What The/Studio does

The/Studio (legal entity: THE/STUDIO Technologies) is a custom product manufacturing and on-demand merchandising platform headquartered in Pasadena, California, founded in 2014. The company operates a Digital Manufacturing Network that connects brands to 1,500+ vetted factories across 50+ countries, with real-time data capabilities for demand forecasting, production rerouting, and end-to-end materials tracking. Its flagship product category is custom patches — spanning embroidered, woven, chenille, PVC, leather, printed, bullion, and velcro variants — complemented by a broad portfolio of pins, coins, keychains, medals, hats, apparel, packaging, tech accessories, pet products, and cosmetics. In December 2025, the company launched the 'Source Anything' platform, extending its offering from single-category customization into low-MOQ design and private-label manufacturing for speed-to-market on culture-driven products.

The business model is primarily transactional and unit-priced: customers pay per piece with volume discounts, no minimum order quantities for most products, and free worldwide shipping with customs handled. Pricing tiers span from $0.20/piece (printed patches) to $9.82/piece (bullion patches), with mid-volume embroidered patch orders (500 pieces) priced around $290 total. Go-to-market is hybrid: a self-serve product-led e-commerce platform serves individual creators and SMB buyers, while a sales-led enterprise motion with dedicated account managers, free design consultation, and live chat support targets brand-side clients. Customer segments span DTC and e-commerce brands, fashion and apparel labels, agencies, startups and emerging brands, creators and influencers, and corporate teams.

The customer base of 100,000+ creators and 310,000+ completed orders since 2014 is anchored by marquee enterprise logos including Nike, Adidas, Red Bull, Pepsi, Amazon, and MLS, alongside streetwear and creator-led startups such as Tommy Breeze, Eleve, Love Your Melon, and Avenue Essentials. The company is privately held with 101–250 employees; the last disclosed funding was an $11 million Series A in September 2018 led by Ignition Partners. Leadership is headed by founder and CEO Joseph Heller, with Radu Ghita as VP of Engineering and Gabriel Colita as VP of Architecture.

Name

The/Studio

Legal name

THE/STUDIO Technologies

Website

https://thestudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The/Studio is an on-demand custom product manufacturing platform connecting brands to 1,500+ vetted global factories, offering low-MOQ production of patches, apparel, accessories, and private-label goods for creators, DTC brands, and enterprises including Nike, Adidas, and Red Bull.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Product Manufacturing: One-time transaction-based manufacturing of custom products including patches, pins, apparel, accessories and more. Customers pay per unit with pricing based on quantity, materials, and customization complexity. No recurring revenue but strong reorder potential through the platform's one-click reordering feature.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The/Studio is an on-demand product creation and manufacturing platform that connects brands to a network of 1,500+ vetted global factories to produce custom products including patches, pins, apparel, accessories, packaging, and more. The platform offers no minimum order quantities, 48-hour average quote times, free design consultation, Pantone color matching, and end-to-end production management from concept through delivery.

Product overview

THE/STUDIO is a custom product manufacturing and on-demand merchandising platform that operates as a comprehensive one-stop solution for brands seeking to create custom merchandise and private-label products. The platform is built around a core offering of Custom Patches (including embroidered, woven, chenille, PVC, leather, printed, bullion, and velcro variants) as the flagship product category, complemented by an extensive portfolio of accessories (pins, coins, keychains, medals, hats), apparel (T-shirts, hoodies, jackets, uniforms), packaging, tech accessories, pet products, and cosmetics. The company differentiates through its 'Source Anything' manufacturing platform, which connects brands directly to 1,500+ vetted global factories, offering low minimum order quantities, 48-hour quote turnaround, and end-to-end production management. The product architecture is organized as a web-based platform with specialized manufacturing capabilities across 100+ product categories, enabling everything from single-unit custom patches to full-scale private-label production runs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Source Anything: A manufacturing platform that enables brands to turn cultural moments into products quickly, connecting brands to a global network of factories with faster, flexible production capabilities.

Products and services

• Custom Patches The/Studio's flagship product category offering multiple patch types including embroidered, woven, chenille, PVC, leather, printed, bullion, and velcro patches. Used for apparel branding, team identification, fashion accessories, and promotional merchandise.
• Custom Pins

Quantifiable outcome

• 48-hour average quote time for production requests
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Accenture ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccenture research is cited in articles about THE/STUDIO's market positioning. Research indicates eCommerce companies forfeit $1.6 trillion annually due to supply chain vulnerabilities. THE/STUDIO positions its Digital Manufacturing Networks as a solution to these challenges.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Printful: Print-on-demand and custom manufacturing platform serving creators and brands with apparel, accessories, and merch. Direct competitor to The/Studio's core on-demand manufacturing offering with overlapping product categories.
• Printify: Print-on-demand marketplace connecting merchants to a global network of print providers. Closely comparable business model to The/Studio's factory network and SMB/creator target customer base.
• 4imprint: One of North America's largest promotional products distributors offering custom patches, pins, apparel, and accessories. Competes directly with The/Studio on custom merchandise for brands and organizations.
• Custom Ink: Custom apparel and promotional products platform for groups, teams, and brands. Comparable in serving the same SMB-to-enterprise custom merchandise use case with design tools and production management.
• Crestline Promotional Products: Distributor of branded promotional products including custom patches, pins, apparel and accessories. A traditional incumbent competing in the same end market as The/Studio.
• Marco Fine Arts: Specialty manufacturer of custom pins, coins, and patches with global production. Directly comparable core product categories and enterprise/brand customer base to The/Studio's pin and coin offerings.
• Gelato: Global print-on-demand and custom products network connecting brands to local production hubs for apparel, wall art, and merchandise. Closely comparable distributed manufacturing network model targeting similar SMB and brand customers.

Broad incumbents

• Alibaba (Custom Manufacturing / Made-to-Order): Largest global B2B marketplace for custom and OEM manufacturing across virtually every product category. Provides broader scale and lower price discovery than The/Studio, but lacks curated quality vetting and end-to-end brand service.
• Squarespace (Commerce / Merch Tools): Website and commerce platform with merchandise and creator tools that touch on custom product creation and sales. Comparable in serving creators monetizing audiences, though not a direct manufacturer.

Emerging players

• Maker's Row: Online marketplace connecting brands to American factories for custom manufacturing. Comparable marketplace model but with a domestic-only factory network, narrower than The/Studio's global scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/factorybythestudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2663356
• Instagraminstagram.com/thestudio.official
• Pinterestpinterest.com/factorybystudio
• Xx.com/factorybystudio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The/Studio