Sim-Labs story

Hi, I am Richard Schouteren - Founder and managing director of Sim-Lab, please allow me take you on a trip down memory lane!

2015

"When I started, I used my stair steps as shelfspace"

Back in 2015, I didn’t have a garage. Just a kitchen table. That’s where Sim-Lab started. Late nights, a lot of coffee, and the steady support of my wife Nevena kept it going. During the day I worked as an engineer, and in the evenings, I turned our living room into a makeshift workshop. Machining parts, packing orders, figuring things out with whatever tools I had on hand.

What began as a side project gained traction faster than I expected. Orders started coming in from all over the world. I still remember the names of those first few customers. They made a real impression, and I haven’t forgotten them.

At some point, it became clear that juggling both jobs wasn’t sustainable. So I made the call to go all in. Leaving my engineering role wasn’t easy, but it was the moment that shaped everything that followed. That’s when Sim-Lab truly began

2016

"The Garage days"

Orders trickled in, just a few each day, and every single one felt meaningful. In the beginning, each cockpit was built to order, and every bolt was picked by hand, often somewhere between excitement and exhaustion. Packaging was improvised with whatever boxes we could find, and every shipment felt like sending a piece of our hard work out into the world.

The local post office got used to seeing me show up with a cart full of packages. But as the number of orders grew, space quickly became a problem. The garage that once felt like a sanctuary started to feel way too cramped. We needed more room to think, build, and breathe.

So we moved into our first proper workspace. It wasn’t big, but it had an office and even a kitchen. For us, it was a huge step forward. It finally felt like Sim-Lab had room to stretch its wings.

2019

In just a few years time we grew from being a newcomer to being recognised as the leading high-end cockpit maker of the industry. With the dawn of Direct Drive wheels which spawned the need for strong aluminium profile cockpits, we were here to stay.

Fastworwarding a few years again, we moved the company more times than I can remeber, and we were settled in a 2300m2 facility were we would be running our business for the coming years ahead.

“Being able to connect with so many sim racers worldwide and provide them with high-quality gear has been an incredibly rewarding experience. ”

2020

“Getting a taste of the real deal”

One of the highlights of my Sim-Lab journey has been the opportunity to race myself. Sim racing has evolved far beyond what I ever imagined, reaching a level where you can genuinely become a skilled race car driver through dedicated practice on the sim alone.

Drawing from my real life racing experiences has given me invaluable insight and inspiration for Sim-Lab's next steps. It fuels my passion to bring authentically motorsport inspired products into the homes of enthusiasts worldwide, bridging the gap between virtual and real world racing.

2021

“Scaling up: Growth pains”

Keeping up with demand has been one of the biggest challenges throughout Sim-Lab's journey. Growth is never a smooth or predictable path. Solving one issue often just reveals the next two. From managing inventory to improving logistics and production, every stage came with its own set of hurdles. But with each challenge, we adapted, learned, and became stronger.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve taken from all this is that growth isn’t just about more machines, more space, or more orders. It’s about having the right people. Over the years, we’ve been lucky to build a team that doesn’t just work for Sim-Lab, but with it.

That team is what defines Sim-Lab. Every person brings commitment, skill, and a shared passion for what we’re doing. There’s a strong sense of ownership. People take pride in their role and understand how their part fits into the bigger picture. The atmosphere is positive, the energy is high, and there’s a real team spirit that makes it something to look forward to each day.

At the end of the day, Sim-Lab isn’t just about the products. It’s about the people who make them come to life.

2022

“Teaming up with champions, a personal milestone”

At Sim-Lab, innovation isn’t just a buzzword, it’s the driving force behind everything we do. One of the proudest examples of this commitment is our partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Collaborating with such an iconic name in motorsport and bringing their legendary steering wheel to the sim racing community has been a milestone achievement for us. These partnerships aren’t just about prestige; they’re about shared values, precision, performance, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Striving for collaborations like this pushes us to raise the bar, explore new technologies, and continue delivering products that redefine what’s possible in sim racing. At Sim-Lab, every partnership is another step toward the future we are building one innovation at a time.

2023

"Teamwork"

Behind every product, every design, and every shipment is a team of dedicated individuals who make Sim-Lab what it is today. From engineers and designers to customer support specialists and logistics experts, our team shares a passion for excellence and a commitment to our customers.

This culture of collaboration and innovation has been central to our success. Each member of the Sim-Lab team brings their expertise to the table, contributing to a shared vision of creating world-class products that redefine the sim racing experience.

“Innovation: my driving force”

For me, innovation has always been more than just a buzzword, it’s been the driving force behind everything I do at Sim-Lab. From the very beginning, I’ve been deeply involved in developing new products, refining existing ones, and finding ways to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Whether it’s sketching out ideas on paper, testing prototypes, or obsessing over the tiniest design details, I’ve always felt most at home in the creative process.

What excites me most is seeing an idea go from a rough concept to a fully realized product in the hands of a passionate sim racer. Every cockpit, every mount, and every piece of hardware we create is the result of countless hours of design, testing, and iteration. But for me, true innovation isn’t just about coming up with something new, it’s about solving real problems, enhancing the experience, and making sure every racer, no matter their skill level, has access to equipment they can trust.

At Sim-Lab, I’m proud to say we’re not just following trends, we’re setting them. And as long as I’m here, you’ll find me right in the middle of it all, dreaming, designing, and building the next generation of sim racing gear.

2025

"Beyond Cockpits. Powering Your Entire Sim Racing Setup"

By 2025, what started with a single cockpit on my kitchen table had grown into something I could have only dreamed of. We were no longer just cockpit makers; we had become a full ecosystem for sim racers. This evolution wasn't part of a grand business plan, but a natural progression fueled by the community's feedback and our team's passion. We listened to what racers wanted, what they felt was missing, and we built it. From pedals and shifters to handbrakes and steering wheels, every new product was a piece of a larger puzzle, designed to work seamlessly together.

Seeing a complete Sim-Lab setup in someone's home, knowing that every component was crafted with the same dedication and attention to detail as our very first cockpit, is a feeling that's hard to describe. It's not just about selling gear; it's about providing a complete experience, a platform for passion to thrive. We’ve come a long way from the garage days, but the core mission remains the same: to create the best possible sim racing experience, inspired by and built for the community we are so proud to be a part of

“Fueled by the personal stories”

One of the most rewarding parts of building Sim-Lab has been the connections I’ve made along the way. Whether it’s through lively discussions on Facebook, meeting customers at events, or simply exchanging emails about setups and feedback, these interactions have been a constant source of motivation and joy.

It’s incredible to see how sim racing brings people together across the world, and I’m proud that Sim-Lab plays a role in that. At the end of the day, this isn’t just about designing and selling products, it’s about sharing a passion, solving problems together, and building something meaningful with a community that feels like family.