STICK-LETS

What STICK-LETS does

STICK-LETS (operated as Kazakia Design, LLC) is a Philadelphia-based consumer goods company founded in 2012 by industrial designer Christina Kazakia. The company designs, manufactures, and sells flexible silicone rubber connectors that stretch to join sticks, bamboo, and dowels into forts and structures. The product family is organized into fort sets (6-piece through 36-piece), classroom/education sets (90-piece and 150-piece), camouflage sets targeted at outdoor enthusiasts (10- and 40-piece), a garden-focused 20-piece set, ten individual connector SKUs by color, and complementary accessories (Forest Fort Bag, birch dowels, project pamphlets, gift cards). Underlying technology comprises patented stretchy silicone joints engineered to be ROHS-compliant, weather-resistant, dishwasher-safe, and capable of accommodating sticks up to 3 inches in diameter across six distinct hole configurations.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market motion. Direct-to-consumer revenue is generated through a Shopify e-commerce storefront (stick-lets.com), with unit pricing ranging from $14.99 (6-piece starter set) to $230 (150-piece Large Classroom Set). Wholesale distribution serves specialty toy stores, museum stores, art and architecture shops, outdoor gear shops, and garden centers. International reach is enabled by regional distributors in Europe (ImmenZ in the Netherlands, Pedagogikproffsen in Sweden, plus channels in Germany, Italy, Belgium, and Spain), partnerships with National Trust UK / The Den Kit Company (2019), and Canadian distribution via Wild | Life Adventures (2022). Marketing is executed through organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest), blog content, earned media including Forbes (2014) and NPR's "How You Built That" with Guy Raz (2018), and community events such as Philadelphia Playfest.

STICK-LETS is privately held, bootstrapped (no external funding recorded), and founder-owned. The customer base spans families with children (the primary segment), educational institutions (Reggio-Emilia and Waldorf schools, nature preschools, summer camps, STEAM programs), home gardeners, and outdoor enthusiasts. Revenue is not disclosed; the company operates with 11–50 employees and design/assembly operations based in Philadelphia, PA. The product has received trade recognition including the Tillywig Award and inclusion in curated gift guides, and a filed/pending patent covers the core flexible connector design.

Name

STICK-LETS

Legal name

Kazakia Design, LLC

Website

https://stick-lets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

STICK-LETS (Kazakia Design, LLC) is a Philadelphia-based consumer goods company that designs and sells patented flexible silicone connectors for building forts and structures with sticks and natural materials, serving families, schools, and outdoor enthusiasts globally via Shopify D2C and wholesale.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Online sales through company's Shopify website selling various kit configurations and individual connectors directly to consumers.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Sales to specialty toy stores, museum stores, garden centers, and outdoor gear shops through wholesale accounts. Also sales to educational institutions for STEAM programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

STICK-LETS designs, manufactures, and sells flexible silicone rubber connectors (joints) that stretch to connect sticks, bamboo, dowels, and natural materials for fort building and creative construction. The company offers pre-packaged Fort Sets (6 to 36 pieces), Classroom Sets (90 and 150 pieces), Camouflage and Garden Sets, individual colored connectors, and accessories such as birch dowels and carry bags, sold direct-to-consumer via Shopify and through wholesale to specialty retailers and educational institutions.

Product overview

STICK-LETS® is a physical toy/product company offering flexible, durable silicone rubber connectors (joints) that help children and adults build forts, structures, and creative projects using sticks, dowels, and natural materials. The product portfolio consists of: (1) Pre-packaged Fort Sets in various sizes ranging from 6-piece (starter) to 18-piece (Mega), (2) Classroom/Education Sets designed for schools and camps in 90-piece and 150-piece sizes, (3) Camouflage Sets for outdoor enthusiasts in 10-piece and 40-piece sizes, (4) Garden Sets for gardening applications in 20-piece size, (5) Individual silicone connectors sold in 10 colors (Birch Bark White, Grasshopper Green, Huckleberry Blue, Starfish Red, Pardon My Purple, Monarch Orange, Dandelion Yellow, Evergreen, Terracotta, Black Birch), (6) Accessories including Forest Fort Bag, Short and Long Birch Dowels, Project Pamphlets, and Gift Cards. The connectors are designed to stretch and accommodate sticks up to 3" in diameter, are weather-resistant, dishwasher-safe, and reusable.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 18-piece Mega Fort Set Fort building kit containing 18 silicone connectors (3 each of Birch Bark White, Grasshopper Green, Huckleberry Blue, Starfish Red, Pardon My Purple, Monarch Orange), cotton tote bag with drawstring, and project pamphlet. Ideal for 1-2 builders ages 6-106; priced at $42.99.
• 12-piece Dodeka Fort Set

Quantifiable outcome

• Ages 6 to 106 can use the product
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wild | Life AdventurescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with Canadian company Wild | Life Adventures to include STICK-LETS (Evergreen and Black Birch connectors) in their monthly adventure kits. Kit No. 4: Take Cover features STICK-LETS for outdoor exploration and survival skill activities. Both companies share missions focused on getting children outdoors with confidence.
• National Trust U.K. / The Den Kit CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019STICK-LETS partnered with The Den Kit Company and National Trust U.K. to create the National Trust Nature Hideaway Kit. This partnership combines STICK-LETS Terracotta connectors with Den Kit products for outdoor nature exploration activities. Available at National Trust stores and on The Den Kit Company's website.
• Fresh ArtistsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018STICK-LETS collaborated with Fresh Artists, a Philadelphia non-profit, on a 3-day Design Lab for young artists ages 8-16. Students designed the surface pattern for the Forest Fort Bag, including artist Khaly's landscape design. STICK-LETS paid a Designer's Fee supporting underserved art programs in public schools.
• Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018STICK-LETS participated in the Center for Emerging Visual Artists' Philadelphia Open Studio Tours, hosting studio tours and workshop sessions to build brand awareness in their local community.
• PlaySilks by Sarah's SilksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSTICK-LETS products are bundled and sold alongside PlaySilks by Sarah's Silks as complementary outdoor play accessories in the accessories collection.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Magna-Tiles: Magna-Tiles is a leading magnetic tile construction toy brand. It is comparable as a premium, design-driven open-ended building toy serving families, classrooms, and gift-giving occasions with multi-piece sets.
• Tegu: Tegu makes magnetic wooden building blocks for open-ended construction play. It is a direct peer: similar open-ended, screen-free, design-forward construction toy targeting families and educational buyers with premium pricing.
• Magformers: Magformers produces magnetic construction sets for children. It is comparable as a multi-piece, open-ended building toy sold through consumer and educational channels with STEM/STEAM positioning.
• Tinkertoys: Tinkertoys is a classic construction toy offering rod-and-spool building. Owned by Hasbro, it competes in the same open-ended construction category but with a much larger distribution footprint and broader marketing budget.
• Citiblocs: Citiblocs are smooth wooden building blocks sold in multi-piece sets for open-ended construction. They are comparable in target audience (kids and adults), open-ended play philosophy, and educational/classroom adoption.
• Kapla: Kapla produces identical wooden planks used for free-form construction play. It is comparable in open-ended construction-toy positioning, age range (kids through adults), and emphasis on creativity and STEAM outcomes.
• Rigamajig: Rigamajig is a large-scale wooden building kit for children and adults that emphasizes imaginative, hands-on construction. It overlaps STICK-LETS in open-ended construction play, classroom/maker-space use cases, and adult-and-child co-play positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln Logs: Lincoln Logs is a long-standing wooden log building toy brand now owned by a larger toy company. It competes in the construction-toy category broadly but does not offer STICK-LETS' flexible silicone connector concept.
• LEGO: LEGO is the dominant global construction-toy incumbent with massive distribution and marketing scale. It competes with STICK-LETS for construction-toy shelf space and consumer mindshare but at vastly different scale, price points, and product formats.

Others

• Sarah's Silks: Sarah's Silks makes natural-play silks and complementary wooden play accessories, and is a bundling/retail partner of STICK-LETS. It is comparable as an adjacent open-ended, natural-material toy brand selling into the same Waldorf/Reggio-aligned retail and education channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HelloSticklets
• Instagraminstagram.com/hellosticklets
• Pinterestpinterest.com/thesticklets
• Xx.com/hellosticklets

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 STICK-LETS