Grupa Studio

What Grupa Studio does

Grupa Studio d.o.o. is a privately-held Croatian design studio and manufacturer of handmade lighting fixtures and select furniture, founded in 2006 in Zagreb by three industrial designers — Filip Despot, Ivana Pavić, and Tihana Taraba. The company began as a design consultancy and pivoted in 2012 to in-house manufacturing, producing its own collections (Ili Ili, Arigato, Baluna, Igram, Onda, Okolo, Model, plus the Dot side table) at a 1960-established lighting factory in Croatia. Manufacturing relies on hand press-spinning, powder coating, welding, and hand assembly, with each product receiving a QC Label prior to shipment and backed by a 4-year warranty. Differentiated technical features include the Ili Ili modular system with online configurator, the Baluna rotating triple-coated opal glass sphere diffuser, the Igram portable battery-operated table lamp with USB-C charging and up to 63-hour autonomy, and integrated lamp-plus-table products with interchangeable tabletops.

The company sells through a network of local dealers in each country, an exclusive North American distribution partnership with Global Lighting, and direct project inquiries via its website (grupa.com). Pricing is unit-based per SKU (range ~€248 to €2,880), with custom RAL colors and assembled-to-order lead times of 1–8 weeks. Target customers fall into four named segments: Hospitality & HoReCa (primary), Residential end customers, Architects & Interior Designers specifying for projects, and B2B project orders for multi-unit developments. Documented installations include Hotel Kompas, Nobu Shoreditch, Hoxton Amsterdam, Hilton Canopy Zagreb, Resort Amarin, the Office of the President of Croatia, Central Saint Martins, and Piranesi Prize-nominated buildings across Croatia and abroad. The company is founder-owned with no institutional investment, operates with approximately 5 employees, and is currently executing an EU co-funded business digitization project (2025–2026).

Name

Grupa Studio

Legal name

Grupa Studio d.o.o.

Website

https://grupa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grupa Studio is a Croatian design studio and manufacturer of handmade lighting fixtures and furniture, founded in 2006 in Zagreb. It serves architects, interior designers, hospitality venues, and residential customers across 18+ countries via dealer networks and direct project orders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Designer Lighting

NAICS

Electric Lamp Bulb and Other Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (335139), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513), Industrial Design Services (54142)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Designer lighting fixtures
• Handmade furniture
• Architectural lighting
• Designer pendant lights
• Interior lighting design

Headquarters

HQ city

Zagreb

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Lighting Products Sales: Direct sales of proprietary lighting products manufactured in Croatia. Products include pendant lamps, wall lamps, ceiling lamps, table lamps, floor lamps, chandeliers, and modular lighting systems. Available in standard configurations and custom project orders.
2. Furniture and Interior Design Collaborations: Design services and product collaborations with other manufacturers. Grupa designs furniture pieces (Monk chairs, Piun, Echo, Tinker, Shtef modular shelf) produced by Prostoria. Also provides interior design consultation for project installations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grupa Studio is a Zagreb-based Croatian design studio founded in 2006 that designs and handcrafts contemporary lighting collections (Ili Ili, Arigato, Baluna, Onda, Okolo, Igram, Model) and small furniture pieces (Dot side tables). The studio manufactures its products in-house and sells them internationally through a dealer network, direct project orders for hospitality and commercial interiors, and direct-to-consumer channels aimed at design-aware end users.

Product overview

Grupa Studio is a Croatian design studio and manufacturer of handmade lighting products and furniture, established in Zagreb in 2006. The product portfolio centers on lighting collections including the modular Ili Ili pendant system, Arigato press-spun aluminum fixtures, Baluna fixtures with rotating glass sphere diffusers, Onda hand-blown glass pendants, Okolo canvas textile lamps, Model geometric frame fixtures, and Igram integrated lamp-table products. Additional offerings include Dot side tables and the Ili Ili online configurator tool. All products are manufactured and assembled by hand in Croatia, primarily in a time-tested lighting factory established in 1960, with most components sourced from the European Union.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ili Ili Handmade lighting collection designed and manufactured by Grupa Studio, sold through the studio's international dealer network and direct project channels to architects, interior designers, hospitality clients, and end consumers.
• Arigato Handmade lighting collection designed and manufactured by Grupa Studio, sold through dealers, project channels, and direct consumer sales.
• Baluna Handmade lighting collection designed and manufactured by Grupa Studio, distributed through the studio's international dealer network and direct channels.
• Onda Handmade lighting collection designed and manufactured by Grupa Studio, sold to specifiers, dealers, hospitality projects, and end consumers.
• Okolo Handmade lighting collection designed and manufactured by Grupa Studio, distributed through dealers and direct channels.
• Igram Handmade lighting collection designed and manufactured by Grupa Studio, sold through dealers and direct channels to professional and consumer buyers.
• Model Handmade lighting collection designed and manufactured by Grupa Studio, available via dealers and direct channels.
• Dot side tables Handmade side tables designed and manufactured by Grupa Studio, extending the studio's product range beyond lighting into small furniture for residential and project interiors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each product undergoes detailed quality control with QC Label before market placement
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers18 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ProstoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic partnership with Croatian furniture manufacturer. Grupa designs furniture collections for Prostoria including Monk chairs, Piun, Echo, Tinker, and Shtef modular shelf. Collaboration includes joint exhibition spaces at design events like Zagreb Design Week. Prostoria's Chicago showroom features Grupa furniture designs.
• Global LightingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor for North American market. Grupa maintains independent presence in American market via Global Lighting for distribution of lighting fixtures.
• Mikelić Vreš Arhitekti (MVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural bureau collaboration on multiple significant projects including Horizontal HQ office building and Center for Urban Culture re-GENERATOR, both nominated for Piranesi Prize.
• 3LHDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural studio collaboration on projects including Dubrovnik Palace Hotel, Lobby Blok Bužanova, Resort Amarin, and Urania architectural office. Multiple successful project deliveries.
• ArchiproductsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational design platform where Grupa products are featured. Igram Portable won Archiproducts Award in Lighting category at Milan Design Week.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Prostoria: Croatian contemporary furniture brand and Grupa's strategic design partner. Comparable as a fellow Croatian design-led manufacturer collaborating with architects, though Prostoria focuses on furniture rather than lighting.

Direct peers

• &Tradition: Danish design brand offering designer lighting and furniture with strong architectural channel presence. Comparable to Grupa on designer-anchored collections, premium positioning, and international dealer-led distribution.
• Artemide: Italian architectural and decorative lighting manufacturer with strong presence in designer/specification segments. Comparable to Grupa in serving architects, interior designers and hospitality projects with high-design products.
• Flos: Italian premium designer lighting manufacturer with iconic collections and global hospitality/architect-spec business. Directly comparable to Grupa on target customer (architects, designers, hospitality), premium positioning, and catalogue-led GTM, though at substantially larger scale.
• Vibia: Spanish premium decorative and architectural lighting brand serving global hospitality, residential and contract markets. Comparable to Grupa on designer-led collections, modular product systems, and specification channel.
• Muuto: Danish design brand offering Scandinavian designer lighting and furniture to architects and residential customers. Comparable to Grupa on designer-led product, architect-channel GTM, and premium positioning.
• Marset: Spanish designer lighting company known for distinctive decorative collections and strong international presence in architectural/spec channels. Directly comparable to Grupa on designer-led product and contract/hospitality GTM.
• Foscarini: Italian designer lighting brand with strong collections and international dealer network. Comparable to Grupa in design-driven product portfolio and architect/hospitality target customer.
• Louis Poulsen: Danish heritage lighting brand known for designer collaborations and premium residential/contract lighting. Directly comparable to Grupa on designer-led product positioning and architecture/spec channel focus.
• Tom Dixon: British designer brand producing premium lighting and furniture with a strong identity-driven catalogue. Directly comparable to Grupa on designer-led, founder-anchored brand identity and premium residential/contract channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user75782272
• Facebookfacebook.com/grupastudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grupa-studio
• Instagraminstagram.com/grupa_studio/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Grupa Studio