Kotn
Kotn is a Toronto-based B Corporation that designs and sells sustainably made apparel and home textiles, primarily from Egyptian cotton, selling direct to conscious consumers through its kotn.com storefront and 13 retail stores in Canada, the US, and the UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kotn does
Kotn is a Toronto-headquartered direct-to-consumer apparel and home goods brand founded in February 2015 by Benjamin Sehl, Mackenzie Yeates (Founder & Chief Brand Officer), and Rami Helali (Founder & CEO). The company designs and sells better-basics clothing — womenswear, menswear, accessories — and home textiles (bedding, bath, apothecary) primarily from Egyptian cotton, with apparel priced between roughly $59 and $198. Distribution is fully owned: a kotn.com Shopify storefront shipping to 180+ countries plus 13 brick-and-mortar retail stores across Canada (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver), the United States (NYC, Brooklyn, LA), and the UK (London Shoreditch), with a Toronto warehouse fulfillment backbone.
The supply chain is the product's defining feature: 5,127 smallholder cotton farmers (one source cites 690 farms) within a 400 km radius in Egypt's Nile Delta and Faiyum regions, plus owned/partnered yarn and fabric mills, dye houses, and cut-and-sew facilities within the same radius, with additional manufacturing in Portugal and Turkey. Kotn is a Certified B Corporation ranked with the fourth-highest B Impact Score among North American apparel brands and "Best for the World" in the Community category; it has funded 11 elementary schools in Egypt since 2017 and pays farmers 35% above market while absorbing 28% of farm input costs via subsidies. Technology infrastructure is a headless Shopify commerce stack (Hydrogen / Oxygen / Storefront API) with a recent early-adopter integration of Depict AI's GPT-powered conversational search engine launched in September 2025.
The business model is one-time direct product sales — apparel, home goods, and digital gift cards — priced per unit at the prices above, with sale SKUs and BNPL options (Affirm, Afterpay, PayPal, Google Pay). Customer acquisition is led by content marketing (a deep traceability content library plus editorials), email/SMS, paid social across Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Google, and Microsoft, affiliate via AWIN and Shopify Product Network, and earned PR in 80+ major publications. The brand explicitly targets "conscious consumers" — men and women seeking durable, ethically made basics and capsule-wardrobe buyers in North American and UK metropolitan markets — and treats the Egypt supply chain and school-building program as the core differentiation versus conventional apparel competitors.
Kotn firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kotn
- Legal name
- Kotn, Inc.
- Website
- https://kotn.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kotn is a Toronto-based B Corporation that designs and sells sustainably made apparel and home textiles, primarily from Egyptian cotton, selling direct to conscious consumers through its kotn.com storefront and 13 retail stores in Canada, the US, and the UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kotn industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable apparel and home textiles
- NAICS
- Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811), Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458), Home Furnishings Retailers (44912)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable / Ethical Apparel & Accessories Wholesale (CRAOADAJ)
Keywords
Where Kotn is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices13 records
Markets served
Kotn business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Product Sales: Kotn generates revenue through direct sales of clothing and home goods via owned e-commerce (kotn.com) and physical retail stores. Products include womenswear, menswear, accessories, and home items (bedding, bath, apothecary). Pricing ranges from approximately $59 to $198 for apparel, with home items at various price points.
- Gift Cards: Kotn sells digital and potentially physical gift cards, which provide store credit for future purchases. Gift cards never expire and can be used in-store or online.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard product pricing ranging from $59 to $198 for apparel items |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free shipping on orders over $100 (Canada & US), £100 (UK) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Payment methods: Shop (Shopify), Affirm, Afterpay, PayPal, Google Pay |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Kotn product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kotn designs, manufactures, and sells a direct-to-consumer line of sustainably made apparel and home goods. The assortment spans womenswear, menswear, and unisex basics (t-shirts, denim, sweatshirts, dresses, loungewear, accessories) plus a home collection of bedding, bath, and apothecary items made primarily from Egyptian cotton. Products are designed in Canada and produced in Egypt, Portugal, and Turkey within a 400km traceable supply chain, sold via the brand's Shopify storefront and 13 owned retail stores.
Product overview
Kotn is a certified B Corporation sustainable fashion and home goods brand offering a unified portfolio of everyday essentials. The product lineup centers on womenswear and menswear collections of better basics built from natural fibres (primarily Egyptian cotton), supplemented by a home collection of bedding, bath, and living essentials. Key products include the Unisex Antifit Denim line, seasonal Spring/Summer collections, and a New Arrivals program. Accessories (socks, scarves, hats), gift cards, and sale items round out the offering. The brand emphasizes circular traceability from farm to finished product, with manufacturing in Egypt, Portugal, and Turkey. Kotn operates both e-commerce (via Shopify) and physical retail stores across North America and the UK.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Beit Kotn: A community and editorial section of the Kotn website featuring stories and collections.
Products and services
- Womenswear collection Better basics built to last from natural fibers including t-shirts, dresses, tops, pants, skirts, sweatshirts, and loungewear, designed in Canada and ethically made in Egypt, Portugal, and Turkey for women.
- Menswear collection Men's everyday essentials including shirts, pants, shorts, tops, loungewear, and denim made from natural fibers, designed in Canada and ethically manufactured in Egypt, Portugal, and Turkey.
- Home collection
Quantifiable outcome
- 35% above market pay to cotton farmers
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Kotn
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Kotn technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature1 record
Kotn partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ShopifycoreKotn's e-commerce platform is hosted on Shopify Inc., which provides the online e-commerce platform for selling products and services. The store uses Shopify's Storefront API, Hydrogen React-based framework, and Oxygen hosting environment for headless commerce implementation.
- Shop App (Shopify)coreCredit card payments processed via Shop app from Shopify. Customers can optionally save information and create a Shop account at checkout.
- AffirmminorBuy Now, Pay Later payment option allowing customers to pay in installments. Customers set up accounts with Affirm directly and are subject to Affirm's privacy policies.
- AfterpayminorBuy Now, Pay Later payment option. Customers set up accounts with Afterpay directly and are subject to Afterpay's privacy policies.
- PayPalminorPayment option at checkout. Customers set up accounts with PayPal directly and are subject to PayPal's privacy policies.
- Google PayminorMobile payment option at checkout. Customers set up accounts with Google Pay directly.
- AWINminorAffiliate marketing network for performance-based marketing partnerships.
- Shopify Product NetworkminorCross-merchant advertising program through Shopify for product discovery and marketing.
- Meta (Facebook/Instagram)minorDigital advertising network for targeted advertising and marketing campaigns.
- Alphabet (Google)minorDigital advertising network for targeted advertising through Google Ads and other Alphabet properties.
- TikTokminorDigital advertising network for targeted advertising on TikTok platform.
- Microsoft AdsminorDigital advertising network for targeted advertising through Microsoft/Bing Ads.
- PinterestminorDigital advertising network for targeted advertising and product discovery on Pinterest.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kotn competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Everlane: Everlane is a US-based DTC sustainable apparel brand offering premium basics and transparent pricing, directly comparable to Kotn on channel model (DTC + retail), target customer (conscious consumer), and pricing tier. Both compete for the same ethical-basics wallet share.
- Reformation: Reformation is a DTC sustainable fashion brand offering women's apparel and accessories with strong sustainability branding and own-retail stores. Directly comparable on customer demographic (sustainability-driven women), premium pricing, and multi-channel DTC model.
- Aritzia: Aritzia is a Canadian-headquartered DTC apparel brand with owned retail stores across North America offering premium everyday essentials. Comparable on geography (Canadian HQ), multi-channel DTC + retail strategy, and premium everyday-essentials positioning aimed at women.
- Pact: Pact is a DTC sustainable basics brand focused on organic cotton apparel for the whole family, with strong third-party certifications (GOTS, Fair Trade). Comparable on sustainable-cotton sourcing, DTC channel, and target customer (conscious family basics shopper).
- Cuyana: Cuyana is a DTC brand offering sustainable apparel and accessories emphasizing quality basics and ethical production. Comparable on DTC-first model, sustainable supply chain narrative, premium pricing tier, and target customer (conscious professional woman).
- Quince: Quince is a DTC brand offering affordable premium essentials across apparel, home, and accessories by cutting out traditional retail markup. Directly comparable on direct-trade cost reduction, premium basics assortment, and DTC channel focus.
- AYR (All Year Round): AYR is a DTC women's apparel brand offering elevated everyday essentials with a focus on quality and fit. Comparable on women's premium-basics positioning, DTC + selective retail channel strategy, and similar price tier to Kotn's womenswear.
- Outdoor Voices: Outdoor Voices is a DTC active-lifestyle apparel brand with own-retail stores and community-led marketing. Comparable on DTC + own-retail strategy, millennial/Gen Z target customer, and premium everyday-apparel positioning with community storytelling.
Broad incumbents
- Patagonia: Patagonia is the established leader in sustainable outdoor apparel with deep supply chain traceability and activism-driven branding. Comparable on sustainability credentials and traceable supply chain, though broader assortment and larger scale make it a broad incumbent rather than direct competitor in everyday basics.
- Madewell: Madewell is a specialty apparel retailer (J.Crew-owned) offering premium denim and everyday women's basics with extensive own-retail presence. Comparable on premium everyday-basics assortment, denim category leadership, and DTC + retail channel mix, though broader and more mass-market than Kotn.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kotn social profiles
Digital presenceKotn financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kotn leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Kotn funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kotn 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 Kotn
What does Kotn do?
Kotn designs, manufactures, and sells a direct-to-consumer line of sustainably made apparel and home goods. The assortment spans womenswear, menswear, and unisex basics (t-shirts, denim, sweatshirts, dresses, loungewear, accessories) plus a home collection of bedding, bath, and apothecary items made primarily from Egyptian cotton. Products are designed in Canada and produced in Egypt, Portugal, and Turkey within a 400km traceable supply chain, sold via the brand's Shopify storefront and 13 owned retail stores.
Is Kotn a public or private company?
Kotn is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kotn founded?
Kotn was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kotn based?
Kotn is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Kotn make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are gift Cards.
Who are Kotn's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Everlane, Reformation, Aritzia, Pact, Cuyana, Quince, AYR (All Year Round) and Outdoor Voices. Broad incumbents are Patagonia and Madewell.
Does Kotn have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kotn.
What industry is Kotn in?
Kotn's product category is Sustainable apparel and home textiles. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOADAJ, Sustainable / Ethical Apparel & Accessories Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 458110 and its SIC code is 5600.