Schools United

What Schools United does

Schools United (legal entity: Uniteds s.r.o.) is a Czech-founded e-commerce company that designs, produces, and distributes custom-branded merchandise for schools, sports clubs, corporate clients, and municipalities, primarily in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Founded in 2013 by Radim Nigrin after he observed American school-pride culture while studying in the United States, the company launched its first hoodie for Gymnázium Jaroslava Seiferta and has since grown to serve more than 2,000 schools across both markets.

The core offering is a free, white-label e-shop built for each school or sports club, populated with 50+ customizable products (hoodies, T-shirts, sportswear including Under Armour, eco-line apparel, notebooks, writing supplies, and drinkware). End customers — students, parents, athletes, and alumni — order directly through the school's branded storefront, and Schools United handles custom motif design, production, and door-to-door delivery. The technical stack is a custom platform running on TronShop (Promotron) infrastructure, augmented by a proprietary production-management IT system deployed in 2021-2022 to handle scaled production. A separate corporate/promotional gifts storefront (predmety.schoolsunited.cz) targets B2B buyers with online logo visualization on thousands of items.

The business model combines product resale on school merchandise with a 10-20% commission on the Premium sports club tier, supported by a Basic (no-commission) tier for smaller clubs. Distribution is a hybrid of self-serve e-commerce and a regional direct sales force with territory-based account managers covering every Czech and Slovak region. The Hrdá škola (Proud School) community program — including themed event days, the Školník roku competition (487 caretaker entrants, 100,000+ Facebook votes), a YouTube channel launched February 2024, and an active social media presence — drives top-of-funnel awareness and word-of-mouth referrals. The company is privately held and bootstrapped by founder Radim Nigrin, with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Schools United

Legal name

Uniteds s.r.o.

Website

https://schoolsunited.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Schools United designs and distributes custom-branded apparel and merchandise through free white-label e-shops for 2,000+ schools, sports clubs, and corporate clients in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Branded Apparel and Merchandise

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Team & School Athletic Uniforms Retail (CRAMACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Team Sports Equipment & Uniforms Retail (CRAMABAE)

Keywords

• Custom school merchandise
• Branded apparel e-commerce
• Sports club apparel
• Promotional gift items
• Graduation apparel printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Úvaly

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Branded apparel product sales: Sale of custom-printed clothing (hoodies, T-shirts, sportswear, accessories) through dedicated school/club e-shops. Schools and clubs set up free e-shops; customers order directly. Two models: Basic (no commission, one annual sale wave) and Premium (10-20% commission, two annual sale waves).
2. Corporate/school merchandise and promotional gifts: Sale of corporate branded merchandise and promotional items (writing instruments, drinkware, bags, stationery, etc.) through the predmety.schoolsunited.cz e-shop to businesses, schools, and organizations. Volume-based pricing with minimum order value of 5,000 CZK.
3. Graduation apparel collections: Sale of graduation-specific apparel (oversize hoodies, premium hoodies, T-shirts) with custom printing for graduating students, 9th graders, and school trip participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Schools United provides free custom-branded e-shops to schools, sports clubs, and corporate clients, offering 50+ customizable merchandise products (custom hoodies, t-shirts, sportswear, school notebooks, writing supplies, drinkware, bags, and promotional gifts) with custom-designed motifs by in-house graphic designers and door-to-door delivery. Revenue is generated through direct product sales and a 10-20% commission on Premium sports club partnerships. The company also operates the Hrdá škola (Proud School) community engagement program featuring themed event days and the annual Školník roku (School Caretaker of the Year) competition.

Product overview

Schools United operates as a multi-product e-commerce platform offering schools, sports clubs, and companies customizable merchandise and branded products. The core offering consists of school e-shops (školní e-shop) providing 50+ customizable textile products including hoodies, t-shirts, and accessories with free setup; graduate hoodies (absolventské mikiny) with custom designs for graduation classes; custom notebooks (vlastní sešity) with school-branded covers; sports team e-shops (sportovní e-shop) with 60+ products including Under Armour gear and EKO lines; and gift items (dárkové předměty) through a separate TronShop-powered platform. The company also runs the Hrdá škola community-building program featuring themed activity days and competitions. Two collaboration models are offered for sports teams: Basic (once-yearly sales, no commission) and Premium (twice-yearly sales with 10-20% commission). Serving over 1,500 schools in Czech Republic and Slovakia since founding in 2013.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School E-shop (Školní e-shop) Free custom e-commerce platform provided to schools with 50+ customizable products. Each school receives a branded online store for selling custom school merchandise (hoodies, t-shirts, notebooks, writing supplies, staff uniforms, graduation collections). Schools get custom motifs designed by in-house graphic designers and door-to-door delivery.
• Sports Team E-shop (Sportovní e-shop) E-commerce platform for sports clubs with 50+ to 60+ products including hoodies, t-shirts, ECO products, Under Armour sports gear, caps, backpacks, and bottles. Free e-shop setup with club-themed designs. Available in two models: Basic (one annual sale wave, no commission) and Premium (two annual sale waves, 10-20% commission).
• Graduate Hoodies (Absolventské mikiny) Custom-designed hoodies and clothing for graduates, high school seniors (maturanti), ninth-graders (deváťáci), and school trip participants. Features attractive designs on front and back, stylish cuts, with school-specific customization. Includes Oversize Hoodie (1,100 Kč), Premium Hoodie (750 Kč), and Premium T-shirt (320 Kč).
• Custom Notebooks (Vlastní sešity) School notebooks with custom covers designed in collaboration with students, teachers, and school management. Each notebook type in different colors, new design each year, anniversary covers, and custom motifs from student designs.
• Corporate Gift Items (Dárkové předměty) Custom corporate gift items including writing instruments, drinkware, bags, office supplies, travel accessories, and eco-friendly products. Available through a dedicated e-shop platform (predmety.schoolsunited.cz) running on TronShop (Promotron). Includes online logo visualization on thousands of promotional gift items. Volume-based pricing (1+, 25+, 50+, 250+, 1500+ units) with minimum order value of 5,000 CZK.
• Hrdá škola (Proud School Project) Community-building initiative for schools featuring themed activity days (Dny Hrdé školy), special events calendar, school spirit activities, and the annual Školník roku (School Caretaker of the Year) competition. Schools receive certificates and prizes for participation. Drives word-of-mouth and brand loyalty across 2,000+ schools in Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Schools served: 2,000+ in Czech Republic and Slovakia
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• TLAMA games — deskovky k sežráníminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partner for the 'Den her' (Day of Games) event within the Hrdá škola project. TLAMA games provided prizes (deskove hry) for the top 3 winning schools in the first Games Day competition. Competition saw hundreds of schools participate across Czech Republic and Slovakia.
• Festival IQ PlayminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partner for the Den her (Day of Games) event. The festival's January 2024 stop in Zlín was featured as part of the Hrdá škola Games Day activities.
• FajnRádiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for the Hrdá škola project. FajnRádio is a Czech radio station that presumably helps amplify Hrdá škola activities and school community events to its audience.
• ProStředoškolákyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for the Hrdá škola project. ProStředoškoláky is a platform for secondary school students, helping promote school community activities to the student audience.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Squad Locker: SquadLocker is a US-based B2B platform that provides custom-branded apparel and team stores for schools, clubs, and organizations with no upfront inventory risk. Directly comparable to Schools United's school and sports club e-shop model, including white-label storefronts and direct-to-consumer fulfillment.
• Spreadshirt: Spreadshirt is a European print-on-demand platform that lets organizations create custom-branded apparel shops with custom designs and direct-to-consumer fulfillment. Operates in the same CEE/Germanic European markets as Schools United and serves the same use case (groups creating their own merchandise stores).
• Prep Sportswear: Prep Sportswear is a US school spirit wear and team merchandise platform offering custom apparel with no minimums and school-branded online stores. Highly analogous to Schools United's school e-shop model, with similar end customers (students, parents, alumni).
• Custom Ink (Booster): Custom Ink is a US custom apparel platform serving groups, schools, teams, and businesses with custom-printed apparel and online team stores. Its Booster fundraising platform specifically serves schools and teams — directly comparable to Schools United's school and club e-shops.
• Logo Sportswear: Logo Sportswear is a US custom team apparel retailer offering no-minimum custom decorated apparel for teams, schools, and organizations. Comparable in its no-minimum, custom-print approach to Schools United's sports team e-shops and Basic-tier offer.

Broad incumbents

• Cimpress (VistaPrint): Cimpress is the parent of VistaPrint and a portfolio of custom-print brands serving small businesses with branded merchandise, apparel, and marketing materials. Competes in the broader custom merchandise and promotional products category where Schools United operates.
• 4imprint: 4imprint is one of the largest North American/British promotional products distributors, offering custom-branded merchandise (apparel, drinkware, stationery, gifts) to businesses and organizations. Overlaps directly with Schools United's corporate/promotional gift business (predmety.schoolsunited.cz) as a broader incumbent with global scale.
• Lands' End Business Outfitters (School): Lands' End operates a school uniforms and branded apparel program serving K-12 schools across the US with custom logos and bulk ordering. Overlaps with Schools United's school apparel business as a much larger incumbent in school-branded clothing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@schoolsunited_official
• Facebookfacebook.com/schoolsunited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schools-united
• Instagraminstagram.com/schoolsunited
• TikToktiktok.com/@schools.united

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 Schools United