Gemnote
Gemnote is a B2B provider of custom branded merchandise, packaging, and swag management software for enterprise clients, offering end-to-end design, sourcing, fulfillment, and worldwide shipping through a proprietary platform and 1,000+ global suppliers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gemnote does
Gemnote is a Berkeley-based B2B provider of custom branded merchandise and packaging, founded in 2014. The company operates an end-to-end service covering product design, global sourcing, production, warehousing, fulfillment, and worldwide shipping, supplemented by a proprietary swag management software platform that includes Direct Ship, Swag Store, Redemption & Preorder Pages, and E-commerce Store modules, with native Shopify integration. Its supplier network spans 1,000+ vetted global producers and includes licensed partnerships with premium consumer brands such as Nike, Patagonia, The North Face, Baggu, and Marshall; the company also offers PMS color matching to support brand fidelity across SKUs.
The company's go-to-market is enterprise-focused, with a public customer roster that includes Nordstrom, Google, Netflix, OpenAI, Figma, Meta, Reddit, Amazon, Airbnb, Sephora, Hims & Hers, Zillow, DocuSign, Zendesk, Substack, Perplexity, Anthropic, Instacart, and Turo. Pricing is project-based with unit pricing ranging from $16.99 to $235+ and a minimum order quantity of 15 units; a subscription-based software offering extends recurring revenue beyond purely transactional merchandise sales.
Gemnote is led by co-founders Ashley Wong Tsui (CEO) and Diane Liu (COO) and operates with 11-50 employees. The company received a $120,000 seed investment from Y Combinator in August 2015 and has since operated without disclosed follow-on funding, consistent with a bootstrapped, services-led operating profile. The platform's combination of software and physical fulfillment positions Gemnote as a vertically integrated player in the corporate swag and branded merchandise category, with reported 99% fulfillment accuracy across its global logistics footprint.
Gemnote firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gemnote
- Legal name
- Gemnote
- Website
- https://gemnote.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Gemnote is a B2B provider of custom branded merchandise, packaging, and swag management software for enterprise clients, offering end-to-end design, sourcing, fulfillment, and worldwide shipping through a proprietary platform and 1,000+ global suppliers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gemnote industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Branded Merchandise and Packaging
- NAICS
- Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Greeting Cards, Wrap & Party Supplies Retail (CRALAJAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Novelty & Humor Gifts Retail (CRALAJAB)
Keywords
Where Gemnote is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Gemnote business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Merchandise Production & Fulfillment: Gemnote generates revenue through designing, sourcing, producing, and shipping custom branded merchandise including apparel, drinkware, accessories, and tech products. Orders are project-based with minimum quantities typically starting at 15 units. The company offers both white-label products from major brands (Nike, Patagonia, etc.) and fully bespoke private-label merchandise.
- Custom Packaging Solutions: Revenue from designing and producing custom packaging including rigid boxes, mailer boxes, corrugated shipping boxes, and packaging accessories. Supports sustainability initiatives with eco-friendly options.
- Software & Platform Subscriptions: Gemnote offers software tools including Swag Store management, redemption pages, and e-commerce functionality. These may operate on a subscription or service fee basis for ongoing account management.
- Warehousing & Fulfillment Services: Revenue generated from inventory storage, kitting, and worldwide shipping services. The company offers discounted domestic and international shipping rates to clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Project-based custom merchandise pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Bespoke/private-label merchandise |
| Subscription | Monthly | Swag management software platform |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Gemnote product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gemnote designs, sources, produces, warehouses, and ships custom branded merchandise and packaging for enterprise clients. Its offerings span employee swag, new hire kits, PR and influencer kits, event and conference giveaways, e-commerce merchandise, and custom packaging (rigid boxes, mailer boxes, corrugated shipping boxes, accessories), supported by proprietary swag management software including a Swag Store platform, Direct Ship, redemption/preorder pages, and Shopify integration.
Product overview
Gemnote is a comprehensive custom merchandise and packaging platform offering end-to-end branded solutions. The product portfolio consists of merchandise products (Employee Swag, New Hire Kits, PR & Influencer Kits, Event & Conference Giveaways, E-commerce Store Merchandise), packaging products (Rigid Boxes, Mailer Boxes, Corrugated Shipping Boxes, Box Trays & Packaging Accessories), and software tools (Direct Ship, Swag Store, Redemption & Preorder Pages, E-commerce Store, Shopify Integration). These are supported by four service capabilities: Design & Development, Sourcing & Production, Packaging & Sustainability, and Kitting & Warehousing. The platform combines creative design services, access to 1000+ global suppliers, fulfillment and warehousing, and software tools to manage the complete lifecycle of custom branded merchandise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Employee Swag
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% fulfillment accuracy rate
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Gemnote
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Gemnote technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature6 records
Gemnote partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NikecoreNike is listed as a key supplier partner providing access to premium athletic apparel and merchandise for white-label customization. Gemnote offers Nike products that can be customized with client branding for employee swag, events, and promotional merchandise.
- PatagoniacorePatagonia is available as a supplier through Gemnote, offering sustainable outdoor apparel options that can be customized with client branding for eco-conscious brand experiences.
- The North FacecoreThe North Face products including the ThermoBall Trekker Jacket are available through Gemnote for custom branding as premium employee or event merchandise.
- BaggucoreBaggu bags including the Horizontal Zip Duck Bag are available for customization through Gemnote's platform, offering trendy sustainable bag options for branded merchandise.
- MarshallcoreMarshall audio products including speakers and audio equipment are available for customization through Gemnote for premium tech-forward corporate gifts.
- ShopifycoreShopify integration allows Gemnote clients to connect their e-commerce stores directly to Gemnote's merchandise platform, enabling seamless selling of branded merchandise through existing Shopify storefronts.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gemnote competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Custom Ink: Custom Ink operates custom apparel and promotional merchandise for groups and organizations, including corporate clients — a direct competitor in custom swag production and fulfillment.
- Hightower: Hightower is a corporate gifting and branded merchandise platform serving enterprise clients with catalog, swag store, and fulfillment software — comparable to Gemnote's platform-software offering.
- Sendoso: Sendoso is a leading corporate gifting and direct mail platform with global fulfillment, an enterprise customer base, and swag management software — directly competing with Gemnote's gifting and platform layer.
- SwagUp: SwagUp is a B2B custom swag and merch platform offering end-to-end sourcing, kitting, warehousing, and a swag store SaaS — the closest direct competitor to Gemnote across both merchandise and software.
- Snappy: Snappy is a corporate gifting platform focused on tech and enterprise clients, providing curated gift experiences — competing with Gemnote's PR/influencer kit and employee recognition offerings.
- Anthem Branding: Anthem Branding is a custom branded merchandise and packaging agency serving mid-to-large enterprises — closely comparable end-to-end business to Gemnote including packaging capabilities.
Emerging players
- Printful: Printful is a print-on-demand custom merchandise producer with global fulfillment, increasingly serving B2B brand merchandise needs — adjacent competitor with overlapping custom merch capabilities.
Broad incumbents
- 4imprint: 4imprint is a large publicly listed promotional products distributor offering custom branded merchandise at scale — a broad incumbent competitor in custom merchandise with wider product breadth than Gemnote.
- Alphabroder: Alphabroder is a large wholesale apparel and imprintable merchandise distributor — a broad incumbent whose catalog and supplier relationships compete with parts of Gemnote's catalog.
Regional players
- Bespoke Custom Builds: Bespoke (Custom Builds) is a branded merchandise and apparel production company serving events, teams, and corporate clients — comparable custom merchandise work and end-to-end fulfillment model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gemnote social profiles
Digital presenceGemnote financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gemnote leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Gemnote funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gemnote 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 Gemnote
What does Gemnote do?
Gemnote designs, sources, produces, warehouses, and ships custom branded merchandise and packaging for enterprise clients. Its offerings span employee swag, new hire kits, PR and influencer kits, event and conference giveaways, e-commerce merchandise, and custom packaging (rigid boxes, mailer boxes, corrugated shipping boxes, accessories), supported by proprietary swag management software including a Swag Store platform, Direct Ship, redemption/preorder pages, and Shopify integration.
Is Gemnote a public or private company?
Gemnote is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Gemnote founded?
Gemnote was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Gemnote based?
Gemnote is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gemnote make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Custom Merchandise Production & Fulfillment is the primary driver. The others are custom Packaging Solutions, software & Platform Subscriptions and warehousing & Fulfillment Services.
Who are Gemnote's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Custom Ink, Hightower, Sendoso, SwagUp, Snappy and Anthem Branding. Printful is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are 4imprint and Alphabroder. Bespoke Custom Builds is listed as a regional player.
Does Gemnote have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gemnote.
What industry is Gemnote in?
Gemnote's product category is Custom Branded Merchandise and Packaging. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAJAE, Greeting Cards, Wrap & Party Supplies Retail, with a secondary code of CRALAJAB, Novelty & Humor Gifts Retail. Its NAICS code is 45942 and its SIC code is 7330.