What Uhuru Design does

Uhuru Design is a Brooklyn-based, privately held furniture design and manufacturing firm founded in 2004 that designs, fabricates, and distributes sustainable commercial and high-end residential furniture, with a primary focus on the workplace, hospitality, coworking, and fast-casual restaurant verticals. The company's product portfolio is organized around modular systems, most notably the Minim Collection (conference tables, fixed and height-adjustable workstations, desks, private office, and storage), the newly introduced Lam System (a mass timber-inspired power beam workspace developed with Cambium's micro-CLT technology), the Bolt Table Series (co-designed with Float Studio), and craft-led lines such as the Hono Collection using the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban charring technique. Manufacturing is vertically integrated in a 50,000 sq. ft. facility in Denver, Pennsylvania, located in the heart of America's furniture manufacturing region, supporting both catalog products and custom OEM work for other brands.

The business model combines one-time sales of standard catalog products (sold through an e-commerce site, regional sales rep network, and an appointment-only New York showroom inside The Parlor at Industrious) with a higher-margin "design-as-a-service" custom and co-design practice that delivers branded environments to enterprise clients such as Nike, Industrious, Shake Shack, Ace Hotel, Fresh Beauty, Food52, and a New York investment firm. Revenue is generated through quote-based, project-anchored sales rather than recurring contracts. Distribution is US-centric with selective international reach through global hospitality and corporate clients, and the company is governed as a founder-led LLC with three co-founders (Jason Horvath, Daniel Husserl, and William Hilgendorf) and a single disclosed capital event of $6.9M in late 2020.

Name

Uhuru Design

Legal name

Uhuru Design, LLC

Website

https://uhurudesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Uhuru Design is a Brooklyn-based, founder-led furniture manufacturer founded in 2004 that designs, fabricates, and distributes sustainable modular workplace, hospitality, and residential furniture, serving enterprise clients such as Nike, Industrious, Shake Shack, and Ace Hotel through a vertically integrated Pennsylvania factory, a regional sales rep network, and a New York showroom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Furniture

NAICS

Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing (33721), Household and Institutional Furniture Manufacturing (33712), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Office Furniture (2520), Household Furniture (2510)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Office Furniture Retail (Desks, Office Chairs, Bookcases, Filing/Storage) (CRAIAAAD), Home, Furniture & Decor DTC (CRAFACAE)

Keywords

• Custom commercial furniture
• Modular workplace systems
• Sustainable furniture design
• Office furniture manufacturing
• Bespoke workspace solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Furniture Sales: Bespoke furniture designed and manufactured for specific client projects. Includes co-design collaboration with architects, designers, and brands to create custom furniture solutions. Revenue is generated through one-time custom project sales.
2. Standard Product Catalog Sales: Pre-designed furniture collections including conference tables, desks, workstations, seating, and accessories sold through e-commerce and sales representatives. Products include modular systems like Minim Conference, Minim Workplace, and various seating and table collections.
3. Design-as-a-Service: Brand-tailored design services including adapting standard designs, finding manufacturing solutions, developing furniture standards, and providing engineering and interior concepts. Services support projects from small offices to hospitality groups with global footprints.
4. Mass Customization Manufacturing: Vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities offering custom OEM designs in low and high volumes. Services include standard and custom furniture fabrication for other brands or projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Uhuru Design designs, manufactures, and sells custom and standard commercial and residential furniture, with a focus on modular workplace systems (conferencing, height-adjustable workstations, private office), hospitality-grade tables and seating, and a vertically integrated custom manufacturing service. Products are sold direct to enterprise clients (corporate offices, coworking operators, hospitality groups, architecture and design firms) through regional sales representatives, an e-commerce website, and a New York showroom, with bespoke co-design services for branded environments.

Product overview

Uhuru Design is a Brooklyn-based New American furniture design firm specializing in bespoke residential and high-end commercial furniture. Founded in 2004, the company offers a comprehensive workplace furniture portfolio centered around modular systems and customizable pieces. The core offerings include the Minim Collection (conference tables, workstations, desks, storage, and private office solutions), the Lam System (power beam workspace), the Bolt Table Series (collaboration with Float Studio), and the Hono Collection (Shou Sugi Ban charred wood furniture). Additional collections include the Vault Collection (inspired by NYC vault lights), Tack Collection, and various seating (chairs, stools, loungers). The company provides customizable modular workplace solutions, custom manufacturing capabilities, and brand-tailored design services for mission-driven clients across residential, hospitality, office, and co-working sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lam System A modular workspace power beam system inspired by mass timber architecture, featuring a central structural beam that supports fixed and adjustable-height work surfaces, storage, seating, screens, and integrated power while preserving open movement. Built for enterprise workplaces.
• Minim Conference Tables Award-winning power-ready conference tables with modular base styles and integrated power/data solutions, built from sustainably harvested hardwoods and recycled steel with customizable finishes. Configurable edge profiles, top shapes, and base styles for enterprise conference rooms.
• Minim Rise Workstations
• Minim Fixed Workstations Modular stationary benching solution in single-sided desking and double-sided benching configurations with balanced proportions and versatile configurations. Designed for enterprise open-plan offices.
• Private Office Collection Award-winning collection of freestanding and integrated desks, casegood storage, open shelving, and workwalls with customizable base styles, dimensions, and finishes for executive and private office environments.
• Bolt Table Series Award-winning table collection co-designed with Float Studio, featuring configurable sizes, materials, and colors with industrial design aesthetics inspired by I-beams. Available in multiple heights for cafe, work, side, and standing table applications.
• Hono Cafe Table Cafe and occasional tables using the Shou Sugi Ban Japanese charring technique on pine wood, combining ancient craft with contemporary design and a non-toxic protective clear coat.
• Hono Stool Hand-charred pine stool using the Shou Sugi Ban Japanese charring technique with a non-toxic protective clear coat, combining ancient craft with contemporary design.
• Sugar Stool Pine stool with a simple, clean design.
• Tack Stool / End Table Versatile piece available as a stool or end table in various brass and powdercoat finish options.
• Bilge Chair Lounge seating chair with barrel oak and black frame options.
• Cyclone Lounger Lounge seating with black oak seat and black frame, or natural oak seat and white frame options.
• DK Chair Chair in black leather and walnut configuration.
• DK Ottoman Ottoman in black leather and black frame configuration.
• Vault Collection Tables and consoles inspired by NYC's historical vault lights, featuring circular glass elements.
• Kong Coffee Table Coffee table with walnut slab top and black frame.
• Custom Design and Manufacturing Services Brand-tailored design-as-a-service and vertically integrated mass customization manufacturing, including adapting standard designs, finding manufacturing solutions, developing furniture standards, and providing engineering and interior concepts for projects from small offices to hospitality groups with global footprints.

Quantifiable outcome

• Collections featured in Smithsonian and Brooklyn Museums
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Float StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Float Studio on the award-winning Bolt Table Series. Float Studio is a multidisciplinary full-service studio specializing in workplaces, commercial spaces, hospitality and retail interiors. The collaboration merges expertise in furniture and interiors with shared passion for industrial design, inspired by industrial building structures such as I-beams.
• CambiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Cambium to develop micro-CLT (cross-laminated timber) technology for the Lam System. Cambium brings technique typically used in floors and ceilings to the scale of work surfaces, carrying layered structural integrity through the system's architectural DNA.
• Ashley LongshoreflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUhuru's collaboration with artist Ashley Longshore brings her vibrant Gemstone artwork to the Tack Stool and Bolt Tables, transforming functional furniture into bold, art-forward statement pieces.
• PoliLamcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPartnership with PoliLam for custom laminate expertise, helping translate Ashley Longshore's artwork onto durable surfaces for the Uhuru x Ashley Longshore collection.
• The Parlor at IndustriousflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to house Uhuru's new showroom within The Parlor at Industrious at 190 Bowery, New York. Provides showroom space within an iconic location at the corner of Bowery and Spring.
• New American Design CollectivecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMember of The New American Design Collective: a force of American studios shaping the future of design through material innovation, craftsmanship, technology, and story. Participation in collective activities including Fulton Market Design Days 2026.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Steelcase: One of the largest global office furniture manufacturers with deep contracts and dealer networks; competes with Uhuru in enterprise workplace but at vastly greater scale and with standardized systems.
• MillerKnoll (Herman Miller): Global contract furniture conglomerate including Herman Miller and Knoll brands with enterprise dealer relationships; overlaps with Uhuru in private office, conference, and workstation categories.
• Teknion: North American contract furniture manufacturer offering workstations, conference tables, and architectural walls; competes with Uhuru's Minim and Lam systems in mid-to-large enterprise bids.
• Haworth: Privately held global office furniture manufacturer with open-plan benching, private office, and architectural interior solutions that compete with Uhuru's Minim and Lam systems for enterprise specification.
• Humanscale: Design-led ergonomic office furniture company with strong sustainability credentials and integrated power/data solutions; overlaps with Uhuru in conference tables and height-adjustable workstations.
• Knoll (within MillerKnoll): Design-forward contract furniture brand known for premium workplace and residential crossover collections; closest broad-incumbent analog to Uhuru's design-led, customized enterprise furniture approach.

Regional players

• Room & Board: Design-forward US furniture retailer and manufacturer with sustainable sourcing and made-to-order offerings; overlaps with Uhuru's residential and commercial crossover pieces and craftsmanship positioning.

Direct peers

• Branch: Direct-to-office DTC furniture brand offering ergonomic seating and workstations targeted at hybrid teams; comparable in segment focus on modern workplaces and direct/online sales motion.
• Maars Living Walls: Premium architectural partitions and wall systems provider for commercial interiors; comparable design-led specification model targeting enterprise office fit-outs alongside Uhuru's workwalls and Lam system.

Emerging players

• Floyd (The Floyd Company): Detroit-based DTC furniture brand extending into workplaces with modern, sustainable design language; shares the Brooklyn/American-craft storytelling DNA and DTC-plus-B2B posture with Uhuru.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UhuruDesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uhuru-design
• Instagraminstagram.com/uhurudesign
• Pinterestpinterest.com/uhurudesign
• Xx.com/uhurudesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Uhuru Design