Smateria
Smateria is a women-owned Cambodia-based ethical fashion brand founded in 2006, producing handmade bags and accessories from recycled plastics and repurposed nylon nets. It sells through four Cambodian retail stores, five international regional distributors, and a B2B corporate custom-branding service.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersPhnom Penh, Cambodia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Smateria does
Smateria is a women-owned ethical fashion brand founded in 2006 in Cambodia that designs and manufactures bags and fashion accessories from recycled and upcycled materials. The company operates a single micro-factory in Phnom Penh where all products are 100% handmade by Khmer artisans, with women representing over 80% of the 12-person workforce, supported by on-site preschool and nursery facilities. Its two core collections are the IKI line, built from an in-house recycled-plastic fabric that is water-resistant, lightweight, strong, and vegan with rPET (recycled-PET bottle) interior linings, and the NET line, which transforms repurposed industrial nylon fishing and construction nets through layering of color, shape, and transparency into finished accessories.
The underlying production model combines proprietary material processing (the IKI fabric and the nylon-net creative process) with full in-house artisanal manufacturing, giving Smateria end-to-end control over quality, working conditions, and supply chain. Credibility in the ethical-fashion segment is anchored by WFTO Guaranteed Member status (covering all ten fair-trade principles and including an on-site auditor verification) and PETA Cruelty-Free certification. The brand is led by co-founders Jennifer Morellato (business operations) and Elisa Lion (creative/making) and operates with no disclosed external funding or institutional investors.
Smateria's commercial model is multi-channel. Four company-owned retail stores in Cambodia capture both local and tourist demand — two downtown locations (Phnom Penh BKK and Siem Reap Alley West) and two airport stores (Phnom Penh Techo International Airport and Siem Reap Angkor International Airport). International demand is served through five exclusive regional distributors — HHPLIFT (USA), Frida Feeling (Europe), Claudinia (Australia/NZ), Smateria Vietnam, and emiimi Ltd.Co. (Japan) — each running a localized e-commerce storefront. A B2B corporate custom-branding service produces logo'd bags, backpacks, and document holders for promotional and event use, with disclosed clients including Alpitour Group, École Française Internationale (EFI) School of Phnom Penh, Fit 4 Life, and DMC Cambodia ASCO LOTUS. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; corporate custom orders are quote-based and distributor pricing is set locally.
Smateria firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smateria
- Legal name
- Smateria
- Website
- https://smateria.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Smateria is a women-owned Cambodia-based ethical fashion brand founded in 2006, producing handmade bags and accessories from recycled plastics and repurposed nylon nets. It sells through four Cambodian retail stores, five international regional distributors, and a B2B corporate custom-branding service.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Smateria industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Fashion Accessories
- NAICS
- Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)
- SIC
- Plastics Products, Nec (3089), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Handbags & Fashion Bags Manufacturing (IMAOAHAA)
Keywords
Where Smateria is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Phnom Penh
- HQ country
- Cambodia
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices5 records
Markets served
Smateria business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct Retail Sales: Smateria operates company-owned retail stores in Cambodia (Phnom Penh and Siem Reap) and sells directly to consumers through their own e-commerce platform.
- Wholesale and Distribution: Products are sold wholesale to distributors in USA, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Vietnam, and Japan who then resell to retailers and consumers.
- Corporate Custom Branding: Smateria creates custom-branded bags and accessories for corporate clients for use at events, trade shows, or as corporate gifts. Products are customized with company logos, messages, or special designs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Smateria product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Smateria designs, manufactures, and sells handmade fashion bags and accessories made from upcycled and recycled materials, including repurposed nylon fishing nets (NET Collection) and in-house recycled plastic fabric (IKI Collection). All products are 100% handmade in their own workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia by Khmer artisans. The company also offers custom corporate branding services, producing customized bags and accessories for businesses seeking promotional, event, or corporate gift items.
Product overview
Smateria is a women-owned ethical fashion brand founded in 2006, producing bags and accessories from unconventional recycled and upcycled materials. The company operates two main product lines: the IKI Collection, made from recycled plastic fabric and featuring water-resistant, lightweight bags (including Snap, Stash, Flow, and Rush styles); and the NET Collection, crafted from repurposed nylon fishing nets with unique transparent designs (including Pack, Store, Grip, and Dash styles). All products are 100% handmade in Cambodia by Khmer artisans in Smateria's own workshop, with custom corporate branding services also offered.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- IKI Collection: Fashion and functional accessories made from recycled plastic fabric (water-resistant, lightweight, extremely strong, user-friendly and vegan). Interior lining uses rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) made from plastic bottles.
- NET Collection
Products and services
- IKI Collection A line of fashion bags and accessories made from Smateria's in-house recycled plastic fabric (IKI material), which is water-resistant, lightweight, extremely strong, user-friendly, and vegan. Interior linings use rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) made from plastic bottles. Styles include crossbody bags, shoulder bags, and phone bags in multiple colors.
- NET Collection A collection of bags and accessories crafted from repurposed nylon net (a multipurpose industrial material used mainly for fishing or construction). Designs play with colors, shapes, and transparency to create unique textures and combinations. Styles include shoulder bags, crossbody bags, and water bottle carrier bags in multiple colors.
- Custom Corporate Bags Custom branding and design service for corporate clients. Companies can customize Smateria bags and accessories with their logo, message, or special design for use at events, trade shows, or as corporate gifts. Validated enterprise clients include Alpitour Group, Ecole Francaise Internationale Phnom Penh, Fit 4 Life, and DMC Cambodia-ASCO LOTUS.
Companies that use Smateria
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Smateria technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Smateria partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- HHPLIFTcoreUS distributor for Smateria products. Located at 329 W. 18th Street, Suite 714, Chicago IL 60616, United States. Contact: +1 312 226 3345, [email protected]. Operates smateriausa.com.
- Frida FeelingcoreEuropean distributor for Smateria products. Located at Carl-Zeiss-Str.22, 63322 Rödermark, Germany. Contact: Jürgen Herold, +49 (0)6074-4828080. Operates smateria.eu.
- ClaudiniacoreAustralia and New Zealand distributor for Smateria products. Located at PO Box 322, Main Beach, QLD, 4216, Australia. Contact: +61 451 295 582, [email protected]. Operates smateria.com.au.
- Smateria VietnamcoreVietnam distributor for Smateria products. Contact: Fiona Gollan, +84 76 266 2387, [email protected]. Operates smateria.vn.
- emiimi Ltd.Co.coreJapan distributor for Smateria products. Located at 1-14-26-112 Nogaya, Machida City, Tokyo, Japan. Contact: [email protected]. Operates smateria.co.jp.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Smateria competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Elvis & Kresse: UK luxury accessories brand that transforms decommissioned materials (fire hoses, printing blankets) into bags and accessories. Closely comparable to Smateria's upcycling ethos and handmade small-batch production model.
- Baggu: US-based reusable bag and accessories company with a strong sustainability positioning. Comparable as a designer of recycled-material bags and accessories targeting eco-conscious consumers globally.
- Matt & Nat: Canadian vegan handbag and accessories brand using recycled and plant-based materials. Directly comparable to Smateria on vegan/cruelty-free positioning, handbag-and-accessories product category, and ethically certified materials.
- Anchal Project: Fair-trade accessories brand producing bags and scarves handcrafted by women artisans in India. Directly comparable on fair-trade certification, women-led artisan production, and bags/accessories product category.
- Corkor: Portugal-based maker of cork-fabric handbags, backpacks, and accessories. Comparable niche sustainable-materials bag brand serving ethically minded consumers in similar price tiers.
Broad incumbents
- Cuyana: US-based direct-to-consumer fashion and accessories brand with sustainability commitments. Comparable in premium fashion bags/accessories category and multi-region online distribution, but at larger scale.
- Patagonia: Large outdoor and lifestyle apparel brand with deep sustainability and fair-trade credentials. Comparable on certified ethical/sustainable positioning and recycled-materials usage, though far broader in product range and scale.
Emerging players
- Lo & Sons: Independent travel and everyday bags brand. Comparable in product category (premium handbags, totes, backpacks) and multi-channel distribution, though with a less sustainability-led positioning.
- Papero Backpacks: German maker of backpacks and bags from recycled PET fabrics. Comparable on recycled-materials positioning and bag/accessories category serving similar eco-conscious consumers in Europe.
- Forest & Find: Sustainable accessories brand working with upcycled and natural materials. Comparable on the upcycled-materials, small-batch, ethically positioned bag and accessories niche.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Smateria social profiles
Digital presenceSmateria compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Smateria financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smateria leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Smateria funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smateria M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Smateria
What does Smateria do?
Smateria designs, manufactures, and sells handmade fashion bags and accessories made from upcycled and recycled materials, including repurposed nylon fishing nets (NET Collection) and in-house recycled plastic fabric (IKI Collection). All products are 100% handmade in their own workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia by Khmer artisans. The company also offers custom corporate branding services, producing customized bags and accessories for businesses seeking promotional, event, or corporate gift items.
Is Smateria a public or private company?
Smateria is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Smateria founded?
Smateria was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Smateria based?
Smateria is headquartered in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in the Asia region.
How does Smateria make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale and Distribution and corporate Custom Branding.
Who are Smateria's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Elvis & Kresse, Baggu, Matt & Nat, Anchal Project and Corkor. Broad incumbents are Cuyana and Patagonia. Emerging players are Lo & Sons, Papero Backpacks and Forest & Find.
Does Smateria have an API?
No public API is recorded for Smateria.
What industry is Smateria in?
Smateria's product category is Sustainable Fashion Accessories. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAHAA, Handbags & Fashion Bags Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 3159 and its SIC code is 3089.