EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

GearUp is a student-led startup on a mission to spark curiosity and confidence in young girls through hands-on, play-based learning in STEM. Despite ongoing societal progress, a significant gender gap persists in STEM fields—starting with early childhood experiences and perceptions. Our project aims to address this imbalance by designing educational toys that not only teach STEM concepts but also inspire long-term interest and engagement among young girls. Developed within the E&I Garage framework, GearUp operates at the intersection of gender inclusion, education, and innovative product design.

Goal

The goal of our project is to validate the potential of GearUp as a socially impactful and market-viable solution to promote early STEM engagement among girls. We aimed to develop a compelling value proposition that aligns with both parental expectations and children's interests, while ensuring educational effectiveness. Our toys are designed to introduce fundamental principles of engineering, science, and computer science through interactive, age-appropriate play. We seeked to determine which toy categories, product features, and messaging strategies resonate best with our target audience to support further product development.

Methodology

Throughout the semester, we followed a structured innovation process – the Lean Startup methodology, starting with a problem-solution fit analysis and extensive market research, including a customer survey, competitor benchmarking and trend analysis. We conducted interviews with parents, educators, and toy store owners to gain insights into current gaps in the educational toy market and understand user expectations. These qualitative findings helped us shape and differentiate our product ideas across three planned categories: engineering, science, and computer science. In addition, we used iterative design thinking to conceptualize and prototype multiple toy ideas. While formal user testing has not yet been conducted, we developed clear criteria for future validation phases. We also explored potential distribution channels and pricing strategies suitable for a startup entering the educational toy market.

Results

Our research confirmed a strong market need for STEM-based toys tailored specifically to engage young girls, with enthusiastic support from parents, educators, and toy store owners for our mission. Interviews revealed a clear interest in products that balance educational value with creativity and fun. Across the three planned categories—engineering, science, and computer science—respondents highlighted a particular enthusiasm for toys that promote hands-on building, real-world exploration, and gamified learning. Through conceptual design and early prototyping, we identified key features that resonate with our target audience, including non-stereotypical color schemes, inclusive representation, and open-ended problem-solving activities. These findings have helped us define distinct product directions within each category and set the foundation for future playtesting and refinement. The feedback gathered also informed our thinking on pricing models, go-to-market strategies, and brand positioning as we move toward validation and potential product-market fit. In addition, one of our strongest unique selling points is the presence of strong female role models integrated into the kits. These characters not only explain scientific concepts and guide users through the challenges but also serve as relatable figures for young girls. Their presence supports identity-building and engagement, while also offering rich storytelling opportunities that we actively leverage in our marketing strategy.

Contact Person

• Melissa Preminger - melissa.preminger@gmail.com

Student Team

• Steinberger Jakob

• Mayr Marius

• Preminger Melissa

• Schwärzler Jonathan

• Gretz Daniel

• Engel Juan-Nikolas

Project Manager

• Pannermayr Thomas

• Kunesch Caroline

• Vasilescu Dragos-Cristian

• Lauer Diana