Liledu, an educational toy subscription service from Vilnius, Lithuania, has raised €500K in funding led by FIRSTPICK, with support from Heartfelt_, BADideas, and angel investors. The company focuses on sustainability in the toy industry, offering a subscription model for expertly designed toy sets that grow with the child, reducing waste and promoting eco-friendly play and learning. This funding will help Liledu expand into the UK market after successful trials, allowing them to further develop their subscription service and expand their range of products.
The UK-based company with Lithuanian heritage, addresses a significant environmental issue: the toy industry annually contributes approximately 26 million tons of CO2, with 80% of toys ending up in landfills, incineration plants, or oceans. Liledu’s subscription model features expertly designed toy sets that grow with the child, saving parents money and reducing clutter while promoting continuous, eco-friendly learning through play.
Laurynas Pamparas, the founder of Liledu, is bullish on growth in the UK.
“After extensive market research, we chose the UK as our initial focus for expansion. We launched our pilot and quickly met our key performance indicators through actual sales, not just waitlists.”
FIRSTPICK, the lead investor, highlights the startup’s successful traction in Lithuania and positive test results abroad.
“Liledu’s ‘Play and Swap’ model has already proven successful in Lithuania, and the growing global demand for sustainability is changing the traditional standards in the toy industry and consumer culture worldwide,” commented Andra Bagdonaitė, a partner at FIRSTPICK. She added, “Liledu’s consumer-first approach has been a crucial element of their strategy, effectively demonstrating their ability to enter and expand in new markets.”
In a market dominated by traditional online toy stores that encourage continuous purchases, Liledu stands out with its innovative and sustainable subscription service, offering tailored toy sets that evolve with your child.
Since its launch less than a year ago, the Liledu has raised a total of €625,000, which includes an initial €125,000 from FIRSTPICK and a group of angel investors last autumn. The startup has proven its sustainable toy consumption model in Lithuania with a local brand ‘Žaislų Klubas’, delivering 60,000 toys to date. It has recently validated demand in the UK and is now poised to double down internationally.
Founded in 2023, Liledu was born from Laurynas Pamparas’s personal experience as a parent who was overwhelmed by the rapid accumulation of toys in his home during his child’s first year and his struggle to find a more sustainable alternative. The company offers subscribers eco-friendly wooden toys based on the Montessori educational method, tailored to children’s ages and developmental stages.
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