invested together, a historic moment, with the final deal closing at ₹1 crore for 10% equity.

The national television exposure delivered an immediate spike in sales and brand awareness. The founders later confirmed on a podcast that they achieved their ₹6 crore FY25 revenue target. Post-Shark Tank, Vedang specifically credited Peyush Bansal and Anupam Mittal for invaluable mentoring guidance on trust and supply-demand dynamics.

Scale and Real-World Impact

The Most Powerful Youth Brands Are Built by Founders Young Enough to Remember What Play Actually Feels Like

The sharpest lesson from Clapstore Toys' journey is this: the most credible consumer brands in any category are the ones built by founders who are genuinely close to the problem they are solving and bring complementary expertise that makes the solution complete.

A BBA student who understood markets. A psychology student who understood children. Together, they built a product that parents trust and kids love, starting from dropshipping, moving to their own manufacturing, and ending up in front of all five Sharks simultaneously.

"Clapstore is a shining example of how passion, purpose, and perseverance can turn a startup into a movement," as those who have covered their journey describe it.

They started packing busy boards in Pune. They hit ₹6 crore. They got five Sharks. And they are targeting ₹2 crore a month next.

The screen can wait. The busy board is here.

Sources: Indian Retailer, LiftUpLift, Shark Tank Audits, Shark Tank India Club, Business Today, Indian Startup Times, CEO Vine, Tracxn