Marketing technology · 2023–2024
Tikao Technologies
Did not find product-market fit
The problem
Sustainability marketing was a market of claims nobody could check. Brands wanted to say they were sustainable, regulators in the EU were tightening what could be said, and consumers said they wanted sustainable products and then bought something else.
The system
An AI-native B2B SaaS for sustainability marketing and EU compliance checking, after a pivot from a consumer product. Creative generation for sustainability campaigns, with the compliance rules built in so a claim could be checked before it shipped. Design partnerships with brands to shape it. Alongside it, Tikao.world, a peer-to-peer platform for renting, swapping and upcycling.
What happened
It did not find product-market fit. The expensive version of a lesson about how much you can build before the ideal customer profile is settled: we built a great deal, and settled the customer too late.
The research underneath it held up better than the venture. The consumer study that shaped the product, on why stated intent to buy sustainable brands does not turn into purchases, was peer reviewed and published in 2026. The venture failed on market, not on rigour.