Shwood

What Shwood does

Shwood Eyewear is a Portland, Oregon-based designer and manufacturer of premium sunglasses and prescription eyewear, founded in 2009 and self-described as "the original wood sunglasses maker." The company produces handcrafted frames across multiple material-based collections: Wood Classics (domestic hardwood), Acetate Originals (Italian cellulose acetate), Metal Originals (stainless steel with wood detailing), CAMP (adventure-focused), ACTV Performance (athletic use), and a Stabilized Series that casts sustainably sourced organic materials in resin. All collections are available in non-prescription and prescription (RX) formats with five lens technology tiers ranging from basic TAC to premium CR-39 and Nylon options. The company also operates licensed brand collaborations with the Grateful Dead, Smokey Bear, Pendleton, and the U.S. National Park Service, producing limited-edition products under those brands.

Shwood's product technology emphasizes natural and recycled inputs, including domestic hardwoods, Italian cellulose acetate, post-consumer recycled plastic (Pendleton line), and resin-cast organic materials, with specialized wood-frame construction and resin-casting techniques that yield distinctive, less-replicable aesthetics. All lens options carry 100% UV protection; polarized upgrades, anti-reflective coating, and a one-year manufacturing-defect warranty are offered across the lineup.

Commercially, Shwood operates a hybrid distribution model combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce at shwoodshop.com with a wholesale program for third-party retailers and a physical retail/headquarters location at 729 SE Grant St in Portland. Pricing ranges from $89 for CAMP and licensed-edition sunglasses to $199 for premium acetate lines, with free domestic shipping on orders over $99 and flat-rate $30 international shipping to 60+ countries. Revenue is generated entirely through one-time hardware sales of sunglasses and RX frames; no subscription, service, or licensing-revenue stream is disclosed. Shwood is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors beyond an early Starve Ups affiliation recorded in 2011, and operates with 1-10 employees under CEO Ryan Kirkpatrick with co-founder/designer Eric Singer.

Name

Shwood

Legal name

Shwood Eyewear

Website

https://shwoodshop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shwood is a Portland-based designer and manufacturer of premium handcrafted sunglasses and prescription eyewear, selling directly to consumers and through wholesale using natural materials like domestic hardwoods, Italian acetate, and recycled plastic across multiple themed collections.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Sunglasses & RX Eyewear): One-time purchase model for sunglasses and prescription eyewear frames across multiple collections including Wood, Acetate, Metal, CAMP, ACTV Performance, and Stabilized. Products sold at various price points with lens upgrade options.
2. Licensed Collaboration Products: Limited-edition collections featuring licensed brands (Grateful Dead, Smokey Bear, Pendleton, National Parks) sold as standalone eyewear products with special branding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Shwood Eyewear designs, manufactures, and sells handcrafted sunglasses and prescription (RX) eyeglass frames built from natural and sustainable materials, including domestic hardwoods, Italian cellulose acetate, stabilized organic materials in resin, and stainless steel with wooden detailing. The company operates multiple product collections (Wood, Acetate, CAMP, ACTV Performance, Metal, Stabilized) along with licensed brand collaborations (Grateful Dead, Smokey Bear, Pendleton, National Parks).

Product overview

Shwood Eyewear is a designer eyewear brand offering a diversified portfolio of sunglasses and prescription eyeglasses across multiple material-focused collections: Wood Classics (domestic hardwood frames as their original flagship line), Acetate Originals (Italian cellulose acetate), CAMP Eyewear (durable adventure-focused), Metal Originals (stainless steel with wooden detailing), Stabilized Series (resin-cast organic materials), and ACTV Performance (athletic use). The company also maintains active brand collaborations including Pendleton (post-consumer recycled plastic frames), Grateful Dead (limited-edition themed), Smokey Bear (wildfire prevention proceeds), and National Parks (park-themed bundles). All major frame lines are available in both sunglass and prescription (RX) formats with a tiered lens technology system (Basic, HD, Lite, HD Plus, Lite Plus) offering materials from TAC to CR-39 to Nylon with varying feature sets. Distribution is through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, wholesale partnerships, and corporate/group sales programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wood Classics Sunglasses Handcrafted sunglasses made from sustainably sourced domestic hardwoods, marketed as Shwood's flagship and original wood sunglasses line. Targeted at consumers seeking distinctive, natural-material eyewear.
• Acetate Originals Sunglasses Contemporary sunglasses and eyeglass styles crafted from premium Italian cellulose acetate, a sustainable plant-based material. Includes the Grant Acetate line.
• CAMP Eyewear Durable adventure-focused sunglasses with polarized lenses, designed for outdoor activities while maintaining sustainable style. Starting at $89.
• Metal Originals Premium lightweight metal frames with wooden detailing, made from stainless steel in timeless shapes.
• Stabilized Series Sunglasses and frames made from sustainably-sourced organic materials cast in resin, creating unique wearable art pieces.
• ACTV Performance Eyewear Performance eyewear engineered for active and athletic pursuits while maintaining everyday style.
• National Parks Collection Limited-edition park-themed eyewear bundles celebrating nine iconic U.S. national parks under license with the National Park Service.
• Pendleton Eyewear Collection Collaboration eyewear collection with Pendleton applying the brand's iconic patterns to frames made from post-consumer recycled plastic.
• Grateful Dead Collection Limited-edition licensed eyewear inspired by the Grateful Dead, featuring thematic designs on CAMP Glacier frames.
• Smokey Bear Collection Licensed Smokey Bear branded eyewear, including park-themed bundles, with proceeds supporting wildfire prevention efforts.
• Bigfoot Collection Limited-edition Bigfoot-themed eyewear collection with forest-inspired designs and themed branding.
• RX Prescription Eyewear Prescription eyeglasses available across Shwood's frame collections for both men and women.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% UV protection across all lens options
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grateful DeadcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed collaboration producing the Grateful Dead Collection featuring Bears Steins and Steal Your Face designs on CAMP Glacier frames. Limited-edition eyewear inspired by the iconic band's imagery.
• Smokey BearcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed partnership creating Smokey Bear-themed eyewear collections (CAMP Glacier Smokey Bear Edition) with proceeds supporting wildfire prevention efforts. Features branded frames and packaging.
• PendletoncoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCollaborative Pendleton Eyewear collection featuring iconic Pendleton patterns on frames made from post-consumer recycled plastic. Partnership combines outdoor heritage brands.
• National Park ServiceminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerNational Parks collection featuring park-themed bundles celebrating nine iconic U.S. national parks. Limited-edition products tied to specific parks.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sunski: DTC sunglasses brand built around sustainability and recycled materials. Comparable to Shwood through shared sustainability narrative, DTC-first distribution, and mid-premium price points, though Sunski focuses more on sport/lifestyle and less on natural materials.
• RAEN Optics: Independent premium eyewear brand producing handcrafted acetate and metal sunglasses and optical frames, sold DTC and through select wholesale partners. Highly comparable to Shwood in product category, premium positioning, California/independent heritage, and direct-to-consumer-plus-wholesale distribution model.
• District Vision: Niche performance eyewear and apparel brand positioned at the intersection of running, mindfulness, and Japanese craftsmanship. Comparable to Shwood through its premium niche positioning, DTC-plus-wholesale model, and focus on performance/outdoor lifestyle consumers seeking distinctive design.

Emerging players

• Pit Viper: Retro-style performance sunglasses brand with bold licensing/collaboration DNA (e.g., brand partnerships) and DTC-led growth. Comparable to Shwood in leveraging licensed collaborations and lifestyle branding, but with a much more aggressive volume-driven growth profile.
• Goodr: Affordable, performance-focused running and lifestyle sunglasses brand sold predominantly DTC. Comparable to Shwood through shared DTC-first go-to-market and an emphasis on performance/outdoor lifestyle use cases, though at a much lower price point and broader mass-market positioning.
• Blenders Eyewear: Fast-growing DTC lifestyle sunglasses brand with a focus on bold, youth-oriented designs. Comparable to Shwood through its DTC-led distribution and lifestyle-brand positioning, though Blenders targets a younger, lower price-point customer.

Broad incumbents

• Warby Parker: Large-scale DTC eyewear retailer offering prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses with a focus on affordable design. Comparable to Shwood through shared direct-to-consumer model, RX + sunglass dual offering, and design-led brand positioning, though Warby Parker operates at vastly greater scale and price point.
• Maui Jim: Premium polarized sunglasses brand owned by Kering Eyewear. Comparable to Shwood through its premium polarized lens positioning and outdoor/lifestyle customer overlap, though operating at a much larger scale and through optical retail channels.
• Ray-Ban (EssilorLuxottica): The dominant global sunglasses and optical brand, owned by EssilorLuxottica. Comparable to Shwood as the mass-market benchmark in the sunglasses category that Shwood's premium/niche positioning is differentiated against; both sell sunglasses and RX through retail and DTC channels.
• Oakley (EssilorLuxottica): Global performance eyewear brand owned by EssilorLuxottica, dominating sport/active segments. Comparable to Shwood's ACTV Performance and CAMP lines, which compete in the same performance/outdoor lifestyle category but at a small fraction of the scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/shwoodshop
• Facebookfacebook.com/Shwoodshop
• Instagraminstagram.com/shwoodshop
• Pinterestpinterest.com/shwoodshop
• Xx.com/shwoodshop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/623680

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Shwood