Trix Circus

What Trix Circus does

Trix Circus Pty Ltd, founded in 2001 by fifth-generation circus performer Rodleigh Stevens, is an Australian manufacturer of hand-crafted aerial circus equipment operating from a single facility on the Gold Coast, Queensland. The company designs and builds engineer-certified aerial apparatus — silks, trapezes (basic, solo, duo, triple, swinging, corde lisse, tissu), aerial hoops/lyras, hammocks, ropes, straps, bungee equipment, and ground apparatus — alongside the ALTA Aerial Rig, the first engineer-certified quad rig in Australia and the USA. All products are manufactured on-site by Advanced Riggers using Australian-made materials, with NATA batch destruction testing on aerial hoops and compliance with Australian Safety Standards for human loading. The firm also distributes third-party rigging hardware from Petzl and Rock Exotica (the latter on an exclusive Australian basis) and stocks safety equipment such as carabiners, swivels, pulleys, and beam clamps.

The business operates across multiple go-to-market motions: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront on trixcircus.com serving individual performers and home hobbyists with made-to-order manufacturing (10 business day lead time, 15% rush surcharge); B2B direct sales to circus schools, professional companies, and studios via custom consultation and the Studio Affiliate Program (10% ongoing discount, $2,500 initial purchase minimum); and professional rigging services for studio fit-outs, performance installations, and venue work (NICA, Circa, Cirque du Soleil productions, Sydney Opera House, Smithsonian). A Gold Coast showroom is available by appointment, and international orders ship to Australia, the USA, Canada, the UK, and New Zealand.

Revenue is generated through one-time equipment sales (aerial apparatus, accessories, rigging hardware), professional services (rigging installation, equipment repair and reconfiguration, training and coaching), and equipment rentals (ALTA Rig). The company is privately held, founder-owned, bootstrapped with no external institutional funding, and operates with a small team (11 employees / 8 listed production and operations staff) combining 50+ years of manufacturing experience. Customer mix spans professional circus companies, circus schools and studios, individual performers, home hobbyists, and gymnastics facilities, with a strong brand association among elite productions including Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Bros, Circa, and NICA.

Name

Trix Circus

Legal name

Trix Circus Pty Ltd

Website

https://trixcircus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Trix Circus is an Australian manufacturer of hand-crafted, engineer-certified aerial circus equipment, serving professional circus companies, schools, and individual performers globally with silks, trapezes, hoops, and the ALTA Aerial Rig.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circus Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Rope, Cordage, Twine, Tire Cord, and Tire Fabric Mills (314994)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAHAJAI

Lifting Accessories & Rigging (Slings, Shackles, Hooks, Spreaders)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Lifting, Hoisting & Crane Equipment

SECONDARYIMAHABAJ

Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Material Handling & Logistics Equipment

Keywords

• Aerial circus equipment
• Circus rigging hardware
• Trapeze manufacturing
• Aerial silks apparatus
• Professional rigging services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gold Coast

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Circus Equipment Sales: One-time purchase of aerial apparatus (silks, trapezes, hoops, straps, hammocks), rigging hardware, safety equipment, and accessories. Made-to-order manufacturing with 10 business day standard lead time.
2. Rigging Services: Professional rigging services for studio fit-outs, gymnastics rigging upgrades, performance rigging at venues, and engineering consultancy. Includes installation by qualified Advanced Riggers.
3. Equipment Service and Repair: Repair services on Trix brand equipment including silks-to-hammock conversion, corde lisse recover, trapeze padding, and cotton-dyneema trapeze service.
4. Training and Coaching: Circus coaching services by world-class instructors including Rodleigh Stevens (fifth-generation circus performer, 40+ years teaching experience) and Amanda Lynch (Formation Formateur, ENC Montreal).
5. Gift Vouchers: Gift cards for circus equipment purchases, atomically emailed to recipients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Trix Circus manufactures and sells hand-made aerial circus apparatus including trapezes, hoops, silks, hammocks, ropes, straps, bungee equipment, and ground apparatus. The company also produces the ALTA Aerial Rig, the first engineer-certified quad rig in Australia and the USA, and offers professional rigging services, equipment repair, training, and rigging hardware. Products are sold directly to circus companies, schools, studios, and individual performers worldwide.

Product overview

Trix Circus is an Australian circus equipment manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of aerial and ground apparatus, rigging hardware, safety equipment, and professional services. The core product line centers on aerial apparatus including silks, trapezes (basic, solo/dance, duo, triple, swinging, corde lisse, straps, and tissu variants), aerial hoops/lyras (single point, tabless, tippy, roman rings), hammocks, nets, ropes (corde lisse, dynamic corde, cloudswing, spanish webs), straps, and bungee equipment. Ground apparatus includes hand balancing stands, handstand blocks, hand balance canes, and Russian bars. The ALTA Aerial Rig is the flagship free-standing engineer certified quad rig system. The company also offers complete apparatus sets with bundled accessories, an extensive range of rigging hardware and safety equipment (carabiners, swivels, pulleys, maillons, safety lines, safety belts), accessories (tape, grip aids, bags), and professional services including equipment repair, rigging installation, studio fit-outs, and qualified rigging consultancy. All products are hand-made on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, with emphasis on safety certification (NATA destruction testing, engineer certification) and compliance with Australian safety standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aerial Trapezes Hand-crafted aerial trapezes for circus schools, professional companies, and individual performers, including basic, solo, duo, triple, swinging, and corde lisse/trapeze variants used for static and dynamic aerial training and performance.
• Aerial Hoops (Lyras) Hand-crafted aerial hoops/lyras including single point, tabless, tippy, double point, and roman rings variants for aerial training, performance, and home use.
• Aerial Silks Low-stretch tricot nylon aerial silks, including dichromatic colour-matched pairs and Kids Aerial Silks, sold by length and customizable in colour, for training schools, professional performers, and home hobbyists.
• Aerial Hammocks and Teardrop Silks Aerial yoga hammocks and teardrop silks for aerial yoga, therapeutic sling use, and fitness applications, designed for studios and home users.
• Corde Lisse and Aerial Ropes Hand-crafted aerial ropes including corde lisse, dynamic corde, cloudswing, and spanish webs for circus schools, professionals, and individual performers.
• Aerial Straps Hand-crafted aerial straps including standard, looped, bungee, and travel variants for strength, flexibility, and dynamic aerial training.
• Bungee Apparatus Circus bungee, fitness bungee, and bungee harnesses for circus acts, trampoline training, and fitness facilities.
• Ground Apparatus Hand balance stands, handstand blocks, hand balance canes, and Russian bars for ground-based circus skills, hand balancing training, and gymnastics cross-training.
• ALTA Aerial Rig The first engineer-certified quad rig in Australia and the USA, designed and manufactured by Trix Circus for professional circus companies, schools, and studios. Built to AS/NZS standards with NATA batch destruction testing, the ALTA Aerial Rig supports high-frequency professional use.
• Rigging Hardware - Rock Exotica Rock Exotica swivels, carabiners, maillons, and pulleys supplied as rigging hardware components for aerial rigging setups.
• Rigging Hardware - Petzl Petzl ascenders, descenders, and safety equipment distributed as part of the rigging hardware range for professional and studio aerial rigging.
• Slings and Rigging Ropes Slings and rigging ropes sold as standalone rigging consumables for professional and studio rigging installations.
• Safety Belts and Safety Lines Safety belts and safety lines supplied as standalone personal protective equipment for aerial training and performance.
• Aerial Apparatus Accessories Accessories for aerial apparatus including tape, grip aids, palm guards, boots, and carry bags sold as standalone consumables and equipment-care items.
• Complete Aerial Sets Bundled complete aerial sets combining apparatus, rigging hardware, and accessories as packaged product offerings for studios and home users.
• Professional Rigging Services Professional rigging installation and consultation services for events, festivals, venues, and studios, delivered by qualified Advanced Riggers.
• Equipment Service and Repair Equipment service, repair, and conversion services for existing aerial circus apparatus, provided as a standalone paid offering.
• Circus Training and Coaching Circus training and coaching services delivered to individuals and groups, offered as a standalone service from the manufacturer.
• Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers redeemable against the Trix Circus product range, sold as a standalone gifting offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment lifespan of 5-10 years with proper maintenance for fabric and metal apparatus
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jade EngineeringcoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified manufacturer of the Alta Rig product. Jade Engineering is ISO 9001 certified and produces the rig as a certified product via certified manufacturing. All welding is supervised and inspected by a certified welding supervisor. Responsible for engineer-certified design meeting AS/NZS 1664.2:1997 Aluminium structures standards.
• Point EngineeringcoreTechnology or IntegrationPoint Engineering collaborated on the Alta Rig design as part of the engineering team ensuring structural integrity and certification compliance.
• Pascal Térault (ENC, Cirque du Soleil)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRigging consultant for Alta Rig development. Described the rig as 'A great rig for duo aerial work.' Has expertise in circus rigging from ENC and Cirque du Soleil experience.
• Rock ExoticacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrix Circus is the exclusive Australian circus retailer of Rock Exotica products. Stocks hardware including shackle swivels, Omni-Block pulley systems, Machined Pulleys, carabiners, and figure 8 silks separators.
• PetzlcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStocking partner for Petzl brand rigging hardware including swivels, pulleys, ascenders, ID EVAC, Rig device, and beam clamps.
• American Circus Educators (ACE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrix Circus is a proud member of ACE, displaying the ACE logo on their website as recognition of their professional standing in the circus education community.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aerial Design Equipment: US-based manufacturer of custom and stock aerial equipment including silks, trapezes, lyras, and straps with engineer-certified rigging solutions. Most directly comparable competitor serving North American circus schools and studios with similar product mix and custom manufacturing capabilities.
• Firetoys: UK-based retailer and own-brand manufacturer of aerial and circus equipment (silks, hoops, trapezes, straps, rope). Comparable as a multi-channel aerial equipment specialist serving both professional and hobbyist customers in Western markets.
• Circus Concepts: UK supplier of circus props and aerial equipment to schools, performers, and training institutions. Comparable product breadth in trapezes, aerial frames, and rigging accessories, with similar B2B/educational customer orientation.
• Lumar Aerial: UK-based manufacturer specializing in aerial hoops (lyras) and trapeze equipment with custom sizing and finishes. Directly comparable as a small-batch aerial apparatus manufacturer serving the same professional circus and studio market.
• Artex Equipment: UK manufacturer of professional aerial circus equipment including rigs, trapezes, silks, and safety equipment. Directly comparable as a bespoke rigging and aerial apparatus maker supplying schools and professional performers in international markets.

Broad incumbents

• Petzl: French global leader in climbing, rope access, and rescue equipment. Trix is a stocking partner/distributor for Petzl in Australia; Petzl is comparable as a broader incumbent in the safety/rigging hardware category that Trix's products are designed around.
• Rock Exotica: US manufacturer of high-performance rigging hardware (pulleys, swivels, carabiners) used in circus, rescue, and arborist applications. Trix is Rock Exotica's exclusive Australian circus retailer; comparable as an incumbent rigging hardware specialist whose products Trix distributes and integrates.
• Skylotec: German-based global manufacturer of fall protection, rope access, and safety equipment serving industrial, rescue, and sports markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent in safety/rigging hardware that competes for the same fall-arrest and rigging component spend.
• 3M Fall Protection (Capital Safety): Global safety equipment manufacturer (formerly Capital Safety / DBISala / Protecta) offering harnesses, anchors, and rigging hardware for fall protection. Comparable as a broad incumbent supplying safety belts, carabiners, and engineered rigging solutions overlapping with Trix's safety equipment lines.

Emerging players

• Upsala Circus: Smaller-scale aerial equipment maker and supplier to circus and fitness markets with custom apparatus offerings. Comparable as an emerging niche manufacturer competing in similar aerial and rigging product categories at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftrixcircus.com%2Fproduct%2Fvoucher%2F

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Trix Circus