What Packlane does

Packlane is a custom packaging e-commerce platform founded in 2015 by Miriam Brafman and headquartered in Sherman Oaks, California, that enables small businesses, e-commerce brands, and subscription box companies to design and order made-to-order packaging online. The company manufactures and prints corrugated boxes, paperboard cartons, flexible pouches, rigid mailers, and custom paper bags in the USA, serving a long-tail of over 25,000 brands with named enterprise references including Red Bull, L'Oreal, HP, Shopify, Benefit, SeatGeek, Google, and The New York Times. Its core distribution mechanism is a self-serve web platform anchored by a free 3D box design tool that delivers real-time instant quotes as customers configure dimensions, materials, and artwork.

Packlane's product surface spans roughly 20 SKUs across mailer boxes, product boxes (cardstock, corrugated, hanging tab, pillow), shipping boxes (standard, book, Econoflex), stand-up and flat pouches, rigid mailers, and custom paper bags, plus accessory items such as water-activated tapes, poly tapes, custom tissue paper, and custom wrapping paper. The underlying print technology relies on digital CMYK printing augmented by proprietary HDPrint finishing for finer linework, digital white ink printing on Kraft corrugated, and Econoflex on 100% recycled material; bulk orders above 2,000 units route to a Packlane Plus service offering flexographic and lithographic printing and custom dieline modifications. The platform supports low minimum order quantities (as few as 1 unit), short lead times (4-12 business days), and full CMYK color with inside/outside box printing capability.

Packlane operates a primarily product-led, transactional model: most customers design, quote, and order directly through packlane.com on a pay-as-you-go basis, while an inside sales team (Packlane Plus) handles bulk and special-order quotes for enterprise and mid-market accounts, sometimes under multi-year contracts. Customer segmentation is horizontal — e-commerce brands and subscription box companies are primary, with retail stores and small/startup businesses as secondary. Packlane has disclosed $4 million in institutional capital from a 2018 Series A led by Breakout Capital with Draper Associates participating (preceded by an undisclosed 2016 round from Draper Associates), employs 11-50 people, and ships primarily within North America. The company also holds a registered Packlane® trademark and operates sub-brands (Packlane Plus, HDPrint, Dreamcoat, Econoflex) around distinct materials and service tiers.

Name

Packlane

Legal name

Packlane, Inc.

Website

https://packlane.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Packlane is a custom packaging e-commerce platform founded in 2015 that enables over 25,000 small businesses, e-commerce brands, and subscription box companies to design and order made-to-order corrugated boxes, pouches, mailers, and paper bags online via a self-serve 3D design tool with instant quoting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Packaging

NAICS

Paperboard Container Manufacturing (32221), Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing (322212), Plastics Bag and Pouch Manufacturing (326111)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650)

akta.pro primary industry

Protective Paper Packaging (Honeycomb, Paper Cushioning, Paper Wrap) (IMALACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Paper Bags & Sacks (retail, industrial, multiwall) (IMAMAHAC)

Keywords

• Custom packaging
• Corrugated boxes
• Mailer boxes
• Subscription boxes
• Packaging printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Box Orders: One-time transaction model for custom-printed packaging boxes. Customers select box style, material, size, quantity, and design customization. Pricing based on dimensions, box style, ink coverage, material, and quantity with volume discounts available for 5,000+ units.
2. Packlane Plus Bulk Orders: High-volume custom orders for 2,000+ units with access to flexographic printing, lithographic printing, and custom dieline modifications. Custom pricing negotiated through Packlane Plus sales team.
3. Packaging Accessories: Additional revenue from packaging accessories including water activated tapes, poly tapes, custom tissue papers, and custom wrapping paper.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Packlane designs, prints, and produces made-to-order custom packaging in the USA, including corrugated and cardstock boxes, flexible pouches, rigid mailers, custom paper bags, and packaging accessories. Customers design and price their packaging through a free online 3D design tool with instant real-time quotes and place orders on packlane.com, with low minimum order quantities starting at a single unit and rush production available. The company also operates Packlane Plus for bulk and specialty orders above 2,000 units using flexographic and lithographic printing.

Product overview

Packlane is a custom packaging platform offering made-to-order corrugated boxes, paperboard cartons, flexible pouches, rigid mailers, shopping bags, and packaging accessories—all printed and produced in the USA. The core product portfolio spans Mailer Boxes, Product Boxes (cardstock, corrugated, hanging tab, pillow, and tuck top variants), Shipping Boxes (standard, book, and Econoflex eco-friendly), Stand-up and Flat Pouches, Rigid Mailers, and Custom Paper Bags, supplemented by accessory products including Water Activated Tapes, Poly Tapes, Custom Tissue Papers, and Custom Wrapping Paper. The platform provides a free 3D box designer with real-time pricing, multiple print methods (digital CMYK, HDPrint, flexographic, lithographic), and material options (Kraft, Standard White, Dreamcoat premium clay-coated, 100% recycled Econoflex). Packlane Plus serves bulk orders of 2,001+ units with advanced print technologies, and a free sample kit allows customers to evaluate materials and finishes before ordering. The company emphasizes sustainability through recycled content materials and North American sourcing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Packlane Plus: A high-volume packaging service for bulk and super custom orders (2,001+ units), offering flexographic and lithographic printing options.
• HDPrint
• Dreamcoat
• Econoflex
• Dreamcoat Material

Products and services

• Mailer Boxes Durable corrugated cardboard mailer boxes designed for direct shipping, available in E-Flute and B-Flute single-wall construction supporting 1-30 lbs. Intended for subscription boxes, gift boxes, and e-commerce packaging.
• Cardstock Product Boxes Lightweight retail display boxes made from 16pt SBS paperboard with clay-coated white top side, suited for cosmetics, supplements, and food products needing shelf-ready presentation.
• Corrugated Product Boxes Corrugated cardboard product boxes that combine retail-ready display aesthetics with protective durability for heavier or fragile goods.
• Hanging Tab Boxes Retail display boxes with hanging tab functionality for elevated shelf placement and enhanced product visibility in retail stores.
• Pillow Boxes Simple and functional box style with a distinctive curved shape, suited for a variety of lightweight products.
• Standard Shipping Boxes Strong corrugated cardboard shipping boxes engineered for heavy items and fragile goods protection during transit.
• Book Shipping Boxes Custom-sized shipping boxes that ship with the product's exact dimensions, minimizing wasted space and material.
• Econoflex Shipping Boxes Ultra affordable, fully recyclable shipping boxes made from 100% recycled Kraft material, with print quality comparable to flexographic printing.
• Stand-up Pouches Flexible pouches that stand upright for fuss-free shelf displays, expanding and conforming to the product's shape.
• Flat Pouches Flexible flat pouches that expand and conform to product shape for versatile packaging needs.
• Rigid Mailers Professional-grade rigid mailers designed to protect documents and photos during transit with sturdy construction.
• Custom Paper Bags Custom kraft paper bags that carry brand identity and products in style, fully customizable with branding.
• Water Activated Tapes Sealant tapes that add tamper-resistance to custom boxes when activated by water, providing secure closure.
• Poly Tapes Cost-effective tape option for sealing and securing packages during shipping.
• Custom Tissue Papers Custom printed tissue papers adding an elegant and eco-friendly decorative layer to packaging void fill.
• Custom Wrapping Paper Custom printed wrapping paper serving as a decorative option for heartfelt gift packaging.
• Tuck Top Boxes Corrugated boxes with retail-style proportions that can be shipped without additional external packaging while maintaining retail display quality.
• Packlane Plus Bulk and Specialty Orders High-volume custom packaging service for orders exceeding 2,000 units, offering flexographic printing, lithographic printing, and custom dieline modifications with pricing negotiated through custom quotes.
• Free Sample Kit Free sample kit containing material swatch cards, an HDPrint-finish corrugated shipper, a white mailer, and a cardstock product box, delivered in 7-12 days (excluding shipping).

Quantifiable outcome

• Eligible orders may ship within 10 days or less with priority turnaround options
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lumi: Lumi is a direct competitor in custom packaging for e-commerce brands, offering custom-printed mailers, boxes, and poly mailers via a self-serve online platform with design tools, closely mirroring Packlane's SMB self-serve model.
• EcoEnclose: EcoEnclose offers sustainable custom-printed mailers, boxes, and packaging accessories aimed at eco-focused e-commerce brands; closely comparable to Packlane's Econoflex and recycled-content positioning.
• Arka (formerly PackagingBee): Arka provides custom retail packaging and boxes for e-commerce and subscription brands with online quoting and design tools, serving a similar SMB and mid-market segment as Packlane.
• Refine Packaging: Refine Packaging provides custom retail and shipping boxes with online design tools and bulk pricing for subscription box and DTC companies, directly comparable to Packlane's e-commerce customer focus.
• noissue: noissue offers custom-printed retail packaging (boxes, tissue, tape, stickers) with low minimums to DTC and SMB customers via an online configurator, directly competing with Packlane's custom packaging portfolio.
• BoxGenie: BoxGenie provides custom printed retail and shipping boxes with online design and quoting, targeting small businesses and subscription box operators in a closely overlapping product and customer category.
• Pakible: Pakible offers custom-printed boxes, mailers, and packaging accessories via an online platform targeting small and mid-sized e-commerce brands, with comparable low-MOQ self-serve ordering.

Regional players

• Packhelp: Packhelp is a European online custom packaging platform serving SMB and DTC brands with comparable self-serve custom box ordering; same product category and self-serve model but primarily EU geographic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Sticker Mule: Sticker Mule operates a large online custom printing platform for stickers, labels, and packaging accessories; broader custom-printing incumbent that overlaps with Packlane on packaging-adjacent custom printed goods.
• Stamps.com (Auctane) Shipping/Packaging: Auctane/Stamps.com offers shipping, label, and packaging consumables plus custom packaging for SMB shipping customers; broader incumbent overlapping with Packlane on SMB custom boxes and shipping supplies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/packlane
• YouTubevimeo.com/packlane
• Facebookfacebook.com/1574681909444442
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/packlane
• Instagraminstagram.com/packlanehq

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 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 Packlane