Teespring
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | E-commerce, Social commerce |
| Founded | October 1, 2011 in Providence, Rhode Island, United States |
| Founder | Walker Williams, Evan Stites-Clayton |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Key people | Chris Lamontagne (CEO) |
| Products | Custom apparel and merchandise including T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, leggings, children's clothing |
Number of employees | 300 (2015) |
| Website | spring |
Spring, previously known as Teespring until its 2021 rebranding, operates as a social commerce platform that allows users to design and sell personalized merchandise. Established in 2011 by Walker Williams and Evan Stites-Clayton in Providence, Rhode Island, the company has evolved into a prominent entity within the e-commerce sector. By 2014, it had attracted $55 million in venture funding from notable investors like Khosla Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz.
The company broadened its business reach through key collaborations, including the 2018 launch of a merchandise shelf integration with YouTube, enabling content creators to offer products directly beneath their videos. This feature was later extended to platforms such as Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok, significantly boosting Spring’s market presence and international operations. In 2019, Chris Lamontagne assumed the role of CEO, steering the organization through its brand transition and implementing operational changes focused on enhancing content safety.
Business model
Spring provides a platform where users can initiate campaigns to sell customized products. Campaign organizers are responsible for product design and promotion independently, while Spring takes charge of order processing once the campaign reaches its minimum sales threshold ("tipped" campaigns). The company coordinates manufacturing through multiple screen-printing partners and manages logistics alongside customer support. Its product range features apparel items including T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, leggings, and children’s clothing, catering primarily to creators and entrepreneurs seeking efficient merchandise solutions.
History
Walkers Williams and Evan Stites-Clayton, students at Brown University, initially launched Jobzle in 2010 with the goal of connecting students to internship opportunities. In 2011, when the Fish Co. dive bar in Providence was at risk of shutting down, they designed "FREE FISHCO" T-shirts and set up a website to pre-sell them, moving over 400 units and generating $2,000 in revenue. This achievement inspired them to concentrate on crowdfunded custom apparel.
Seed funding amounting to $600,000 was provided by Rhode Island angel investors Bill Cesare and Mark Weiner. The company officially commenced operations in October 2012 in Providence.
Growth
By October 2012, monthly sales surpassed $500,000 and further increased to $750,000 by March 2013, reflecting a monthly growth rate of 50%. In December 2013, Teespring was accepted into the Y Combinator startup accelerator based in Mountain View. Shortly after completing the program, it secured $1.3 million in funding, which included $500,000 from Sam Altman, Y Combinator’s president.
In January 2014, Teespring completed a $20 million Series A financing round led by Laars Dalgaard of Andreessen Horowitz. Later that year in November, it raised an additional $35 million in Series B funding from Khosla Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. Keith Rabois joined the board as a partner during this period.
A new production facility located in Kentucky was projected to generate hundreds of employment opportunities. By 2015, Teespring’s workforce expanded to roughly 300 employees nationwide; however, the Providence office saw a reduction from 120 staff members down to 52 by mid-2015. The company fully closed its Rhode Island office by 2016.
Criticism
Teespring has encountered significant criticism due to its sale of apparel featuring violent and racially offensive messages. Although the company asserts that it monitors its content, it has frequently been at the center of disputes concerning objectionable designs.
2017
In May 2017, Teespring faced public outrage after offering T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase "Black Women Are Trash," leading to demands for a boycott. Brett Miller, director of seller success, explained that the company swiftly removed the offensive items and banned the responsible seller upon becoming aware of the situation.
In August 2017, the platform was condemned for distributing rainbow-colored swastika T-shirts created by KA Design, which sought to recontextualize the Nazi emblem. Jewish organizations responded by calling for a boycott. Later that year, a shirt with the slogan "Eat Sleep Rape Repeat" also appeared on Teespring’s marketplace.
In November 2017, Walmart took down a shirt sold through Teespring that read "Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required" following protests from journalist advocacy groups. That year saw 35 attacks on journalists, according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. Additionally, USA Today reported that Teespring was offering shirts featuring slogans such as "Hitler did nothing wrong" alongside an image of Bill Cosby with the phrase "drinks on me ladies."
2018
In April 2018, Teespring drew criticism for selling merchandise glorifying Dylann Roof, a neo-Nazi mass murderer.
By June 2018, social media backlash arose after Teespring removed a T-shirt collection containing the term "TERFs" (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists), including a design stating "Fuck TERFs." The company cited violations of its Hate Speech policy as justification.
During 2018, a spokesperson from the Women's March highlighted concerns about fraudulent pages selling merchandise allegedly supporting the movement but financially benefiting individuals instead. These unauthorized sellers breached the ethical sourcing guidelines established by the official organization.
2020
Following Caroline Flack’s death in February 2020, Teespring was criticized for permitting counterfeit "Be Kind" T-shirts—originally designed by Leigh Francis to raise funds for mental health charity The Samaritans—to be sold on its platform, thereby diverting proceeds away from charitable causes.
In August 2020, Teespring announced that it considered the term 'antifa' in violation of its acceptable use policy.
2021
On January 11, 2021, after an image circulated showing a rioter wearing a Camp Auschwitz shirt during the US Capitol attack, Teespring removed the item and issued an apology for its availability on their site.
2022
On November 8, 2022, Amaze Software Inc. disclosed its acquisition of Spring with intentions to accelerate expansion in creator-driven commerce.
2023
Spring became subject to several lawsuits filed by vendors and partners over unpaid debts totaling more than $1.5 million, with some creditors represented by Fair Capital debt collection agency.
Rebranding
On February 1, 2021, Teespring officially changed its name to Spring to better represent its shifting business strategy.