Two young Kiwi-Indian entrepreneurs are the talk of the town as after they have started a venture that is not only providing surprise gift boxes but also connecting young individuals with their loved ones.
Kimera is a subscription-based gift or goodies box provider based in Auckland that provides services to the university students throughout the country. The company was started in November 2016 and launched the product and website in mid-February this year.
The first batch of boxes went out in March, coinciding with the start of the university semester. The company is just over a year old and has already delivered 300 boxes to students across the country.
“Being university students ourselves we thought that receiving a box every month packed with goodies and useful new items would be a great treat as well as something to look forward to every month. That gave birth to Kimera,” Nawaz Ahmed, CEO and co-founder of Kimera told The Indian Weekender.
Mr Ahmed started his first venture at the age of 17 by selling hats online. He has worked as a project manager for a local company in Auckland. He has also worked at Auckland Uniservices Ltd and is currently pursuing Masters in Bioscience Enterprise.
“Being a student can get quite stressful, and it can often be difficult to stay positive and motivated, this type of product is sure to lift spirits and provide excitement. In addition, if the students receive the box from loved ones it helps them feel loved and connected despite the distance,” Mr Ahmed added.
The box comprises of numerous items that vary every month and in different boxes. The goodies range from chips, energy snack bars, chocolates to stationery items, gift items etc.
“We did our market research while developing the idea and surprisingly we received 95% positive feedback from the students,” Sandanee Samarakoon, COO and co-founder of Kimera said.
Ms Samarakoon brings years of experience in the field of business and commerce, and she is also pursuing her Masters in Bioscience Enterprise in Auckland.
“Kimera benefits students who are completing their tertiary education. We send boxes all over the country to students of all universities and many polytechnics and colleges,” Mr Ahmed said.
Kimera also provides benefits to parents and grandparents of children who are away from home. The gift boxes provide a way to the parents to stay connected and show their love and support while removing the hassle of finding the right items to send every month.
“We wanted to provide a personalised solution for parents to stay connected with their children that are staying away from home. We are working on a couple of new elements that will be introduced next year that would add an extra element of personalisation and connection to our boxes,” the founders added.
While subscribing to the gift boxes, students can share their likes and dislikes. Based on that information, the items in the box are customised and added-in to surprise them. Kimera’s objective is to cater to all students in New Zealand with a curated subscription box that is affordable and will meet their needs.
“We are working on a couple of new elements to introduce next year that would add an extra element of personalisation and connection to our boxes,” Mr Ahmed added.
The entrepreneurs have participated in several activities that involve college going students and have made a strong mark in the community.
“We look forward to making this enterprise bigger and expand our market in every institution in the country and also target to provide services in Australia,” the founders told The Indian Weekender.
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