Wozoyo is a new player in the consumer tech space and wants to build a global business across multiple product categories. The company has started its journey in India and the United States and plans to expand into more international markets. Currently, the brand offers products including chargers, HDMI cables, USB hubs, docking stations, and air purifiers. It is also preparing to enter newer categories such as audio and other consumer technology products. Wozoyo wants to position itself as an affordable-premium brand, focusing on performance, design, and features.
Gadgets 360 spoke with Mohit Anand, CEO of Wozoyo, to understand why the company launched its own brand while continuing its Honeywell licensing business, its early response in India and the US, plans for global expansion, product strategy, competition, and the company’s roadmap for the future. Some responses have been edited for clarity.
Wozoyo has emerged from a successful Honeywell licensing business while continuing its association with the Honeywell brand. What was the idea behind launching Wozoyo alongside this business? Did you see an opportunity to build a strong independent brand in these product categories?
The Honeywell licensing business continues as it is. We are still deeply connected with Honeywell. To be clear, we have no plans to leave the Honeywell licensing business in the future either. Both businesses continue simultaneously. We wear two hats. On one hand, we are the global exclusive licensee for Honeywell across more than 80 countries. On the other hand, we have our own global brand, Wozoyo.
Wozoyo is a young brand that has just started its journey, and we have a long way to go. Launching Wozoyo was not driven by any business necessity. It came from the understanding that we are fundamentally a product company. We design, develop, and build products.
We were already developing several excellent products, but we realised that the licensing agreement also placed certain limitations on us. For example, we could not introduce some products into global markets because the licence covered only specific geographical areas. Similarly, there were certain product categories where we saw opportunities but could not enter because the licensing agreement was limited to particular categories.
That is why we decided to launch our own global brand. Wozoyo gives us the ability to enter markets where we already have the expertise and products, something that was not possible under the Honeywell licensing agreement. It also gives us the freedom to explore new product categories and emerging technologies without being restricted by the terms of a licensing agreement. That was the primary reason for setting up Wozoyo. Both businesses will continue, and we will remain fully committed to the Honeywell business while building Wozoyo as our own global brand.
Wozoyo’s air purifiers lineup
Photo Credit: Wozoyo
Wozoyo is still a new brand. What has your journey in the Indian and US markets been like, and what has validated you most since the launch?
It has been an excellent journey so far, and thankfully, in a good way. One of the biggest questions when you launch a new global brand is: what will the acceptance of the brand be? Who is Wozoyo? What does the brand stand for? Will consumers be willing to try a completely new brand? The ultimate test is whether people are willing to buy and try your product. After that, the product has to speak for itself. On both counts, I think we have received a phenomenal response, both domestically and internationally.
For example, we launched Wozoyo in the US on 23rd June this year. As of now, we are averaging more than 500 units sold per day. In the larger context, that may seem like a small number, but for a completely new brand, it is a strong validation that consumers are willing to try our products.
We are also receiving very positive customer reviews. As a pure-play online brand in the US, customer feedback is extremely important. Our products are receiving ratings between 4.5 and 4.9. In fact, some of our products have entered the top 50 bestseller rankings on Amazon.com within just two months of launch. That’s huge validation for us.
The second point is about the brand itself. Professionals who know us, but may not have been aware that we had launched Wozoyo, have started seeing the brand across different digital platforms. They tell us that they have come across Wozoyo on Instagram, YouTube and other platforms. Former colleagues and industry professionals appreciating our campaigns and telling us they have noticed the brand has given us another level of confidence.
In both product acceptance and brand awareness, we have received an excellent response, which has given us a lot of confidence. However, launching the brand is only the first step; I believe the real work starts now. As Wozoyo grows and becomes better known, competition will naturally increase. The bigger challenge will be to build the brand further and sustain that growth.
You have talked about strong early traction. What is Wozoyo’s biggest challenge now?
The biggest challenge is brand saliency, getting people to see, notice and remember the brand. Building a brand takes time. Digital has made it easier to reach millions of consumers quickly, but it has also made the market much more crowded. Everyone can go digital today, so the real challenge is standing out.
Wozoyo is expanding into several categories. Will we eventually see Wozoyo smartphones, TVs, or laptops?
Right now, we have no plans to enter core screens such as phones, TVs, laptops, or tablets. We want to focus on the ecosystem around those screens, not the screens themselves. There are many opportunities in areas such as audio, charging, connectivity, air purification, and other consumer products.
Wozoyo currently has products across multiple categories. Which category do you believe can become your biggest growth driver over the next three years?
It is too early to say. We have been in the market for only around two months, and all five categories are performing well in the US and India. At the same time, we have more than 100 new products planned and are entering additional categories. So I don’t want to predict a winner at this stage. Time will tell.
Beyond chargers, cables, docking stations, and air purifiers, which new categories are you looking at?
We are looking at audio, more products in the small domestic appliance space, and technology designed specifically for travel. When people travel, they generally use technology for three things: entertainment, charging their devices, and work. We are looking at building an ecosystem of products around these scenarios.
What is your long-term ambition for Wozoyo globally, and where do you see the brand by 2030?
I don’t want to give a specific Indian revenue target, but globally, our aspiration is to cross $500 million in revenue by 2030. We also want to be an “online-first” company, with at least 50% of our revenue coming from online channels. However, the exact mix will vary by market because some categories and markets still have a strong offline presence. Our next international expansion will begin with the UK, followed by other markets. At the same time, we have an aggressive product roadmap. We plan to launch more than 100 new products by December and enter several new product categories.
Wozoyo has chosen a Japanese snow monkey as its brand ambassador. That’s a very unconventional choice. Why?
We call him “The Wise One”. It was a very offbeat and eclectic choice, but we wanted the brand to be quirky, fun and different. We have seen significantly better engagement whenever we use The Wise One across our digital assets compared with our regular engagement rates. So it seems to be working, and we are now looking at ways to use the character even more.
