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Cybeart is a leading gaming chair manufacturer in Canada, known for creating cutting-edge seats with the highest levels of comfort, and has established a presence in India in order to grow its market share there.
The business, which was initially established in 2020 during the pandemic to provide working professionals and gamers with a relaxed experience, has since developed rapidly, with comfort now taking on an entirely new meaning thanks to Cybeart's robust R&D-backed goods.
Krutik Patel, the founder and CEO of Cybeart, discussed the company's entry into the Indian retail market as well as the underlying motivations for doing so in an interview with Tathagata Biswas of Sportskeeda.
"We expect the majority of our sales from audiences other than gamers" - Cybeart's CEO and Founder Krutik Patel discusses the current Indian market
1) What pushed you to take the leap of faith from a secure career in aviation to being an entrepreneur in a cluttered market space, where gaming chairs are in abundance and the competition is high?
Patel: The spirit of entrepreneurship runs high in the family and where hustle for pure vision is involved; security is something that is overlooked. My vision was always to start a brand with revolutionary gaming peripherals. It was on Christmas Eve 2019 when I pitched this idea to my friends, which also included a business model for licensing from Hollywood IPs.
I researched the entire week before registering for Cybeart and was already speaking with Warner Bros. for a potential licensing deal. Gaming chairs weren’t in the initial product rollout, however, it all changed when the pandemic hit just a month later.
We launched our brand during the peak of COVID-19 and it was all about adapting to the market demand then. The need for ergonomic gaming and office chairs was at an all-time high. While working from home, people understand how chairs impact your health and how important the ergonomic setup of your workstation is So, I adapted to the need and postponed the gaming peripherals plan for later.
Cheap gaming chairs are in abundance, while high-end ones are scarce. All my life, I’ve always used premium products and wanted to produce the same with my brand. Hence, I decided to engineer a high-end ergonomic chair, not just for gamers but for working professionals as well.
2) What sets Cybeart apart from all the other competitors in the market?
Patel: Fundamentally, I feel it is the quality and customer service we provide that sets us apart from everyone else. Every minute component of our chair is carefully engineered to ensure the product’s ergonomics, comfort, durability, and safety for the user. We also hold patents for our products.
The Indian market is flooded with rebranded chairs and their absurd warranty policies. We stand by our product and are providing a 'Free Extended 5 Years Warranty' wherein we don't repair but replace the affected parts/products.
No brand in India does that. We rigorously tested our products before market penetration and got them certified by the world’s top industry standards. With unboxing being the only channel with a 100% open rate, consumers will find wow factors right from the moment the package is opened. My goal from the start was to create a premium product with zero compromises on quality.
3) What was your biggest motivation for foraying into the Indian retail market?
Patel: From the beginning, I wanted to start Cybeart in India. However, India was completely shut down during COVID-19 while Canada wasn’t. Since I had already settled there, Cybeart was incepted in Canada. I have been working on India’s expansion since June 2021; that's 8 months after the launch in Canada. Before the Indian expansion, I had an opportunity to hit the Middle East and North Africa regions, and I went ahead with that.
Firstly, besides all business needs, I believe patriotism in me is one of the biggest motivations for launching the brand in India. I have a deep connection with the country and surely my roots have led me here. Secondly, I personally want to invest and grow in the Indian esports industry which further validates our product for mass adoption by a younger generation of users.
4) There is little doubt that the path to this point has not been easy. What have been your greatest difficulties to date?
Patel: Considering the start of our brand during the peak of the pandemic, this journey was surely one of the toughest I’ve ever taken. I never saw difficulties as roadblocks but as challenges to overcome, and I'm proud of that achievement.
Two of the biggest challenges were manufacturing and logistics while being confined to my home. I set up the whole brand (research, engineering, manufacturing, logistics, legal structure, company workflow, etc.) just from a desk in my home. Apart from basic errands once a month, I never left my place from January 2020 to November 2020 (products arrived in Canada). So, engineering a product in a computer versus what would be the real output was a challenge. You cannot understand how soft a seat is simply by imagining it, or how comfortable a chair will be for users of different physiques. However, with technology these days, we managed it and I was quite astonished to see the final result.
We did about 73 chair prototypes for our initial model. The second biggest challenge was logistics, wherein primarily the cost of ocean freight to Canada had risen by almost 1200% during a span of 12 months. Moreover, even after paying these exorbitant prices, Cybeart still faces delays by months due to container shortages, overly crowded docks, and other logistical issues.
5) Additionally, I'd love to know where you find ideas for alterations and enhancements to the seats. For instance, being a particularly tall gamer, I find that companies frequently overlook the fact that the standard neck pillow arrangement doesn't actually provide enough head support. How do you continue to innovate in this aspect?
Patel: In order to maintain ergonomics, the seats have to be on the firmer side in order to not let the user sink into them. We use cold-cured foam seats; it is not regular memory foam but a special kind with strategic air pockets within it. The seats have been rigorously tested in our facility with different weights and distributions on them. At Cybeart, we have managed to bring the density of the foam to a perfect balance between hard and soft seats.
Our chairs are suitable for anyone from 5’6” to 6’8”. Cybeart products encompass a unique nature-inspired high-back design with inbuilt lumbar support. Our pillows use a strap-adjustment method to change their placement on the chair. Due to the chairs having a high back, the pillow adjustment range is also quite high. Few companies have adopted magnetic pillows for better esthetics, but have looked at the fact of possible blood-clotting it may cause with four strong neodymium magnets always behind your head. Hence, we compromised the look by using straps but never with a user’s health.
6) I'd also be interested in learning about your future plans. Do you intend to provide more peripherals other than just chairs? If so, could you provide any suggestions as to where you could be going?
Patel: Prior to the Indian launch, we rebranded with a new logo that conveys our futuristic vision for the brand. This is just the start, we are still innovating and a few new generations of chair models will be launched very soon. A technologically advanced desk is under R&D and it will be the next-in-line product category to be launched.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to disclose more, but there are many categories launching within a 1-2 year timeframe that will create Cybeart’s ecosystem. All of us at Cybeart are super excited to bring these products to life. Cybeart has also partnered with two top esports organizations, and we are committed to advancing the experience of gamers in this growing ecosystem.
7) How do you see the possibilities in esports with all the hoopla that the industry is now experiencing? What are your plans for other agreements in that area? What market plans do you have specifically for India? Are you actively seeking collaborations and sponsorships with current teams?
Patel: I have been observing the growth of the Indian Esports industry very closely for the last two years. This year, of course, has hit the hardest, what with gaming talents and organizations facing game bans. However, I am here for the long run. We have already sponsored two prominent esports teams and are actively working on new collaborations with teams and tournament organizers.
This is a temporary dip and both the banned games are coming back for sure. When that happens, the esports ecosystem in India will once again gain momentum. It was the right time for esports through PC gaming to pick up in India. However, the lack of affordable gaming PCs seems to be a forever challenge.
Currently, due to Indian esports being at a nascent stage, we expect the majority of our sales from audiences other than gamers. However, many stakeholders, including Cybeart, have to invest and nurture the growth of India’s esports ecosystem to lead it to where other global markets are currently.
8) I am sure you are a gamer at heart. How has your connection to gaming changed now that you're running a successful startup? Do you still have the opportunity to play, and if so, what games?
Patel: I am certainly a gamer at heart. If I wasn't an entrepreneur, I would have been a professional gamer for sure. I'm primarily a PC gamer with my favorite game being Dota 2. I have spent a fair amount of time playing all the major titles with a few of them being PUBG, CS:GO, GTA V, Assassin’s Creed, Red Dead Redemption, God of War, Uncharted, and a whole lot more. I am a licensed pilot as well but prior to professional training, I learned flying with PC simulation games such as Xplane.
My connection with gaming has changed drastically. Post-Cybeart, I do not have the liberty to game much. I had complete abstinence from gaming in 2021 and 2022 but have started playing Valorant recently for a couple of hours a week, mainly to understand the game and come up with ways to grow PC gaming in India.
9) How is the partnership with Warner Brothers panning out? What is the reception of such merch from shows like Rick and Morty, Mortal Kombat, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Friends?
Patel: The partnership with Warner Bros. has probably been a game changer for us from the start because we have reached this stage with their association in the picture. We have merged the fandom of IPs with our products and this has helped to successfully create a community for Cybeart. We do see other brands following in our footsteps for IP licensing and similar design structures; that in itself is a success in our eyes.
However, brands also fail to understand that along with the leverage of IPs, the base product in itself has to be good - one that justifies the brand value of the IP and also justifies the cost to consumers. We continue to innovate and have brought products not just with superhero themes but from games, TV shows, movies, and literature as well. Our latest edition of The Lord Of The Rings Gaming Chair received a really warm welcome from fans which has really overwhelmed us.
10) In five years, where do you envision the Indian gaming chair retail market? What function does Cybeart hope to fulfill there?
Patel: I believe that the current chair market in India is at a stage of infancy and flooded with mediocre posture-disturbing products. We at Cybeart are here to change that and our initial lineup is India’s first luxury gaming and office chair range.
We are here to change the ideology of “Gaming Chairs are just for gaming”. Gaming chairs were called “Gaming Chairs” a decade ago due to the racing-themed design they followed. However, they promote better ergonomics and features compared to mesh office chairs. We are here to change that idea and promote their mass adoption for regular use as well in offices, work-from-home situations, and so on. Hence, we are not primarily calling them “gaming” chairs but just “chairs” or “luxury/ergonomic chairs”. Our product education campaigns will convey the same message. We at Cybeart, wish to be at the forefront of the evolution of this product category in India as well as globally.
