What IO Studio does

IO Studio (Io Studio OÜ) is an Estonian custom design and manufacturing studio headquartered in Tallinn, active since January 2012. The company physically fabricates illuminated advertising (valgusreklaam), dimensional design objects, exhibition stands and booth elements, and complete signage/wayfinding systems using traditional materials and techniques such as acrylic, brass, channel letters, lightboxes, and illuminated pylons. It operates a four-line product portfolio delivered on a project-by-project basis, with no software, digital, or recurring-revenue component.

The company serves a B2B client base spanning hospitality (Radisson Collection Hotel Tallinn, Hotel Palace), technology (Twilio Estonia, Starship Technologies), manufacturing (ABB, Balteco), automotive (Veho Estonia), food & beverage (Cafe Maiasmokk), and government (Riigikantselei for the EU2017 Estonian Presidency). Founder-CEO Andrus Märtson leads both design and technical execution, and the studio works frequently alongside interior architects such as Vaikla Disain and PIN Arhitektid. The differentiating premise is integrated design-and-build capability under the "studio" model, with no external distribution or reseller channel.

Revenue is generated exclusively through custom, quote-driven project contracts on a one-time basis. The company operates with a 1-10 person team, primarily in Estonia with occasional project delivery into Finland and Lithuania. It has accumulated multiple regional design and architecture awards (Estonian Design Awards 2012 and 2013, Golden Egg 2014, Estonian Architecture Award nominations in 2014, 2016, and 2023) but holds no patents, trademarks, formal partnerships, or external funding.

Name

IO Studio

Legal name

Io Studio OÜ

Website

https://iostudio.ee

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IO Studio is an Estonian custom design and manufacturing studio in Tallinn that fabricates illuminated advertising, dimensional design objects, exhibition stands, and signage systems for B2B clients across hospitality, technology, government, automotive, and other sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Signage and Exhibition Fabrication

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185), Industrial Design Services (541420), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640), Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590)

akta.pro primary industry

Large-Format & Spectaculars (Building Wraps, 3D, Landmarks) (BPAFALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Fabrication & Scenic/Set Build (Custom Builds, Installations) (BPAFAGAK), Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Custom illuminated signage
• Architectural signage systems
• Exhibition stand fabrication
• Volumetric design objects
• Wayfinding sign systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Design and Manufacturing Services: The company provides custom design, construction and manufacturing services for advertising and interior design products. Each project is treated as a unique assignment with design, engineering and execution phases.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

IO Studio designs, engineers, manufactures, and installs custom illuminated advertising, volumetric design objects, exhibition stands, and architectural signage systems for business clients. Each engagement is handled as a dedicated project combining industrial design and hands-on technical fabrication, delivered directly to enterprise and government customers across the Baltic region.

Product overview

IO Studio is a physical product design and manufacturing studio offering a portfolio of four interconnected core offerings: Illuminated Adverts (valgusreklaam), Design Objects (disainobjektid), Billboards and Exhibition Elements (stendid), and Signs and Signage Systems (sildid). The company approaches each client order as a project task, combining design and technical execution competencies to deliver custom visual impact solutions for business projects and innovations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Illuminated Adverts (Valgusreklaam) Design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of all types of illuminated adverts including channel letters, lightboxes, illuminated pylons, and illuminated doorplates, for business and institutional clients.
• Design Objects and Volumetric Forms (Disainobjektid ja mahulised vormid) Design, construction and manufacture of volumetric design objects and 'out of frame' objects including 3D logos, acrylic shapes, brass elements, and custom structural pieces for offices, exhibitions, and brand environments.
• Exhibition Stands and Booth Design Elements (Stendid ja messibokside kujunduselemendid) Design, construction, manufacture and installation of presentation stands and exhibition booth elements for trade shows and corporate presentations, including illuminated components for trade fair stands.
• Signs and Wayfinding Systems (Sildid ja infoviitade süsteemid) Design, manufacture and installation of individual signs and complete signage solutions including directional signs, doorplates, wall signs, and interior wayfinding systems for hotels, offices, and public buildings.

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Ideum: US-based firm designing and fabricating interactive exhibits, touch tables, and custom installations. Comparable as a custom-design-and-build studio producing physical exhibit and signage elements for enterprise and public-sector clients.
• Mather & Co: Design-and-build studio specializing in exhibition, visitor attraction, and interpretive environments. Directly comparable in combining bespoke design with technical execution and installation for premium cultural and commercial clients.
• Atelier Brückner: German experiential and exhibition design studio producing large-scale bespoke brand and museum environments. Comparable as a custom design-and-build firm working across dimensional logos, signage, and scenographic elements for enterprise clients.
• Unibox: UK-based specialist in custom illuminated signage, lightboxes, and bespoke display fabrication. Directly comparable as a premium illuminated-signage and custom-fabrication studio serving enterprise and retail clients.
• ESI Design: New York-based experiential design studio producing branded environments, exhibits, and interactive installations. Comparable as an integrated design-and-build firm serving museums, brands, and public-sector clients.
• Sparks: US experiential marketing and custom fabrication agency producing brand activations, exhibits, and custom-built environments. Directly comparable in executing one-off custom builds for enterprise clients.

Broad incumbents

• ITAB Group: Nordic-listed retail fixtures and signage manufacturer at much larger scale. Adjacent in custom illuminated signage and fixtures for retail and hospitality, but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a boutique studio.
• Neo Neon Holdings: Larger-scale illuminated signage and LED lighting manufacturer serving global OOH and architectural projects. Overlaps in illuminated fabrication but as a broad incumbent rather than a boutique custom studio.
• Imagination Group: Global brand experience agency producing events, exhibitions, and architectural installations. Broader and larger than IO Studio, but operates in an adjacent custom-design-and-build space for enterprise clients.

Emerging players

• Smart Design: Industrial design consultancy producing custom-designed physical products and brand objects. Comparable in the design-object and custom-fabrication overlap with IO Studio, though more product-centric than signage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/io-studio

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 IO Studio