The Accident That Started Everything
Two years ago in a Vienna trampoline hall, Luuk de Waal Malefijt was trying to explain something to his 5-year-old daughter when they accidentally jumped on the same pad. The collision broke her leg, leaving her home-bound with a cast that needed to stay elevated for weeks.
A teacher friend brought over TipToi interactive books to help pass the time. As de Waal Malefijt watched his daughter explore these books with their "magical" audio pen, an idea took hold: What if parents could create their own interactive content? Stories about fairies, dragons, or whatever captured their child's imagination?
"I figured those books would never entertain her for 2 weeks straight, so I thought, wouldn't it be great if it was possible to create my own material?"
— Luuk de Waal Malefijt
Engineering a Solution
That simple parental wish launched de Waal Malefijt into unfamiliar territory. Despite coding since age 15 and building collaborative software platforms like Parture.org, hardware was completely new. He dove into electrical engineering, infrared sensors, optics, and patent research, making videos to explain the concept to friends.
The technology fascinated him: infrared sensors that filter out printed images to reveal hidden dot patterns, pens that retain state for puzzles and scenarios. But after reverse-engineering TipToi's formats, he gained empathy for Ravensburger's team. Creating content for their platform was incredibly complicated.
From Hacking to Innovation
De Waal Malefijt spent months building his own optical sensor, struggling with frequency filters, IR bands, and lens distances. Eventually he got something that could read dot patterns, but TipToi's closed SDK and obtuse binary formats made him realize: hacking the existing system would never unlock its full potential. He needed to build something entirely new.
An Unconventional Beginning
The partnership between de Waal Malefijt and Mariuson began with conflict. On Mariuson's second day at Ebcont, de Waal Malefijt literally threw him out of "his" chair. "He thought I was an arrogant senior developer," de Waal Malefijt recalls. "I was just territorial about my workspace."
But Mariuson's unconventional path to that chair – from struggling student in Iceland to psychology graduate, from innovative English teacher to self-taught programmer during COVID – brought exactly the perspective Papiro needed. His personal experience with learning challenges had shaped a philosophy that traditional education fails too many students.
"After a couple of talks I knew that this guy would become one of my best friends for life. We had way too many similarities to ignore, but he always challenges what I say and holds it up to the light of truth."
— Robert Mariuson
The founders describe their partnership as a "deadly combo" – Mariuson's social skills and sales acumen complementing de Waal Malefijt's technical expertise. More importantly, Mariuson brought vision for how Papiro could solve real problems, especially in education.
Beyond Children's Books
What began as de Waal Malefijt's wish to create custom books for his daughter has expanded dramatically. As creator of Money Maker board games, he understood how even well-designed games with detailed manuals can confuse players. As a musician, he'd experienced the frustration of needing to re-hear specific passages while reading sheet music.
But education remains the driving force, particularly for Mariuson. "Everyone talks about individualized learning, but it's mostly a hoax," the founders explain. Traditional classrooms force 30 students through identical material at the same pace. Papiro envisions teachers creating customized materials for each student, truly personalizing education.
"What I considered a 'simple' project is not straightforward at all..."
— Luuk de Waal Malefijt
The team is now finalizing their prototype platform with a "pen emulator." Their demo book, fittingly, tells the story of two entrepreneurs building a business – a meta demonstration of how authors can create consistent, interactive narratives.
The Road Ahead
From a trampoline accident to reimagining how billions interact with printed materials, Papiro's journey reflects the unexpected paths innovation can take. The founders see applications everywhere: board games that explain themselves, sheet music that plays examples, restaurant menus with allergen information, tourist guides that speak multiple languages.
As Papiro prepares for its first funding round, the vision remains clear: democratize interactive content creation, making it as simple as printing a document while preserving the tactile experience people love about physical media.