ELIS DESIGN is a Czech company focused on the design and direct online sale (D2C — Direct to Consumer) of sustainable and meaningful toys inspired by the Montessori philosophy, as well as children’s furniture. The company was founded in 2018 by the Novotný couple and has, over the years, successfully expanded into Slovakia, Hungary, Germany and other European markets.
The founders decided to bring in a strong financial partner to support the company’s development, particularly in new product verticals and geographic expansion. Long-standing members of the ELIS DESIGN management, Jan Křivka (CEO) and Martin Dorňák (CSO), are taking over the leadership of the company and will spearhead the execution of the next phase of its growth strategy.
Aleš Novotný, founder of ELIS DESIGN, said: “I have been preparing this decision for some time and it is part of a broader strategic step. By handing over day-to-day leadership to the management team, I have deliberately moved into product strategy, where I see the greatest contribution I can make to the company’s continued development. We see Montessori as the starting point and want to go further, supporting children in discovering the world with their whole body and all their senses, through movement, touch, sound and visual stimuli.”
Ondřej Pernica, Investment Director at Genesis Growth, commented: “What attracted us to ELIS DESIGN was above all the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity embedded in the company’s DNA. Combined with its focus on smart products and an excellent management team, this forms a strong foundation for continuing a successful growth story.” Jiří Beneš, Managing Partner at Genesis Growth, added: “For our first fund, this is the fourteenth completed investment, which closes its investment period with the fund fully deployed into quality companies with significant growth potential. We will now focus fully on developing the value of our portfolio companies and on finalising the launch of our second private equity fund.”
Jan Křivka, current CEO of ELIS DESIGN, noted: “I see the entry of Genesis Growth as an important milestone that will allow us to accelerate the changes we have already been working on internally. Over the past months, we have taken significant steps in logistics and are gradually unifying our e-shop solution into a single technological and design standard across markets. This opens up room for significantly faster and more efficient expansion into additional countries.
Our goal is not merely to grow in terms of the number of markets, but above all to build a strong, long-term European brand that offers parents trust, inspiration and quality products. The cooperation with Genesis Growth gives us the capacity to deliver on these ambitions faster and in a more systematic way.”
About ELIS DESIGN
ELIS DESIGN is a Czech e-commerce company focused on the development and online sale of high-quality products for children and families, particularly toys, furniture and accessories that support the natural development, curiosity and physical activity of children. The products are designed with an emphasis on functional design, safety and long-term sustainability, with regard to both the environment and the everyday needs of families. As the company itself puts it: the products are tested by the strictest testers of all, our own children.
The company has been growing at a double-digit rate over the long term and operates in several European markets, where it is building a strong customer base and the trust of parents. A key part of its strategy is direct-to-consumer sales (D2C) and a focus on the customer experience across the entire purchase journey, from inspiration and product selection through to delivery and after-sales care.
In addition to sales itself, ELIS DESIGN is actively developing content and community activities that help parents choose suitable products and provide inspiration for everyday life with children. The company therefore acts not only as a retailer, but as a partner to parents, helping them create an environment in which children can develop naturally.
Transaction advisors
Genesis Growth was advised on legal matters by Novalia, while financial and tax advisory was provided by Panaga and commercial advisory was led by Štěpánka Vílová.
The shareholders of ELIS DESIGN received transaction advisory services from the IMAP REDBAENK group and legal services from HAVEL & PARTNERS.
The transaction was supported by Komerční banka.
Contacts:
Ondřej Pernica, Genesis Capital Growth s.r.o.
E-mail: pernica@genesis.cz
tel.: +420 777 903 618