Founded in 2022 by Kausi Raman and Max Liechty, ChompShop aims to inspire the next generation of inventors, thinkers, and problem-solvers. The company’s flagship product, the ChompSaw, is a power tool designed to make cutting cardboard safe, educational, and fun for young creators.
Kausi, a master’s student in product design at the University of Pennsylvania, first envisioned the ChompSaw while exploring ways to introduce kids to hands-on building and prototyping. Recognizing the empowerment she felt when she started using real tools in her twenties, Kausi wanted to create a tool that would give kids the same confidence and creativity from an early age.
To bring her initial prototype to life, Kausi teamed up with Max Liechty, who joined the company as co-founder and CTO. Together, they spent months testing and refining the design, with the help of Max’s two-year-old son, Milo. The result is a clever reinvention of a woodworking router table, where the ChompSaw works like a high-speed hole punch, enabling kids to cut through cardboard effortlessly without any risk to their fingers, clothing, or hair.
In 2023, ChompShop launched a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, surpassing their $50,000 goal in under 23 minutes and ultimately raising over $1.1 million. With this funding, the company has been preparing for large-scale production and has started delivering the ChompSaw to homes and classrooms.
“We want to inspire the next generation of inventors, thinkers, and problem-solvers,” says Max. “Our tool gives kids the chance to experiment and build things with their hands, just like adults do in the world of design and prototyping. But most importantly, we’re doing it in a way that’s safe and approachable.”
The ChompSaw is recommended for ages 5 and up and has been certified for safety by multiple third-party organizations, including the ASTEM F963-11 and Children’s Product Certificate (CPC) standards. In addition to the ChompSaw, ChompShop offers a range of accessories, such as an attachable fence for precision straight cuts, a circle-cutting guide, and an angle-cutting guide, as well as other cardboard-focused tools and project files.
With the ChompSaw, ChompShop aims to empower young creators, spark their creativity, and encourage hands-on skills development – all while ensuring a safe and engaging experience. As the company continues to deliver their innovative tool to homes and classrooms, they are poised to make a meaningful impact on the next generation of makers and problem-solvers.
