Two of Europe's oldest names in the world of print-on-demand are merging, but you may not even realize they're two different companies in the first place. Printful and Printify, both startups with roots in Latvia and offering custom printing services, will be combined as one company.
They frame this move as a given to unlock greater economies of scale, efficiency, and profitability. But reading between the lines also highlights the struggles that on-demand manufacturing and creator economy startups face as a single company. Financing for late-stage startups has become particularly difficult in Europe in recent years, and 2025 looks set to be no exception. While category growth appears to be slower than in the past, both companies said they are now reaching “hundreds of thousands” of customers.
Mergers are usually aimed at increasing efficiency through headcount reduction. When asked about the layoffs, spokespersons for both companies said: “There will be some overlap between the two companies and changes to the team. Company leadership will ensure this process is clear, transparent and efficient.”
According to a press release, the two existing brands will be retained “for the foreseeable future,” but a new name is being planned, but is being kept secret for now. A new management team will be formed, but both CEOs will remain in their positions. New products are also being considered, or what the company's PR calls “increasingly customized and innovative solutions.”
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The combined company said it plans to expand into more markets and serve everyone from individual entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies looking to offer private label products.
Regarding metrics, companies do not provide similar numbers. Printful says its business ships “more than 1 million items” each month, and Printify reports it has generated more than 60 million orders since its founding nearly a decade ago. Three years ago, Printify reported shipping 1 million units per month, but it's not clear what the growth has been since then.
Printful was founded in 2013 and has raised $130 million in private equity funding, according to CrunchBase. Since its founding in 2015, Printify has raised a total of just over $54 million. Investors also include Index Ventures.
Printful CEO Alex Saltonstall commented on the merger in a statement, calling the development “an exciting moment for everyone.” Saltonstall has been in the role for just over two years, following a change in leadership after the original co-founder stepped down and took on an advisory role in summer 2022.
“Printify is a business that we have long admired and believe there is a natural fit between our two companies,” he said. “We are excited to see our two leading technology companies combine their strengths to provide our customers with ever-improving opportunities to achieve their business goals.”
Printify CEO Anastasija Oleinika is even more recent. She took over the top job from CFO in April 2023, coinciding with the company's founder's move to the role of executive chairman. “Our combined company will deliver more benefits to our merchants,” she said in a statement. “More top-quality products, more places to sell, more innovative solutions, and more growth and profits.”
Consolidation is also a strategy to increase prices by reducing consumer choice (a tactic that private equity has been known to deploy), so claims of increased product choice could lead to lower prices for users of both companies. It will be interesting to see if that leads to a decline or an increase in prices. Or we can see them “innovating” to expand value for their customers.
The companies say the merger has already passed regulatory review and has received “overwhelming support” from both companies' shareholders. So we're all in on Printfulify, or whatever the combined entity is called.