What KAI KOPPEL does

KAI KOPPEL is a sole proprietorship of Estonian glass artist Kai Koppel (née Okas, born 1952), who has operated as a freelance artist since 1981 after training at the State Art Institute of the Estonian SSR (1970–1975). In 1991, she co-founded Estonia's first hot glass studio, "Koppel & Keerdo Klaasikoda," with glass artist Viivi-Ann Keerdo; the studio later reopened in 1996 as the Katariina Gildi glass workshop in the medieval St. Catherine's Passage (Katariina käik) in Tallinn's Old Town, a heritage-protected tourist corridor. The business produces four product categories: hot-formed sculptural pieces, hand-engravings, handblown drinking glasses (wine, whisky, vodka, liqueur), and vases and bowls, all made using traditional hot glassblowing techniques with custom-built Estomelt 91 furnaces designed with Finnish glass artist Mikko Merikallio. Technical innovation includes a documented detachable modular mould system enabling infinite variants from a single mould.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through the Tallinn studio showroom, where visitors watch live glassblowing demonstrations and purchase from the product range. Additional channels include international exhibition participation (across at least 14 countries), annual International Hot Glass Symposiums organized at the family-run Evald Okase Museum in Haapsalu since 2003, and occasional commissions and museum acquisitions. Customer segments span art collectors, museums and cultural institutions (works held in 8+ international collections including Estonian, Russian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, and Finnish museums), tourists, and interior designers. Pricing is unit-based, not publicly disclosed, with no e-commerce or formal distribution partnerships. Since the firmographic year_founded is listed as 2020 in one source while the studio's operational history dates to 1991, the entity appears to be either a recently formalized legal wrapper around a 30+ year-old practice or a date tied to website/registration; either way, the underlying creative enterprise is mature with no venture investment, parent company, or subsidiary structure.

Name

KAI KOPPEL

Legal name

KAI KOPPEL

Website

https://kaikoppel.ee

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Short description

KAI KOPPEL is an Estonian glass artist and studio in Tallinn's Old Town producing handcrafted hot-formed sculptures, engravings, drinking glasses, vases, and bowls for collectors, museums, tourists, and interior designers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Glass

NAICS

Other Pressed and Blown Glass and Glassware Manufacturing (327212)

SIC

Glass & Glassware, Pressed Or Blown (3220)

akta.pro primary industry

Decorative, Patterned & Privacy Glass (Frosted/Textured/Colored) (IMADAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Handcrafted glass art
• Studio glassware
• Hot glass blowing
• Art glass sculpture
• Glass engraving art

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Studio Glass Product Sales: Direct sales of handcrafted glass products including glasses, vases, bowls, and decorative items from the studio showroom in Tallinn's Old Town. Visitors can watch glassblowing demonstrations and purchase from the product range.
2. Art Sales and Commissions: Sale of artistic glass works including sculptural objects, engravings, and hot-formed pieces. Includes commissioned works and unique artistic pieces.
3. Symposium Participation: Participation in international glass symposiums where new works are created and exhibited. These events contribute to recognition and indirectly to sales opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KAI KOPPEL produces handcrafted studio glassware and sculptural glass art through a hot glassblowing studio in Tallinn's Old Town. The product range covers four categories: hot-formed sculptural pieces (Kuumtöötlusvormid), hand-engraved artworks (Graveeringud), handblown drinking glasses (wine, whisky, vodka, liqueur), and vases, bowls, and plates. Production uses custom Estomelt 91 furnaces and a proprietary detachable modular mould system, with an emphasis on experimentation, improvisation, and bold use of brilliant colors. Customers can visit the studio showroom in St. Catherine's Passage to watch live glassblowing demonstrations and purchase directly from the displayed range.

Product overview

KAI KOPPEL is an Estonian glass artist offering handcrafted glass artworks and functional glassware through her studio. The product portfolio consists of four main categories: Kuumtöötlusvormid (hot-formed sculptural pieces created through hot glass techniques), Graveeringud (engraved glass artworks featuring figurative designs), Klaasid (handblown drinking glasses including wine, whisky, and liqueur glasses), and Vaasid, kausid (vases and bowls in various sizes). The studio also offers custom glass pieces and visitors can observe glassblowing demonstrations. All products are created using traditional hot glass working methods with an emphasis on experimentation, improvisation, and bold use of vibrant colors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kuumtöötlusvormid (Hot-Formed Sculptural Pieces)

Quantifiable outcome

• Works held in museum collections in Estonia, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Hungary, and Finland
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Evald Okase MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Family-run museum in Haapsalu where Kai Koppel organizes the annual International Hot Glass Symposiums. The museum provides open-air studio space with open glass furnace for creating large sculptural works. Museum opened in 2003.
• Viivi-Ann KeerdocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991Co-founder and partner in establishing the first hot glass studio in Estonia (Koppel & Keerdo Klaasikoda). Keerdo is also a glass artist who partnered with Kai Koppel to create the studio after circumstances changed in the early 1990s and glass artists no longer had access to factory production facilities.
• Mikko MerikalliomajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1991Finnish glass artist who designed the studio's first glass furnace (Estomelt 91 type). Subsequently collaborated on building all subsequent furnaces for the studio. Technical partner in establishing hot glass capability.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dale Chihuly: World-renowned American studio glass artist known for large-scale sculptural blown glass works, exhibitions, and museum placements. Directly comparable as an individual artist whose name is the brand, with works in major museum collections and a global exhibition practice.
• Lino Tagliapietra: Italian-Murano studio glass artist internationally recognized for blown glass mastery and museum collections. Directly comparable as an individual artist-led studio practice with global exhibition profile and museum placements.
• Simon Pearce: Irish-American glassblower operating a destination glass studio and showroom with live glassblowing demonstrations. Directly comparable business model combining handcrafted glassware, retail showroom, and visitor experience.

Broad incumbents

• Lalique: French luxury glass and crystal brand with artistic heritage and museum recognition. Comparable as a collectible art glass house with international exhibition footprint and premium positioning.
• Kosta Boda: Swedish art glass brand under Orrefors Kosta Boda, producing both functional glassware and sculptural art glass. Comparable for its blend of artistic glassmaking and commercial glassware, with a destination glassworks experience.
• Iittala: Iconic Finnish glass and tableware brand with deep heritage in Nordic design. Comparable as a Finnish/Estonian regional glass producer with strong design heritage and international recognition, though operates at much larger industrial scale.
• Steuben Glass: American luxury art glass maker known for handcrafted crystal and museum-art-quality pieces. Comparable as a high-end art glass house with strong museum and collector base.
• Holmegaard Glasværk: Historic Danish glassmaker producing handcrafted and machine-made glassware with strong design heritage. Comparable as a Nordic glass producer with design and museum pedigree.
• Venini: Historic Murano (Venice) art glass manufacturer producing handcrafted sculptural and decorative glass with strong international art-world reputation. Comparable as a high-end decorative/sculptural glass brand with museum presence.
• Orrefors: Swedish glassmaker producing handcrafted and machine-made art glass and crystal since 1898. Comparable as a Nordic/Scandinavian glass producer with strong museum and design pedigree, though at industrial scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 KAI KOPPEL