Thiphaine Le Roy, co-founder, CPO CMO of Tikino
Tikino is a child-friendly projector for kids aged 3 to 10, featuring a curated selection of high-quality, low-stimulation educational and entertaining content. It provides families with a safe, enriching alternative to traditional screens, fostering healthier viewing habits and balanced screen time.
What triggered your interest in French Tech?
My career path has been anything but conventional, yet innovation has always been my driving force. With a background in both engineering and business, I started in corporate finance before transitioning into marketing and product development. At every stage, what I found most fulfilling was analyzing complex challenges and making the right connections to drive projects forward.
Co-founding a tech company is the natural culmination of these experiences. It brings together strategy, creativity, and execution—all in the pursuit of building something truly new. That’s what excites me about French Tech: its bold ideas, dynamic ecosystem, and the opportunity to shape the future of innovation.
The thing you're most proud of?
Bringing a product to life, achieving commercial success, and showcasing it at CES in Las Vegas have been incredible milestones. However, growing a hardware company is a relentless challenge—marked by uncertainty, tough decisions, and a lack of investor interest. It’s a slow, complex journey, and as female founders, we faced an additional hurdle: credibility. From day one, some dismissed our venture as merely "a mom’s hobby."
Ultimately, what I’m most proud of is our resilience as a team. Today, with thousands of customers and a profitable business, we’ve proven that perseverance is just as essential as innovation.
What is your wildest career goal?
Tikino’s journey is far from over—expanding into new markets and raising awareness about the impact of fast-paced animation on children’s developing brains remains a key mission.
Looking further ahead, I’d love to share my experience with aspiring entrepreneurs, mentoring them along the way. Perhaps even launching an incubator to support the next generation of innovators.
If you could go back in time, is there anything you would do differently?
Looking back, I wish I had moved abroad earlier in my career. Living in Asia has given me a fresh perspective and broadened my horizons.
Experiencing life in a dynamic, innovation-driven region has reinforced my optimism for the future. Singapore, in particular, is a remarkable example—achieving extraordinary progress in just 60 years through strategic foresight, meticulous planning, and a commitment to quality of life. There is much to learn from its journey.
Find Thiphaine Le Roy on Linkedin
Get in touch with us @ womenfrenchtech at gmail dot com
In collaboration with Amel Rigneau & Romeo Aguilar Bernard
