Apliiq
Apliiq is a U.S.-based print-on-demand apparel manufacturer serving 50,000+ clothing brands and creators with on-demand production, premium branding, and warehousing via two U.S. factories and native Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, and Wix integrations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Apliiq does
Apliiq is a U.S.-based print-on-demand (POD) apparel manufacturer and fulfillment platform founded in 2008 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with a second manufacturing facility in Philadelphia. The company operates a catalog of 1,200+ clothing styles sourced from 80+ premium blank brands (Bella Canvas, Comfort Colors, Independent Trading Co., AS Colour, Gildan, among others) and produces custom apparel only after orders are placed, eliminating inventory risk for customers. Apliiq serves clothing brands, influencers/creators, individuals/artists, sports teams and groups, and corporate/enterprise customers, claiming 50,000+ partner brands shipping 1,000s of unique items daily.
The platform combines in-house production technologies — DTF (Direct-to-Film) transfer printing, DTG digital printing, screen printing (12+ minimum per color), and embroidery — with sewn-in retail branding (woven labels, private labels, neck prints, embroidered patches) and cut-and-sew customization (pocket tees, liner hoodies, kangaroo pockets, patch hats, patch beanies). Two U.S.-owned factories enable 24-48 hour fulfillment for warehoused inventory and reach 150M+ U.S. consumers within a two-day shipping window. Native integrations with Shopify (4.9★ rated), WooCommerce, Etsy, and Wix, plus a REST API, allow merchants to automate product sync and order routing directly from their storefronts.
Apliiq monetizes primarily through per-item transaction fees on POD and bulk orders, supplemented by two recurring subscription products — Apliiq VIP Membership (20% discount on dropship orders) and Unlimited Digitization (no per-file embroidery digitization fees) — plus warehousing/fulfillment service fees and branding add-on charges (private labels $0.75-$2.50 per product; embroidered patches $2.28-$4.50 per patch). Distribution is product-led and self-serve via e-commerce platform marketplaces, with inside-sales support reserved for high-volume and enterprise accounts. Leadership comprises Ian Gruber (CEO), Sarah Dunn (Chief People Officer), Emily Gruber (CFO), and Jim Cunningham (CFO). The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors and has raised approximately $845K across four small funding rounds between 2010 and 2021, indicating an operationally funded, bootstrapped growth profile.
Apliiq firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Apliiq
- Legal name
- Apliiq Inc.
- Website
- https://apliiq.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Apliiq is a U.S.-based print-on-demand apparel manufacturer serving 50,000+ clothing brands and creators with on-demand production, premium branding, and warehousing via two U.S. factories and native Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, and Wix integrations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Apliiq industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Print-on-Demand Apparel Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (315990), Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111)
- SIC
- Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Apparel OEM/ODM & Private Label Manufacturing (CRAAAAAK)
Keywords
Where Apliiq is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Apliiq business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Print-on-Demand Production: Apliiq manufactures custom apparel only when orders are placed, charging per-item production costs. No inventory risk for customers. Supports DTF, DTG, screen print, and embroidery. Pricing varies by product, service type, and quantity. Dropship pricing ranges from $3-$8 per item for basic tees; screen print requires 12 minimum.
- VIP Membership: Subscription membership offering 20% discount on all clothing, printing, and embroidery. Targets high-volume sellers and growing brands. Membership benefits include reduced per-unit costs and priority support.
- Warehousing & Fulfillment Services: Brands can store bestsellers and packaging with Apliiq for 24-48 hour shipping. Charges for storage, fulfillment, custom packaging, and pack-ins. Enables lower costs at scale while maintaining fast delivery.
- Bulk/Wholesale Orders: Volume discounts available for larger orders. As order quantity increases, per-unit pricing decreases. Screen print services require 12 minimum per color. Bulk pricing provides better margins for brands selling at scale.
- Branding Services: Additional revenue from private labels ($0.75-$2.50 per product), woven labels ($0.60-$1.00 per label), embroidered patches ($2.28-$4.50 per patch), neck prints, and other retail-ready branding add-ons.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Print-on-Demand (Dropship) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Screen Print Bulk (12+ minimum) |
| Subscription | Monthly | VIP Membership - 20% Savings |
| Professional services/ project-based | Pay-as-you-go | Warehousing & Fulfillment |
| Subscription | Monthly | Unlimited Digitization |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Branding Add-ons |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Apliiq product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Apliiq is a U.S.-based print-on-demand apparel manufacturer that produces custom clothing (t-shirts, hoodies, hats, accessories) on demand using DTF transfer, DTG digital, screen printing, and embroidery. The platform combines on-demand production, premium branding services (woven labels, private labels, patches, neck prints), warehousing, and fulfillment with native integrations to Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, Wix, and a REST API. Brands can launch with no inventory risk via dropshipping, scale through bulk orders, or store inventory with Apliiq for 24-48 hour shipping.
Product overview
Apliiq is a print-on-demand apparel platform providing end-to-end custom clothing solutions. The core offering combines print-on-demand production (DTF transfer printing, DTG digital printing, screen printing, and embroidery) with premium branding services (private labels, woven labels, neck prints, and embroidered patches) and warehousing/fulfillment. Brands can start with no minimums via dropshipping, scale with bulk orders, or leverage warehousing for 24-48 hour shipping. Additional modules include Apliiq VIP membership for 20% discounts, unlimited digitization for embroidery, and cut-and-sew customization options like pocket tees and custom hood liners. The platform integrates natively with Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, and Wix, and offers a REST API for custom integrations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Print on Demand On-demand apparel production service enabling brands to create custom products (t-shirts, hoodies, hats, jackets, accessories) with no minimum order quantities. Products are manufactured only when a sale occurs, eliminating inventory risk.
- DTF Transfer Printing Direct-to-film transfer printing service offering photo-realistic prints on fabric and hard goods with fast turnaround and no minimums.
- Digital Printing (DTG) Direct-to-garment water-based printing with a vintage aesthetic, optimized for cotton fabrics.
- Screen Printing Bulk screen printing service with minimum 12 per color, producing bold graphics with longevity and vivid color for high-volume orders.
- Embroidery Premium stitched embroidery service for hats and apparel, featuring high-quality thread work and textured finish.
- Warehousing & Fulfillment Storage service for bestsellers and packaging with 24-48 hour shipping, plus custom packaging, pack-ins, and product finishing options.
- Apliiq VIP Membership Premium membership program providing 20% savings on all clothing, printing, and embroidery orders with no minimum requirements, targeting high-volume sellers.
- Unlimited Digitization Subscription Subscription service eliminating per-order digitization fees for embroidery designs.
- Dropshipping Inventory-free business model where Apliiq ships directly to end customers as brands sell, with VIP membership offering 20% discounts on dropship orders.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50k+ partners trust Apliiq for their POD needs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Apliiq
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Apliiq technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature7 records
Apliiq partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- ShopifycoreNative Shopify app integration rated 4.9 stars. Enables merchants to sync products, automate fulfillment, and track orders directly from Shopify admin. Primary distribution channel and top acquisition source.
- WooCommercecoreWordPress/WooCommerce plugin connecting ecommerce stores to Apliiq's on-demand manufacturing and fulfillment services.
- EtsycoreEtsy integration allowing sellers to list custom products and fulfill orders on-demand through Apliiq's manufacturing network.
- WixcoreWix app integration connecting products to Apliiq's fulfillment for selling professional creative products on-demand.
- Independent Trading Co.corePrimary blank apparel supplier with 140+ products available. Strategic manufacturing partnership providing premium blanks including IND4000 hoodies, PRM180PT pigment dye tees, and AFX activewear. Offers flexible ordering with no minimums.
- Comfort ColorscoreKey blank supplier featuring garment-dyed products including C1717 heavy tees, pigment-dyed hoodies, and vintage-style sweatshirts. 13+ products available.
- Bella CanvascorePremium blank brand featured prominently on homepage recommendations. Products include lightweight hoodies, heavyweight tees, and fashion-forward basics.
- GildansupportingValue-focused blank supplier offering affordable basics including Gildan 5000 t-shirts, pullover hoodies, and fleece shorts.
- AS ColoursupportingPremium international brand with surf caps, pocket tees, and fashion-forward basics. Featured in homepage recommendations.
- 80+ Blank BrandssupportingComprehensive supplier network including Otto Caps, Cotton Heritage, eConscious, Next Level, Rabbit Skins, Nike, Adidas, Champion, Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, and others. Total catalog exceeds 1,200 styles.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Apliiq competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Printful: Largest print-on-demand apparel platform with similar Shopify/Etsy/WooCommerce integrations, DTG/screen print/embroidery services, and fulfillment model. Most direct comparable in product, customer base, and integrations.
- Printify: POD marketplace connecting merchants to a global printer network, with similar ecommerce platform integrations and no-minimum production model directly competing with Apliiq for SMB merchants.
- Gelato: Globally distributed POD platform with production partners in 30+ countries. Competes on speed and catalog breadth, especially for international merchants.
- SPOD: Print-on-demand apparel service backed by Spreadshirt with comparable integrations, DTG/screen/embroidery capabilities, and merchant tooling.
- Gooten: POD platform with global production network and similar Shopify/WooCommerce integrations targeting SMB and mid-market merchants.
- Scalable Press: Apparel POD provider with screen printing and DTG capabilities and strong enterprise/wholesale orientation. Directly comparable in production mix and B2B positioning.
Broad incumbents
- CustomInk: Established custom apparel company focused on groups, teams, and corporate orders with screen printing and embroidery services. Overlaps with Apliiq's groups/teams segment but is not a self-serve POD platform.
Emerging players
- TPOP: European-based print-on-demand platform with eco-friendly positioning. Smaller catalog and geography but directly competing for SMB merchants using Shopify/Etsy integrations.
- Fourthwall: Creator-economy merchandise platform offering on-demand production, storefronts, and fan monetization. Overlaps with Apliiq's influencer/creator segment but with a more software-centric model.
Regional players
- Inkthreadable: UK-based POD platform with similar apparel customization services and Shopify/Etsy integrations, primarily serving merchants in the UK and Europe rather than competing head-to-head in the U.S.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Apliiq social profiles
Digital presenceApliiq financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Apliiq leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Apliiq funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Apliiq M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Apliiq
What does Apliiq do?
Apliiq is a U.S.-based print-on-demand apparel manufacturer that produces custom clothing (t-shirts, hoodies, hats, accessories) on demand using DTF transfer, DTG digital, screen printing, and embroidery. The platform combines on-demand production, premium branding services (woven labels, private labels, patches, neck prints), warehousing, and fulfillment with native integrations to Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, Wix, and a REST API. Brands can launch with no inventory risk via dropshipping, scale through bulk orders, or store inventory with Apliiq for 24-48 hour shipping.
Is Apliiq a public or private company?
Apliiq is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Apliiq founded?
Apliiq was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Apliiq based?
Apliiq is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Apliiq make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Print-on-Demand Production is the primary driver. The others are VIP Membership, warehousing & Fulfillment Services, bulk/Wholesale Orders and branding Services.
Who are Apliiq's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Printful, Printify, Gelato, SPOD, Gooten and Scalable Press. CustomInk is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are TPOP and Fourthwall. Inkthreadable is listed as a regional player.
Does Apliiq have an API?
Yes. REST API enabling custom apps, bulk operations, and bespoke workflows. Documentation available at https://help.apliiq.com/portal/en/kb/help/api. Developer documentation is at help.apliiq.com/portal/en/kb/help/api.
What industry is Apliiq in?
Apliiq's product category is Print-on-Demand Apparel Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAAAK, Apparel OEM/ODM & Private Label Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 315990 and its SIC code is 2300.