Curiosity in Motion

For Assaf Eshet, CEO and Founder of Clixo, the mission has always been to create toys that inspire exploration rather than dictate outcomes. “Kids should have a real appetite for curiosity,” he explains. “Our job as parents, teachers, and toymakers is to strike that nerve of wonder and keep it alive.”

1. What does innovation mean to you?

Innovation, to me, is curiosity in motion. It’s about rethinking the familiar and finding new ways to inspire creativity whether that’s through design, materials, or play experiences. At Clixo, innovation isn’t just about new and exciting toys; it’s about new ways of thinking and engaging with the world through hands-on exploration.

2. How do you and your team generate new ideas? Are there any rituals or practices you rely on to reset creativity?

We brainstorm and prototype constantly, and we make sure to play with our products as much as we design them. Ideas are tested both within our team and directly with kids and families, that’s where the real insights come from. We always leave space for “blue sky” thinking, but we also spend time observing how kids interact with our current products to learn how to evolve and improve. Our best sessions happen when we step away from screens and just play, letting the materials guide us. We also host play sessions with kids and adults at our Brooklyn HQ store, because the most surprising ideas often come from spontaneous, unplanned moments of discovery.

3. How are you leveraging AI in your innovation process, and what unexpected benefits or challenges have you encountered?

We use AI as a creative and analytical tool. It helps us spot trends in how people talk about play, analyze feedback from parents and educators, and even visualize early product concepts. The biggest benefit has been speed, seeing patterns faster but the challenge is keeping the human, tactile side of creativity at the center of everything. We are super careful not to over do it and we keep our creative process true to who we are.

4. How do you identify trends, and what resources does your team use to spot emerging consumer insights?

We look at the intersection of design, fashion, education, and culture, not just toys. Social media, educator feedback, and community events give us a pulse on what families value. We also watch how kids actually play with Clixo, because their behaviors often reveal trends long before hashtags do.

5. What is the biggest challenge you face when it comes to innovating?

The hardest part is balancing creativity with practicality. We always push for new forms and ideas, but we also have to make sure they’re safe, durable, and manufacturable in a smart and cost effective way. Keeping that balance, between imagination and execution is what also keeps us sharp and better in what we do.

6. How does Clixo balance the freedom of open-ended play with the need to guide children toward educational goals like STEAM learning?

We design for curiosity first and learning follows naturally. When kids build with Clixo, they’re exploring geometry, engineering, and problem-solving but it feels like pure play. That’s the balance we strive for: education that’s invisible because it’s fun and intuitive.

7. How does Clixo integrate insights from social media and consumer trends, like the #EducationalToys movement, into its product development process?

We treat social media as a live feedback loop. Parents, teachers, and creators constantly share how they use Clixo, and those stories shape what we build next. Movements like #EducationalToys reinforce our belief that play and learning aren’t opposites, they're part of the same experience.

8. In designing new products like the Dino Adventure Pack, what role does curiosity play in shaping Clixo's features and storytelling to keep kids engaged?

Curiosity drives everything. With the Dino Adventure Pack, we wanted to capture that feeling of discovery. How simple shapes can transform into a variety of prehistoric colorful creatures, or even something completely unexpected. Every detail is designed to spark imagination and invite storytelling, not prescribe it.

9. Looking to the future, how will Clixo continue to be a leader in innovation?

We’ll keep blending quality design, education, and technology to push play forward. Our focus is on creating experiences that are sustainable, intuitive, tactile, and open-ended. Toys that evolve with the child’s imagination. The goal is simple: to keep inspiring creative thinkers of all ages and skill levels to explore the world with curiosity.