Uhuru Design, a designer and manufacturer of commercial and residential furniture, has raised $6.9 million to build out its sales through ecommerce as well as through its business-to-business sales reps and dealer network, the company says. It’s also launching new direct-to-consumer products.

Leo Lucisano, CEO, Uhuru Design

“The timing of this capital raise was critical to allowing us to lean into the ‘resimmercial’ or work-from-home market that exploded in the wake of COVID-19, while also shoring up our U.S.-based manufacturing that has struggled with intermittent shutdowns and talent shortages,” says Leo Lucisano, CEO of Uhuru Design. Uhuru did not name the source of its funding, but says it “includes a significant cash investment as well as an expanded credit facility and access to additional resources to support organizational growth and go-to-market strategies.”

The Brooklyn, New York-based Uhuru Design sells online at UhuruDesign.com., which runs on the Shopify ecommerce technology platform. Since it launched as a company in 2004, Uhuru has focused on customized “New American design” products made from wood and other recycled materials for customers like Nike, Shake Shack and NBC.

In its B2B channel, Uhuru provides a “Pro Program” for architects, interior designers, and others. The program lets them order products online at discounted prices and request complimentary swatches of material.

“We are already leveraging this funding to support the launch of new direct-to-consumer products and to support our B2B and dealer and rep channels as our efforts over the last year to build out national distribution pay off, and we make New American Design accessible to design-centric companies and home-office customers alike,” Lucisano says.

A craftsman works on Uhuru Design furniture.

Uhuru’s products are also featured in such venues as the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Brooklyn Museum.

Uhuru manufactures its custom furniture line at its main Pennsylvania location and other workshops but fills larger volume orders in Vietnam.

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