Recently, UFOU, a vanguard furniture designer brand, announced that it successfully closed its first round of financing. Ventech China is the leading investor. This is the first time that UFOU has brought in investors since its establishment 6 years ago.

As James Jin, a Managing Partner of Ventech China, said:

"What impressed us the most is the belief of Mark and the UFOU team, with strong resilience on 'people-oriented' design, and high standard on product details. We believe UFOU has the right premium brand DNA to "go global" with such aesthetical and functional products. It shows the breakthrough and innovation based on China's strong manufacturing prowess."

This article is reproduced with authorization from: Brand Planet (ID: ibrandstar)

Translation: Ventech China team

What would a sit-to-stand desk look like that is better suited to the home space? This is a question that UFOU has been thinking about for the past few years.

Since its establishment in 2018, UFOU has been developing multifunctional lift desks that can be designed to fit into the home environment and provide a more ultimate experience. Now UFOU has launched its flagship sit-to-stand desk, "UPON" and a lift desk for children, "UPON MINI"，and is exploring more possibilities in the home office category and other home scenarios.

Mark, the founder of UFOU, is a serial entrepreneur who was previously the CEO of the office furniture brand, "NOVAN." With 20 years of experience in the furniture industry, he has paid close attention to the strength of the upstream supply chain. Not long after the establishment of UFOU, he set up his own factory in Zhejiang.

Recently, UFOU announced its first round of financing from Ventech China, a venture capital institution with a global perspective. This is the first time that UFOU has brought in investors since its establishment 6 years ago. 

Speaking of the reason for choosing Ventech China, Mark said that it is not only because of the resources behind,  but also the recognition and appreciation of UFOU's product concept.

Think outside the box

UFOU was born from a desk shopping experience. In 2018, Mark was looking for a desk for his son, When he came across a German brand, he found a brand with a simple slab design and lift function, but it was priced at over RMB 40,000.

As a home industry professional with over 20 years of experience, Mark felt that the product design was a bit too "simple" after evaluating the pricing and cost. He believed that there was large space for improvement.

With the idea, Mark started conducting market research to understand the use scenarios and needs of lift desks in the market. Eventually, the "home office" scenario caught Mark's attention.

"There are already many options in other categories (sofa, kitchen furniture, lighting), but in the home office, there is a lack of products and brands that balance functionality, user experience, and design," Mark said.

Most of the lift desks and office chairs on the market only consider the office scenario. That's why when searching for "lift desk" online, the presented products are generally similar - a desktop, adjustable length of desk legs, and a button on the side. When such products are placed in a home environment, they feel somewhat out of place due to the lack of interaction with the home space.

So, with the market gap in the "home office" as the focal point, Mark founded UFOU, hoping to create a truly differentiated, and ultimate home office sit-to-stand desk.

For UFOU, the premise of innovation is breaking away from the traditional mindset of the furniture industry. 

“We selected group members from the fields of consumer electronics, wearable devices, and smart home, most of whom are overseas."
After more than two years of R&D, UFOU launched its first flagship product - UPON sit-and-stand desk.

What's the perfect user experience?

The development of UFOU was not easy. To achieve Mark's pursuit of the "Aesthetics and Functionality," UFOU's design team went through more than 10 times of model prototyping and exceeded the expected R&D costs and time before finally launching the first product, UPON.

Currently, UPON is the core product in the brand lineup. It brings a lot of natural traffic and sales for UFOU with little promotion.

From the perspective of the Brand Planet, the core strategy of UFOU is to provide consumers with the ultimate experience through one core product. We can feel UFOU's brand attitude, as well as its uniqueness in details and experience.

From a visual standpoint, the most noticeable highlight of UPON is that all the corners of the desk are rounded in design. No exposed screws and wires and to ensure that the product is simple and aesthetic. With precise motorize mechanism, the worktop can be easily adjusted to 6 directions. 

The design details of UPON are more than this. During the product demonstration, the Brand Planet discovered numerous hidden "small thoughts" within UPON. For example, lift sensors are included to ensure the safety of children's operation and prevent head bumps, and spaces are reserved to prevent hand pinching. These designs may not directly address the pain points of an "office" scenario, but they genuinely consider the use scenarios within a family setting.

Mark shared with us that the designer of UPON's screen arm had a great fondness for Star Wars. Not only did they incorporate Star Wars design elements into the product, but they also printed symbols from the movie on the assembly screws of the screen arm. This small story not only adds a touch of romance to the industrial designer's work but also highlights the brand's human touch and warmth in the details.

More than functionality

Based on "home office" scenario, UFOU goes beyond functionality and integrates into the broader home environment to build a real home scenario. That's why UFOU emphasis on the concepts of "real" and "warmth" in their product design.

In the product design of UFOU's new sit-to-stand desk - UPON MINI, family time is also taken into consideration. When children are using the desk, parents can easily find a suitable position to accompany their children. 

The lifting height of UPON MINI is not limited to the height of children, but considers the longer use cycle of multiple age groups, hoping to accompany family members through different stages of life.

Mark mentioned that while UFOU's main product is the multifunctional sit-to-stand desk, they also hope to expand into other categories centered around social and family reunion scenarios in the future.

For example, the dining room is an excellent area for such scenes. In modern families, the dining room is not only a place for meals but also serves as an office space and an area for entertainment. There is still ample room for exploration and innovation in product optimization in this context.

Another area of focus is the living room, where UFOU aims to transform it into a space for intimate family members through their product offerings, bringing together people from different generations.

In Mark's view, design is not just about rational engineering but also emotional interaction. That's why products are more than a mere combination of functions; they should also reflect daily life behavior behind those functions.

At the end of the interview, Mark also mentioned a key word - "decency" - which is the foundation of UFOU and represents the brand's attitude. UFOU aims to gain recognition from both the market users and peers through truly upgraded and iterated products.

In China, where the issue of home furnishing imitation has been prevalent, it is challenging to adhere to the principles of "decency" in product innovation. However, this commitment aligns with Mark's aspirations as a serial entrepreneur in the home furnishing industry and his original intention to embark on a new business venture.

Moreover, "decency" is a form of creation wisdom. 

While "Made in China" is an undeniable reality, the true value of a China premium brand goes beyond the price value and manufacturing prowess. It lies in the design thinking and philosophy behind the manufacturing process - how products are designed from the perspective of people and the environment to enhance and inspire a better life. This is the core proposition of UFOU and a question that all new brands must contemplate and overcome, transcending the fundamental aspects of manufacturing.