Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Mirjam Hadwiger: Snooty is the first lifestyle brand for child-friendly nasal strips with great design, function, fragrance, and a ritual all in one product. We combine ergonomically optimized nasal strips that, through their proper fit and gentle lifting of the nostrils, can make nasal breathing easier. We’ve created five lovable characters and use child-appropriate fragrances made from 100 percent certified organic essential oils. Children can use them playfully, they wear the nasal strips voluntarily, feel better, and parents can breathe easy.
From a scientific perspective, fragrance plus nasal breathing directly affect the limbic system and can quickly regulate emotions by, for example, calming, focusing, or preparing for sleep. That’s why our Snooty fragrance editions, which we’ve deliberately developed for children, aren’t just “decoration” – they have a logical effect.
Munich Startup: But that already exists!
Mirjam Hadwiger: True, technical nasal strips exist. But the products have been treated rather neglectfully so far – rather functional, medical, and emotionless. What’s missing is a brand that thinks things through to the end. A child-friendly fit, great fragrance, storytelling, pleasant tactile experience, collectible elements like our five Snooty characters, and an experience when wearing and unboxing them. We didn’t reinvent the wheel, we optimized it and developed it into an emotional category. Snooty fills exactly this gap – a product and a ritual in application that appeals to both children and parents.
The idea behind Snooty
Munich Startup: What’s your founding story?
Mirjam Hadwiger: Short and true: my son Charlie, who was just five years old at the time, had a mild cold and absolutely refused to use nasal spray. One evening, I cut down an adult nasal strip, stuck it on his nose, and suddenly there was peace. If something so simple could help, I thought, why isn’t there anything that children actually want to wear? I searched and found nothing that Charlie would wear emotionally, child-appropriately, and voluntarily. From this small everyday moment came Snooty – the idea of turning an aid into a loving ritual with funny characters, fragrance, and design.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Mirjam Hadwiger: The biggest challenge wasn’t the product but the change in perspective. After more than 20 years in the high-fashion business, I was used to strategically positioning brands and building talent internationally. With Snooty, I fully stepped into the role of product developer and brand architect for the first time, including production, certifications, supply chains, fragrance development, intellectual property rights, and financing.
A physical product means: every decision has consequences. Material, fragrance composition, packaging, logistics, cash flow. Everything is interconnected. Plus, we’re building a new category. That means we have to do more than just sell – we have to explain. But that’s exactly what I love. I don’t see challenges as obstacles, but as growth levers. And perhaps that’s my greatest strength: I think big but I work with meticulous attention to detail.
Munich Startup: How’s business going?
Mirjam Hadwiger: We’ve been on the market since January 2026 and we’ve only been live for a month, but we’re very happy with our start: already hundreds of Snooty packages sold, despite very limited marketing. But the trade show feedback at the Nuremberg Toy Fair and pre-sales confirm the great interest in Snooty. We sell through our own shop and Amazon, and in parallel, professionals like speech-language pathologists, dentosophists, orthodontists, and pediatricians are testing and recommending our nasal strips. Dr. Maren Koch, a dentosophist, is already a big fan and supports our communication about the importance of free nasal breathing.
Snooty founder Mirjam Hadwiger has been a model agent in the high-fashion sector for over 20 years and has been the founder and owner of MIHA Model Management for nearly 15 years. Her work includes discovering and developing models for the international market with famous clients such as Prada, Versace, Vogue, and Valentino. She founded Snooty in 2025.
Munich Startup: Where do you want to be in one year, and where in five years?
Mirjam Hadwiger: Snooty should scale internationally as quickly as possible, simultaneously with the Kids Edition and the Adult Edition. We’ve discovered a real niche – an emotional, lifestyle-driven category around nasal strips that doesn’t yet exist globally. That’s exactly where our advantage lies: a combination of design, fragrance, ritual, and genuine function that can be transferred internationally. In short, quickly establish market leadership in the DACH region and then move into other markets, with simultaneous launch of Snooty Kids and Snooty Essence for adults. That’s our accelerator.
Where lifestyle meets modernity
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Mirjam Hadwiger: I love Munich. The energy here inspires me. Lifestyle meets modernity and classical values, art meets business. Munich brings all of that together – a high-quality network, creative minds, professional service providers, and beautiful nature to recharge privately. After 20 years here, I can honestly say I can’t imagine a better place to live and start a business. For me, Munich is increasingly becoming the “Silicon Valley of Germany,” and I’m very proud to build Snooty in such a city. And yes, the combination of quality of life and business network is a real location advantage.
Munich Startup: Risk or security?
Mirjam Hadwiger: I’ve been an entrepreneur for many years and I take calculated risks. No risk, no magic. That’s how I developed Snooty – with heart, a clear vision, and the courage to tackle things. At the same time, we work professionally. I’ve assembled a strong team of experts and cover important areas like brand and legal protection, production, medicine, Amazon/operations, PR, and social media. For me, that’s a well-thought-out roadmap that reduces risk. You could say: no risk, no Snooty. But it’s a conscious, calculated risk, not flying blind.
