What illumin8 does

illumin8 is a B2B manufacturer and trade supplier of premium made-to-measure window coverings, operating from a primary manufacturing base in Sharjah, UAE, with a secondary factory in Chennai, India, and sales/marketing offices in Nottingham (UK) and Dubai. The company produces curtains, roller blinds, Roman blinds, venetian blinds (real wood, faux wood, aluminium, Perfect Fit), vertical blinds, and its proprietary Fifty50 day/night blinds, with stated combined capacity of approximately 25,000 blinds per week. Its product technology stack centres on in-house digital fabric printing that converts both proprietary designs and licensed designer patterns onto multiple substrates using water-based inks, enabling rapid customisation with no minimum order quantities. The company also integrates smart home motorisation via third-party platforms Motionblinds and Somfy, and offers an online product configurator and a white-label e-commerce platform (ThePlatform) to its trade customers.

illumin8 serves window covering retailers, blind installers, interior designers, commercial specifiers, and contract customers across the UK, Europe, UAE, GCC, India, US and other global markets through an exclusively trade-only distribution model. Revenue is generated through (1) made-to-measure product sales at quote-based pricing determined by fabric, size, customisation and volume, and (2) designer brand licensing arrangements covering 14+ premium labels including Laura Ashley, William Morris at Home, Cath Kidston, Ted Baker, Voyage Maison, Orla Kiely, Sophie Allport, Emily Bond, Historic Royal Palaces, Bluebellgray, Graham & Brown, Sara Miller, Land & Shore, and Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell, sourced through partner Ashley Wilde.

The company was originally founded as Green Lords Textiles in Leicester, UK in 1978 and evolved through the Harfab and Curtlin brands before launching the illumin8 brand in 2000. Manufacturing relocated to the UAE in 2004, with subsequent expansion into GCC markets (2008), a new UAE factory (2017/2021), the Nottingham UK office (2018), Dubai sales office (2022), and an India factory (2023). In 2025, illumin8 was acquired by Mzuri Group, joining Decora Blind Systems' 3,000+ trade account distribution network. The company has 101–250 employees and holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications achieved in 2024.

Name

illumin8

Legal name

illumin8 FZE

Website

https://illumin8global.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

illumin8 is a B2B manufacturer of premium made-to-measure window blinds and curtains, serving 3,000+ trade accounts across the UK, Europe, UAE, GCC, India and US through proprietary fabric collections and 14+ licensed designer brand partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Made-to-Measure Window Coverings Manufacturing

NAICS

Blind and Shade Manufacturing (337920), Curtain and Linen Mills (31412)

SIC

Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590)

akta.pro primary industry

Window Treatments & Shading Systems (Blinds, Shades, Awnings) (IMADAIAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Motorized Shades, Blinds & Curtain Automation (HSAHADAD), Window Shades Retail (Roller, Roman, Cellular/Honeycomb, Solar) (CRAIAKAB)

Keywords

• Made-to-measure window coverings
• Custom curtains and blinds
• Trade blind supplier
• Designer fabric collections
• Motorised window treatments

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Window Coverings Manufacturing & Sales: Core revenue from manufacturing and selling made-to-measure curtains, blinds (roller, roman, venetian, vertical, fifty50 day/night) to trade customers. Products are custom-made to specification with no minimum order quantities.
2. Designer Brand Licensing: Revenue through licensing agreements with renowned designer brands including Laura Ashley, William Morris at Home, Cath Kidston, Ted Baker, Voyage Maison, Bluebellgray, and others. Products feature licensed fabric designs converted to made-to-measure window coverings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

illumin8 manufactures and supplies premium made-to-measure window coverings — including curtains, roller blinds, roman blinds, fifty50 day & night blinds, vertical blinds, and venetian blinds — exclusively to B2B trade customers. Products are custom-built to specification with no minimum order quantities and offered through proprietary fabric collections (Simply, Edit, Loom) and licensed designer brand ranges.

Product overview

illumin8 is a B2B manufacturer and supplier of premium made-to-measure window coverings, operating as a multi-product portfolio company. The core offering consists of six primary product categories: Curtains, Roman Blinds, Roller Blinds, Fifty50™ Day & Night Blinds, Vertical Blinds, and Venetian Blinds (available in real wood, faux wood, aluminium, and Perfect Fit variants). These are complemented by an extensive range of fabric collections including the Simply™ Collections (Simply Softs, Simply Rollers), EDIT Collections (Edit Softs Vol. 1 & 2, Edit Rollers, Edit Fifty50™, Edit Verticals), and the Loom wide-width collection. The company also offers an exclusive range of licensed designer brands including Laura Ashley, William Morris at Home, Emily Bond, Orla Kiely, Sophie Allport, Historic Royal Palaces, Ted Baker, Land & Shore, Bluebellgray, Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell, Graham & Brown, Sara Miller, Voyage Maison, and Cath Kidston. Value-added services include smart home motorisation integration (Motionblinds, Somfy), ThePlatform e-commerce solutions for trade partners, and an online product configurator. In 2025, illumin8 became part of the Mzuri Group, combining its soft furnishing expertise with Mzuri's global reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Simply Collections: Comprehensive fabric collections including Simply Softs, Simply 2 Softs, and Simply Rollers offering plains, textures, prints, jacquards, and velvets
• EDIT Collections
• Loom
• Fifty50™
• Designer Brands Collection

Products and services

• Curtains

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% plastic packaging reduction achieved through cardboard and recycled paper replacement
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.

• Mzuri GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic acquisition by Mzuri Group in 2025 marking significant milestone. Partnership combines illumin8's expertise in soft furnishings with Mzuri's global reach and resources, enabling innovation, sustainable development, and expansion into new markets.
• Ashley WildecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerExclusive partnership with Ashley Wilde for licensing agreements with renowned designer brands. Ashley Wilde supplies woven fabrics, jacquards, velvets, and embroideries. Additional designs are digitally converted into prints on various base cloths for curtains, Roman blinds, and roller blinds.
• MotionblindscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for motorised blind systems. Motionblinds powers smart home integration enabling smartphone control, voice commands, timers, and automated scheduling for motorised window coverings.
• SomfycoreTechnology or IntegrationMotorisation technology partnership providing smart home integration for window treatments. Somfy enhances modern living through seamless control, convenience, energy efficiency, and smart home connectivity.
• NextmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Next for fabric distribution and made-to-measure window coverings through retail stores. Networking opportunities in UK market enabled collaborations with prominent companies and award-winning designers.
• Blinds2GomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrade partnership established in 2018 for made-to-measure blinds and curtains distribution. Attracted through industry networking and deep market understanding.
• Historic Royal PalacescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with independent charity caring for six British historic palaces including Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, and Tower of London. Fabric collection transforms authentic royal treasures including palace gates, court dress, porcelain, and gardens into elegant window covering designs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Swift Direct Blinds: UK made-to-measure blinds manufacturer selling direct to consumers and trade; directly comparable to illumin8 in product category, custom manufacturing model, and UK distribution focus.
• Thomas Sanderson: UK premium made-to-measure blinds, shutters, and curtains specialist; comparable to illumin8 on premium positioning, made-to-measure manufacturing, and trade/consumer hybrid distribution.
• Ashley Wilde: UK designer fabric house producing woven fabrics, jacquards, velvets, and embroideries; both an existing licensing partner of illumin8 and a comparable manufacturer of designer fabrics for the window-covering trade.
• Hillarys: UK market leader in made-to-measure blinds, curtains, and shutters sold direct-to-consumer and through trade; directly comparable to illumin8 in product category, made-to-measure manufacturing model, and UK customer base.
• Blinds2Go: Large UK made-to-measure blinds and curtains manufacturer-retailer; both a trade partner of illumin8 and a direct competitor in the same made-to-measure window-covering category with overlapping product breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Hunter Douglas: Global leader in window coverings including motorised and smart blinds; comparable to illumin8 as a much larger incumbent operating across residential and commercial segments with overlapping product categories.
• Silent Gliss: Swiss premium manufacturer of motorised and manual curtain track, blind, and shading systems; comparable to illumin8 on premium motorised window-covering solutions, particularly in commercial and high-end residential segments.
• Springs Window Fashions: US-based broad manufacturer of window coverings including custom blinds, shades, and motorised products; comparable to illumin8 as a large incumbent covering the full window-treatment portfolio including made-to-measure offerings.

Emerging players

• Louvolite: UK-based fabric supplier and manufacturer of made-to-measure blinds and roller systems; comparable to illumin8 on made-to-measure manufacturing, fabric-library-driven differentiation, and UK trade-channel focus.

Regional players

• Vertilux: US-based manufacturer of window coverings including motorised shades and blinds; comparable to illumin8 on motorised and custom window-covering solutions, primarily competing in the North American market rather than illumin8's UK/UAE core.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Illumin8b

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 illumin8