LENA library

What LENA library does

LENA library, formally "LENA the fashion library," is the first clothing library in the Netherlands, founded in December 2014 in Amsterdam by three sisters and a friend. The company operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer model combining two Amsterdam retail showrooms (the Jordaan flagship and a second location in De Pijp opened in December 2024) with a full e-commerce platform that supports nationwide and international shipping via PostNL, DHL, and DPD. Customers sign up for a one-time €10 lifetime membership and then access a curated assortment of 15+ sustainable and designer brands, including MSCH, Nümph, King Louie, Kuyichi, House of Sunny, the in-house private label Dea Dora, and others, plus vintage and pre-loved items. A network of partner swap points (ruilpunten) extends pickup and return access outside Amsterdam.

The core product is a credit-based pay-as-you-borrow lending system (1 credit = €0.25 per day) with a minimum 14-day continuous borrowing period during which members can swap items freely, plus tiered volume discounts (20–30%) for higher daily usage. All lending items are also available for direct purchase, and the try-before-you-buy program converts borrowing tenure into purchase discounts up to 50% off retail. Add-on services include a monthly laundry subscription (€12.50) using Seepje detergent and BlueMovement/Bosch commercial equipment, and per-item damage/loss insurance at 7% of retail price. Revenue therefore spans one-time membership fees, usage-based rentals, transactional purchases, recurring laundry subscriptions, and insurance fees. Customers are style-conscious women seeking wardrobe variety and conscious consumption, with secondary appeal to occasional borrowers dressing for events.

The business is privately held and bootstrapped, with no disclosed institutional investment or funding rounds. Operational support has come from impact financiers including Stichting DOEN, Rabobank Rabo Foundation, and Kansen voor West (the latter funding the December 2024 De Pijp expansion). Leadership consists of co-founders Diana (collection curation and founder of the Dea Dora private label) and Elisa (concept development, finance, and customer service). Growth strategy is deliberate: a third Amsterdam location is targeted for 2025, with a long-term ambition to expand into major Dutch cities beyond Amsterdam.

Name

LENA library

Legal name

LENA the fashion library

Website

https://lena-library.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LENA library is the first clothing library in the Netherlands, operating two Amsterdam showrooms and an e-commerce platform where members rent curated sustainable and designer fashion on a credit-based daily model, with options to purchase.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership fee: One-time lifetime membership fee of €10 charged at first borrowing order, granting permanent access to the lending library.
2. Credit-based borrowing (pay-as-you-borrow): Each clothing item costs a set number of credits per day. 1 credit = €0.25 per day. Billing is monthly via automatic debit with volume discounts: 5+ credits/day = 20% discount, 8+ credits/day = 25% discount, 10+ credits/day = 30% discount. Minimum borrowing period of 14 continuous days with unlimited free switching within that period.
3. Try-before-you-buy purchases: All items in the collection are also available for direct purchase. Customers who borrow an item first earn discounts: 10% after 1 month, 20% after 2 months, up to 50% max. Purchase payments processed via iDEAL.
4. Laundry service: Monthly laundry subscription at €12.50 allowing all borrowed items to be returned unwashed. One-time wash available at €2.50 per item.
5. Insurance: Optional per-item insurance at 7% of the retail price, covering damage and loss risk during the borrowing period.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LENA library is a hybrid clothing-rental and curated-retail platform based in Amsterdam that lends fashion items to paying members through a credit-based, pay-as-you-borrow system and also sells a curated assortment of sustainable and designer clothing. Customers pay a one-time €10 lifetime membership fee, borrow items at a rate of 1 credit per €0.25 per day, and can complement the rental service with a laundry subscription, clothing insurance, and try-before-you-buy discounts of up to 50% off retail.

Product overview

LENA library is a fashion rental and retail platform operating as a clothing library. The core offering is the Pay-as-you-borrow lending system, where members pay a one-time €10 fee and then rent clothing items using a credits-per-day model (1 credit = €0.25/day), with no commitment and the ability to swap items freely. All items in the collection are also available for direct purchase. The Try Before You Buy program allows members to rent items before buying, earning up to 50% discount based on rental duration. Add-on services include a Laundry Service (€12.50/month or €2.50 per item) and Clothing Insurance (7% of retail price per item). The platform maintains a curated collection of over 15 sustainable and designer brands including MSCH, Nümph, HUNKØN, King Louie, Kuyichi, Dea Dora, House of Sunny, Cayro, New Optimist, Ellastiek, NOTT Bags, POM Amsterdam, and BYBROWN. Physical locations operate in Amsterdam's Jordaan and De Pijp neighborhoods, with Swap.Points for pickup and return. LENA also runs a Slow Working Spaces volunteer program for burnout recovery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dea Dora: The private label of Diana Jansen (also founder of LENA). Uses deadstock fabrics for its collection where style and playfulness come together in feminine designs.

Products and services

• Pay-as-you-borrow Lending System Credit-based clothing lending service in which members pay 1 credit (€0.25) per day per borrowed item from a curated assortment of more than 15 sustainable and designer brands; intended for individual style-conscious consumers in the Netherlands who want rotating wardrobe access without ownership.
• Curated Clothing Retail Direct sale of a curated assortment of sustainable and designer fashion from more than 15 partner brands through LENA's e-commerce site and Amsterdam showrooms, targeting individual Dutch consumers.
• Try Before You Buy Program that lets members apply their prior rental credits and a discount of up to 50% off retail toward purchasing an item they have borrowed, reducing purchase friction for individual members in the Netherlands.
• Laundry Service Subscription Optional recurring subscription at €12.50 per month that covers laundering of borrowed garments for individual members of the lending library.
• Clothing Insurance Optional insurance add-on priced at 7% of the retail price of each item, providing protection for borrowed or purchased garments for individual members.
• Swap Points Pickup and Return Network Network of pickup and return locations across Amsterdam where members can drop off and collect borrowed garments outside the main LENA showrooms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 25,000 clothing items lent since founding in 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SeepjecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeepje supplies LENA with 97.5% natural, fairtrade laundry detergent (based on Sapindus Mukorossi fruit from Nepal). Seepje products are used for all in-house washing of returned items, packaged in recycled plastic and refillable.
• Sustainable Fashion Gift CardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLENA is one of approximately 60 retailers accepting the Sustainable Fashion Gift Card, a shared gift card usable across participating sustainable fashion shops, clothing libraries, and experiences.
• BlueMovement (Bosch)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlueMovement (Bosch's subscription service) provides LENA with commercial-grade washing machines and dryers. The service focuses on extending appliance lifespan through repair, refurbishment, and recycling, aligning with LENA's sustainability goals.
• KatalysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKatalys is a network of professionals helping active citizens improve their living environments. LENA collaborates with Katalys as part of community-building and local activation in Amsterdam neighborhoods.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rotaro: UK-based women's clothing rental subscription offering rotating access to a curated multi-brand wardrobe. Closely mirrors LENA's model of curated multi-brand apparel access with credit/subscription-based rental and a focus on sustainability-aligned brands.
• Armoire: US-based women's clothing rental subscription with personal stylist curation, focused on contemporary and designer brands. Comparable to LENA's library model with similar credit/subscription mechanics and target demographic of style-conscious professional women.
• ByRotation: UK peer-to-peer fashion rental platform where individuals lend and borrow from each other's wardrobes. Directly comparable to LENA's lending-library concept but with a peer-to-peer marketplace structure rather than centrally curated inventory.
• Hurr: UK-based peer-to-peer and B2C fashion rental marketplace offering short-term access to designer items. Closely comparable target customer (style-conscious women) and lending mechanics to LENA's credit-based library model.
• My Wardrobe HQ: UK designer clothing rental platform offering short-term rentals of contemporary and luxury fashion. Comparable to LENA in lending high-end/sustainable apparel for occasions, with similar credit/usage-based monetization.
• Nuuly: URBN-owned (Urban Outfitters) clothing rental subscription service in the US offering monthly access to a curated multi-brand wardrobe. Highly comparable to LENA's pay-as-you-borrow model with similar target customer (style-conscious women) and brand-led assortment.

Broad incumbents

• Rent the Runway: US-based pioneer and largest player in online apparel rental, offering subscription access to designer and contemporary brands. Comparable business model to LENA at much greater scale; serves as the broad incumbent reference point for the category LENA operates in.

Others

• Mud Jeans: Dutch circular denim brand using organic cotton and a take-back/rental program (Lease A Jeans). An existing LENA brand partner and a Dutch circular-fashion peer sharing the same sustainability narrative and Dutch customer base, though operating an ownership-and-lease model rather than a lending library.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lena_library
• Xx.com/LENAlibrary
• Facebookfacebook.com/lenalibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lena-the-fashion-library

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 LENA library