Cartonlab

What Cartonlab does

Cartonlab (legal entity Cartonlife, S.L.) is a Spanish manufacturer founded in 2010 and headquartered in Molina de Segura, Murcia, that designs, prototypes, and produces furniture, signage, and temporary architectural structures made from FSC-certified cardboard. Its product surface spans roughly 100 standardized e-commerce SKUs organized into collections (OHM shelving, TARAY seating and tables, FACETA hexagonal pieces, JARA benches, MIMOSA foldable chairs, BRASILIA tables, HUNTER exhibition panels, BRANCH decorative trees, VOLTA and MEMOFLIP interactive event pieces, KLETT displays and hangers, ESCALA grandstands, PRACTIKA and POLIPODIO shelving) plus a custom-project service for bespoke brand and event installations. The underlying technology stack combines expertise in multiple cardboard substrates — single-to-quadruple-wave corrugated, honeycomb, alveolar/hybrid panels from suppliers such as Swedboard, Re-board and Xanita — with digital plotter cutting, allowing flat-pack shipping, tool-free interlocking assembly, and on-demand production without inventory carry.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market. The first leg is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store on cartonlab.com (WordPress + WooCommerce, payments via Stripe, PayPal and Redsys), currently shipping only to the Spanish peninsula, with lead times of 10–15 business days for standard products and 15–20 days for personalized/printed items. The second leg is a custom-project service delivered internationally from the Molina de Segura facility, covering concept design, structural engineering, production, and installation for B2B clients in events, retail, fashion, food branding, energy, international development, paper/packaging, fragrance and coffee (named customers include CaixaForum Valencia, Pink Lady, Repsol, Munich, Nuhü Division, IDB, International Paper, Smurfit WestRock, Iberchem, Cropster and EFI). Pricing is unit-based on catalog SKUs (typical range €59.50–€250) and quote-based on bespoke work; revenue is therefore a mix of low-ticket, high-volume e-commerce and higher-value, episodic project contracts. Cartonlab is privately held and bootstrapped, with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity in the source data.

Name

Cartonlab

Legal name

Cartonlife, S.L.

Website

https://cartonlab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cartonlab is a Spanish manufacturer that designs, engineers, and sells FSC-certified cardboard furniture, signage, and temporary event structures via a 100+ SKU e-commerce store (Spain shipping) and an international custom-project service for B2B brand, retail, and event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Cardboard Furniture and Display Manufacturing

NAICS

Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing (322212)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650)

akta.pro primary industry

Folding Cartons & Paperboard Packaging Converting (IMAMAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Folding Cartons (Folding Boxboard, SBS/SUS) (IMALACAB), Folding Carton & Paperboard Packaging Printing (IMALAKAH)

Keywords

• Cardboard furniture manufacturing
• Temporary event architecture
• Exhibition display systems
• Point of sale displays
• Modular signage solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Molina De Segura

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (E-commerce): One-time purchase model for standardized cardboard furniture and displays. Customers purchase from catalog and optionally customize with printing. Products include shelves, chairs, benches, tables, exhibition panels, stands, displays, and decorations.
2. Custom Projects: Bespoke design and fabrication services for unique cardboard solutions. Covers concept development, structural design, production, and installation. Pricing varies by project complexity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cartonlab designs, prototypes, and manufactures cardboard-based furniture, displays, signage, and decorative items for brands, retailers, and event organizers. It sells 100+ standardized designs through its own e-commerce store (with optional digital-print customization) and delivers bespoke end-to-end custom projects covering concept design, structural engineering, plotter cutting production, and on-site installation. All products are built in Spain from FSC-certified corrugated, honeycomb, alveolar, and compact cardboard with tool-free self-assembly.

Product overview

Cartonlab operates an e-commerce platform offering over 100 customizable cardboard designs for events, exhibitions, and retail spaces. The product portfolio includes several core modular furniture collections (OHM, TARAY, FACETA, JARA, MIMOSA, BRASILIA) and standalone display/decorative products (HUNTER panels, BRANCH trees, VOLTA roulette, MEMOFLIP rotating panels, KLETT displays, ESCALA grandstands, PERCHAS hangers). All products are designed and manufactured in Spain using FSC-certified materials with digital plotter cutting technology. The offering combines ready-to-purchase standardized products (customizable with brand printing) and full-service custom project design for unique applications. Target customers include B2B companies in retail, events, hospitality, and trade show industries seeking sustainable temporary architecture and point-of-sale displays.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OHM Collection Modular cardboard shelving units, display counters, and easels made from corrugated cardboard with self-clasping assembly, supporting up to 250 kg, and customizable with brand graphics.
• TARAY Collection Cardboard chairs, meeting tables, auxiliary tables, benches, and modular biombos (room dividers) made from triplex corrugated cardboard, designed for easy assembly and brand customization.
• FACETA Collection Contemporary cardboard furniture line including hexagonal tables, display counters, benches, high-back chairs, and bar stools, known for modern aesthetic design with curved lines for events and retail spaces.
• JARA Collection Cardboard furniture collection featuring high-back chairs and compact benches in quad-corrugated cardboard, supporting up to 250 kg for reusable applications.
• MIMOSA Foldable Cardboard Chair Foldable cardboard chair with a compact design and simple assembly intended for temporary seating at events.
• BRASILIA Collection Cardboard furniture line featuring meeting tables and auxiliary tables built from double corrugated cardboard for event and catering applications.
• HUNTER A0 Double Display Panels A0 format double display panel system for exhibitions and trade shows, made of modular panels that can be customized with graphics for point-of-sale displays.
• BRANCH Decorative Cardboard Tree Decorative cardboard tree with an organic tree-branch design, intended for event theming and interior decoration, and customizable with brand graphics.
• VOLTA Customizable Roulette Customizable cardboard roulette/wheel game with quad-corrugated cardboard construction, digital printing, and smooth spinning mechanics for interactive brand events.
• MEMOFLIP Rotating Panel Game Customizable rotating cardboard panel game with 16 rotatable modules printable on both sides, functioning as a memory game and interactive event element.
• KLETT Collection (Displays, Hangers, Easels) Cardboard display and organizational collection including wall-mounted hangers, clothing racks, display easels, mini stepped displays, and panel stands with interlocking pieces for easy assembly, including eco-friendly cardboard hangers from 3 mm recycled cardboard.
• ESCALA Modular Grandstand Modular cardboard grandstand/stage system with tiered seating configurations for event presentations and performances.
• PRACTIKA Cardboard Shelving Sustainable cardboard shelving unit with a curved contemporary design, ships flat in three interlocking pieces with approximately 5-minute folding assembly.
• POLIPODIO Modular Bookshelf Modular cardboard bookshelf with infinitely combinable cube modules in 37 cm and 19 cm widths, available in kraft or white finishes for creative space decoration.
• BASSET Pedestal Collection Cardboard display pedestal collection available in hexagonal and square formats for product presentation in retail and exhibition environments.
• POSTRACK Fingerpost Signage Cardboard fingerpost signage system with modular posts and signs for directional wayfinding at events.
• TUK Stools Collection Cardboard stool and bar-height seating collection sold in packs of three, designed to complement the rest of the Cartonlab furniture range at events.
• Modular Exhibition Stands Modular cardboard exhibition stands for trade shows and events, configurable for different booth sizes and customizable with brand graphics.
• Custom Projects Service Bespoke design and manufacturing service covering concept design, structural engineering, digital plotter cutting production, and on-site installation support for unique cardboard event, exhibition, and retail installations, delivered internationally from the Murcia manufacturing facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products support up to 250kg weight (OHM bookshelf tested)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Integration16 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• International PaperminorOthersCardboard industry partner/supplier relationship. International Paper is listed among industry partners/confidence indicators on Cartonlab website.
• Smurfit WestRockminorOthersCardboard packaging manufacturer partner. Listed among industry partners on Cartonlab website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• beMatrix: Belgian modular aluminum exhibition frame system with global partner network. Competes with Cartonlab in the modular trade show/exhibition booth category, though using different (non-cardboard) materials.
• Octanorm: German global leader in modular exhibition and event systems. Competes for the same enterprise trade-show and event-stand spend that Cartonlab addresses via custom cardboard projects.
• Smurfit Westrock: Largest global paper-based packaging group after the Smurfit Kappa / WestRock merger. A listed Cartonlab partner; broad incumbent with overlapping corrugated display and packaging capabilities across international markets.
• DS Smith: Global sustainable paper-based packaging giant offering corrugated, POS displays, and event solutions. Broader incumbent: Cartonlab uses similar raw materials and serves overlapping end-customers, while DS Smith competes at scale across Europe.
• International Paper: World's largest pulp/paper producer with packaging and display businesses. Listed Cartonlab partner; broad incumbent sharing both customers and supply-chain relationships.

Direct peers

• Strand Europe: European manufacturer of cardboard point-of-sale displays, dump bins, and promotional units. Direct peer: same material, same retail/event POS end-use, similar custom-project service model.
• Makitoni: International POS display and retail marketing execution company with cardboard/recyclable offerings. Direct peer: same target customers (brands and retailers), same product category (POS displays).
• Refold: Dutch design-focused maker of cardboard furniture and accessories for home and office. Closest direct peer: similar recycled-cardboard design DNA, modular self-assembly, small-batch custom offering for sustainability-minded buyers.
• Fantastak: UK-based maker of temporary cardboard structures, exhibition stands, and POS displays for events and retail. Direct peer: same product categories (displays, signage, event structures) with custom project service model.

Emerging players

• Noiigii Studio: Italy-based design studio developing cardboard furniture and modular systems. Emerging peer: comparable sustainable-cardboard design ethos, smaller scale, and similar focus on architect-led product design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Cartonlab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cartonlab
• Instagraminstagram.com/cartonlab
• Pinterestes.pinterest.com/cartonlab
• Xx.com/Cartonlab

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Cartonlab