50 Innovative Companies to Watch 2021
The Silicon Review
Whether as a career or a hobby, Gaming can be an expensive affair for many as there are several things one must own to gain a good gaming experience. Gaming accessories are an essential part of the experience because they tend to deliver the right performance and enjoyment to gamers. As the gaming industry continues to improve, the necessary accessories will also get an upgrade. These important accessories for gamers will improve not only the setup but also the skillset of the gamers. Investing in quality gears is definitely worth it, especially when it improves your overall performance in the process.
Globally, there are various companies delivering best-in-class gaming accessories for gamers, but Cybeart Inc. stands out from the rest. Founded and established in Toronto, Canada, Cybeart is the Gaming Merchandise Company established with a vision to provide all gamers and non-gamers with the most comfortable and high-quality premium products. After founding Cybeart in Jan 2020, a multi-year partnership was signed with Warner Bros. Consumer Products in April 2020. Cybeart gained the license to most of the intellectual property of WBCP such as DC Comics, Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, and The Conjuring Universe. All of these intellectual properties were utilized to create the official licensed editions of Cybeart’s products such as gaming chairs, mouse pads and phone cases for the consumers to relive their emotions and to have a personal connection with their favorite brands.
In conversation with Krutik Patel, Founder and CEO of Cybeart Inc.
Q. Cybeart Inc. is the gaming merchandise company established with a vision to provide all gamers and non-gamers with the most comfortable and high-quality premium products. Splendid. How efficiently do you work towards your vision?
Well, being an avid gamer all my life, I happened to invest a hefty amount in all the computer hardware, accessories, flight simulator gear etc. Knowing the gaming industry well, I wanted Cybeart to be in the gaming sector. To engineer gaming merchandise products, a lot of R&D has been carried out and still goes on. We have used components of the highest industry standards to make our gaming chair an investment-worthy product. We created many prototypes, used all sorts of materials/components ranging from leather, seat foam with various densities, wheels, etc., and the result was Cybeart’s Apex Series Chair. As the saying goes, ‘There is always room for improvement,’ we are constantly improving our products, leaving no room for errors and developing new ones in parallel. Even after the initial launch, minor tweaks were made twice in the Apex chair to improve the comfort level even more. From packaging to the actual use of the product, one can find the wow factor in the every tiny detail. There is a lot more joining our product arsenal very soon. Customer service is one sector where many companies face backlash. Providing a great product is one thing, but customer service is far more important, and this is one sector which we proud ourselves upon. I interact myself many times with the customer, and I love it; it allows me to know more about what the actual customer requirements are and where we can improve. We have a 100% satisfaction ratio and great feedback from customers about it. Cybeart is and always will be known as the company manufacturing investment-worthy products and genuinely cares about the customers.
Q. What can you tell us about Cybeart’s recent collaboration with Warner Bros.?
Even before registering my company, I was in talks with Warner Bros. to get merchandise licensing. I had the vision to launch the company with a series of licensed merchandise (especially DC Comics) that appeals to the audience to a larger extent. Not a lot of gaming merchandise is officially licensed, and I saw a solid opportunity there. I am utilizing these IPs to create similarly themed gaming chairs, mouse pads & phone cases so that clients can have a similarly themed setup. I am truly thankful to WB executives who believed in my vision and partnered with me to make my vision a reality.
Q. Mortal Kombat gaming chairs and accessories addition has undoubtedly spiced up your product suite. That said, do you further plan to partner with high-profile franchises such as Warner Bros. to bring in more premium products like Mortal Kombat?
Yes indeed. Mortal Kombat was one of my favorite games since childhood and it gave me immense pleasure creating gaming products on it. We have a good relationship with WB, and I definitely intend to offer more premium products to our customers. We’ve been getting a lot of requests from the customers about a few licensed editions, and I’ll make sure to bring them to reality when the opportunity arises.
Q. Who certifies your products? Is there a regulatory authority that Okays your products?
Yes, there are regulatory authorities who perform rigorous testing of the products in the toughest situations to ensure the conformity to the highest industry standards. The leather on the chair is tested and certified by TÜV SÜD to last more than 200,000 abrasion cycles – that’s roughly 10x stronger than regular PU leather lasting only 20,000 cycles. SGS performed the American National Standard ANSI/BIFMA x5.1 test and certified it. This is one of the most trusted test/standards and ensures safety and proper functionality of the chair. Similarly, mousepads and phone cases are tested to comply with RoHS and Reach standards.
Q. Is there anything else you want us to highlight that we might have missed?
Well, there is one common question that pops up in people’s minds, and this is a good platform to clear it up. When it comes to the price of our Gaming Chairs & concerns about us being a new company, many feel that they are costly and compare them the $100-$200 amazon chairs. There is a vast dilemma among consumers that every gaming chair is the same, they are made at the same place, and just skins are changed. While it is partially true for many companies selling the copy ware chairs on amazon, it is an insult to the companies like us investing hundreds of thousands of dollars on R&D. Natural ergonomics of your body never change. So, all the chairs are designed to support and maintain that natural spinal posture. Hence, the minor similarity is seen in looks, but the science behind it differs. There are several types of leather, seat foam materials, density, tilt mechanisms, etc. - one slightly differing from the other but changes the whole comfort level. I can proudly say that no other company out there can offer leather like us. Ours is the most expensive, plush, and the most durable PU leather among all. Upon doing fair research, people will understand why the cost of our gaming chairs is what they are. We use high-quality materials to build it since we will never compromise on the quality. So, I’d like to highlight that our products are investment-worthy as we ensure to give only the best to our customers. We are a new brand, but we are an expert in this field. What the audience need to do is trust us and give us one chance to prove it. We have a showroom in Toronto to allow trials before the purchase to ensure they are going home with the perfect product.
About the man behind the success of Cybeart Inc. in his own words…
I moved to Canada in August 2015 for my higher studies. I completed my Mechanical Engineering while also going to the flight school for my pilots license. I even had a YouTube channel where I used to teach flying on my home simulator. After my graduation, I worked as a Commercial Building Operations Manager to qualify for my permanent residency. It was just after New Year 2020 while I thought about doing something of my own and my friends know that I am an impulsive decision maker; its calculated whatsoever. A thought of opening Cybeart entered my mind to create official licensed products and I started inquiring to the biggest studios. 2 days later I received a reply to my inquiry from WB and the process started from there. Before our second discussion, I registered my company & logo. I started working on a list of gaming products, got the business plan approved from WB and moved forward. Gaming chairs were not in the initial plan but since they provide exposure to a wider audience, I made it the flagship product. COVID pandemic was really hard for everyone in every sector but I am glad that I made the best use out of it. I barely slept the past year and had worked 16-18 hours a day. The desire to get up and running had fueled up the motivation. A fully functional company was established within 3 – 3.5 months. The journey continued and we officially launched in August 2020 on the day of DC Fandome – World’s largest DC Fan event. We got the sale on the second morning of the launch itself – it was a Mortal Kombat phone case, and that “Cha-ching” sale notification sound is still embedded in my memory. I can’t put that feeling in words but I was very happy. Gaming chair industry is an extremely competitive space. There were no sales for gaming chairs until they arrived in Canada in November. And it was understandable as customers may find it hard to purchase an expensive product from a brand-new company. Since then, we have partnered with BestBuy and Mike’s Computer Shop to join our sales channel and added amazon, Walmart and New Egg marketplace as well. We are offering 0% financing options to our customers after partnering with PayBright. Affiliate marketing program has also been launched and we are even accepting new influencers/streamers/youtubers to help them with high-tech gear while also earning from referrals. Mortal Kombat is the first new-product release after our initial release in August. We have received great support from our fellow Canadians here and I deeply appreciate that. It is just getting started for us and I intend to make Cybeart a globally renowned and trusted brand.