Draft:Max Gunawan

  • Comment: All of the sources are about his company and not the subject himself. Somepinkdude (talk) 01:38, 23 December 2025 (UTC)


Max Gunawan is an Indonesian-American inventor, designer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the design companies Lumio and elio. Gunawan is best known for the Lito (formerly Lumio), a folding lamp resembling a hardcover book. Following the product's launch, Entrepreneur magazine named Lumio one of the "Top 10 Most Innovative Crowdfunded Companies.".[1] Gunawan's work emphasizes minimalist aesthetics and multifunctional design. His products have received multiple international awards, including the Red Dot Design Award[2] and the Good Design Award[3]. In 2022, his Teno speaker was included in TIME magazine's list of "Best Inventions."[4]

In 2014, Gunawan appeared on the reality television program Shark Tank, where he secured investment for his company[5]. He has also spoken at industry conferences, including a TEDx talk in San Francisco titled "Having More, Using Less."[6] As of 2025, Gunawan holds design patents for at least 4 of his products globally[7].

Early Life and Education

Gunawan was born in Jakarta, Indonesia[8]. He studied architecture at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where he was a recipient of the Freeman Asian Scholarship Program[9]. After graduating in 2002, he relocated to San Francisco. Gunawan spent ten years working in architecture, including a senior management role at Gap Inc., where he oversaw the development of retail stores in international markets[10].

Career

In 2013, Gunawan left his corporate position to found Lumio, a design studio based in San Francisco, with the aim to create “poetic objects for the home”[11]. He launched the company's first product, a folding lamp resembling a hardcover book called the Lumio book lamp (later rebranded as the Lito book lamp) via a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter[12]. The Lumio book lamp gained significant attention for its unique design and functionality and received several accolades, including the Red Dot Design Award [2] and the Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award[13].

In 2014, Gunawan appeared on Season 6, Episode 14 of the ABC reality series Shark Tank[5]. He accepted an investment offer from Robert Herjavec during the broadcast; however, subsequent reports indicated that the deal was not finalized[14]. In 2025, Gunawan established a second brand, elio, focused on “smart objects for your travel”[15]. The brand's initial product, a collapsible water bottle, was introduced on Kickstarter in October 2025[16]. Gunawan is currently based in Paris, France[17].

Products and Innovations

Gunawan’s product portfolio includes Lito, Teno, Ovo and elio water bottle. His design philosophy emphasizes minimalist aesthetics, functional simplicity and efficient use of space.

Lito (formerly Lumio):

The Lito is a portable lamp designed to resemble a hardcover book. When opened, the "pages"—constructed from Tyvek—fan out to activate an LED light source. The product was launched via a Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly US$600,000[12]. It received several design accolades, including the Red Dot Design Award, the Good Design Award, and an Edison Award[18]. The product line was later expanded to include the Lito mini, a smaller version that doubles as a portable battery pack. The product has been distributed in over 200 retailers across 30 countries[19].

Teno:

A multi-functional portable speaker and lamp housed in a bowl-shaped shell made of resin and sand. The device is activated by “cracking” the object open and physically pulling the two halves apart, a design mechanism inspired by kintsugi (the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery). The interface features no visible buttons; functions are controlled via touch sensors on the surface. The product was launched via a Kickstarter campaign in 2020, raising over US$370,000[20]. In 2022, Teno was named one of TIME magazine's "Best Inventions"[4] and received the Red Dot: Best of the Best award[21]. It was also awarded a Bronze Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity[22].

Ovo:

A kinetic, sculptural desk lamp constructed from anodized aluminum. The device features a counterbalanced arm on a rotating base. It utilizes a dual-lighting system that toggles between task and ambient light when the structure is tilted. The unit is rechargeable via USB-C and uses touch controls to adjust brightness levels. It was recognized with a Good Design Award[23] and an iF Design Award in 2024[24]

elio Water Bottle

The first product under the elio brand is a collapsible water bottle composed of a silicone body and a rigid case. The bottle has a capacity of 750ml (25 fl oz) and uses a twisting mechanism to compress into a disc approximately 3 cm (1.2 in) thick. The product was introduced via a Kickstarter campaign in October 2025, raising over US$95,000. Delivery of the initial units is scheduled for February 2026.[25][16]

Media Appearances and Recognition

Gunawan's work has been covered by outlets including The Wall Street Journal.[26], Forbes[27][28][29], and The New York Times[30][31][17]. In 2014, he appeared on Season 6, Episode 14 of the reality television program Shark Tank. During the segment, his product pitch resulted in offers from all five investors[5] In 2024, Gunawan's renovation of his apartment in the Le Marais district of Paris was profiled in The New York Times style section under the headline "A Designer Lives His Solo Dream."[17]

Collaborations and Exhibitions

Max Gunawan has engaged in collaborations with various renowned designers and brands. These include partnerships with architect Gaetano Pesce[32], champagne house Veuve Clicquot[33], and the Parisian concept brand Colette[34]. Artists Richard Woods[35] and Noma Bar[36] have also been commissioned to design customized covers for the Lito product line. Gunawan's products are included in the assortment of museum stores such as the MoMA Design Store.[37], the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art [38], the Centre Pompidou[28], and the Museum of the Future[39] [38]. He has exhibited his work at design fairs including Dubai Design Week[40], Milan Design Week [41],[41] and Design Miami[32]

Awards

  • 2015: Good Design Award, Best In Class for Lito[3]
  • 2015: Red Dot Award, Product Design for Lito[2]
  • 2022: The Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award, Product design for Teno[42]
  • 2022: Good Design Award, Product Design for Teno[43]
  • 2022: Cannes Lions Bronze Lion, Product Design for Teno[22]
  • 2022: Red Dot Award, Best Innovative Product for Teno[44]
  • 2022: Red Dot Award, Best Of The Best for Teno[21]
  • 2022: TIME, The Best Inventions Of 2022 for Teno[4]
  • 2024: iF Design Award: Product Design for Ovo[24]
  • 2024: Good Design Award: Product Design for Ovo[23]

References

  1. ^ https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/how-the-top-100-crowdfunded-companies-raised-major-money/229397
  2. ^ a b c "Red Dot Design Award: Lumio". www.red-dot.org.
  3. ^ a b "Lumio Lamp".
  4. ^ a b c "Lumio Teno: The 200 Best Inventions of 2022". November 10, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "5 Sharks Fight For Deal | Shark Tank AAPI Month". May 11, 2023 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "Having more, using less | Max Gunawan | TEDxGoldenGatePark". November 14, 2013 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "Google Patents". patents.google.com.
  8. ^ "Lumio - 2016-06-28 - Ten Of The Best Businesses To Come Out Of Shark Tank". Forbes.
  9. ^ "Wesleyan in the News: September 2024". Wesleyan University.
  10. ^ "Max Gunawan - San Francisco, California, United States | Professional Profile | LinkedIn".
  11. ^ "LUMIO | MOM". MOM: the MAISON & OBJET experience all year round.
  12. ^ a b Sharpe, Shannon. "Kickstarter Favorite Lumio Lamp Gets Picked up by MoMA Store".
  13. ^ News, Global Design (February 1, 2023). "Max Gunawan of Lumio has developed what looks like a sculpture made from natural sand but which cracks open to reveal light and sound for a speaker experience that is more human". {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  14. ^ Younger, Brooke (October 5, 2023). "Whatever Happened To Lumio - Lighting That Unfolds Like A Book After Shark Tank Season 6?". House Digest.
  15. ^ "Home". Elio.
  16. ^ a b Lee, Aria (October 8, 2025). "Hydration Made More Cool With the Collapsible elio Water Bottle".
  17. ^ a b c "A Driven Introvert Creates His Dream Home in Paris (Published 2024)". August 29, 2024.
  18. ^ Awards, Edison. "Winners Honored at Edison Awards in New York City". www.prweb.com.
  19. ^ "From the Desk of ... the Lumio Founder". Valet.
  20. ^ Sheth, Sarang (November 13, 2020). "This beautiful lamp + speaker inspired by a cracked bowl shows perfection in imperfections - Yanko Design". www.yankodesign.com.
  21. ^ a b "Red Dot Design Award: Teno". www.red-dot.org.
  22. ^ a b "Cannes Lions Design Winners & Shortlists | The Work". www.lovethework.com.
  23. ^ a b "Ovo Desk Lamp".
  24. ^ a b "iF Design - Ovo desk lamp". ifdesign.com.
  25. ^ "Startup unveils funky- looking alternative to traditional water bottles: 'Seems like a great product'". Yahoo Life. November 21, 2025.
  26. ^ Fowler, Geoffrey A. (June 10, 2013). "Firms Like TechShop Offer Inventors Access to High-End Tools" – via www.wsj.com.
  27. ^ Adams, Susan. "Ten Of The Best Businesses To Come Out Of Shark Tank".
  28. ^ a b Hochman, David. "5 Success Lessons from a Shark Tank Superstar and Lumio Inventor".
  29. ^ https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhochman/2020/12/03/forget-virtual-zoom-backgrounds-these-gorgeous-objects-will-get-you-1010-ratings/?sh=4ffe79c93156
  30. ^ "Gifts With a Twist of Nostalgia (Published 2013)". November 28, 2013.
  31. ^ "16 Global Design Concepts for an Unpredictable Future (Published 2021)". March 28, 2021.
  32. ^ a b posts, Cool Hunting Video View (April 4, 2024). "Revisiting our CH Video with Gaetano Pesce". COOL HUNTING®.
  33. ^ "Customize Lito lamp | Create your own unique design". Lumio.
  34. ^ "colette x Mini Lumio+". September 7, 2016.
  35. ^ Jow, Tiffany (December 4, 2017). "Don't Judge This Book by Its Cover".
  36. ^ "THE CONRAN SHOP - Lumio Noma Bar mini book lamp | Selfridges.com". www.selfridges.com.
  37. ^ "Lumio Book Lamp - Walnut". MoMA Design Store.
  38. ^ "SFMOMA MUSEUM STORE OFFERS CREATIVE GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS".
  39. ^ "MOTF X LUMIO CALLIGRAPHY DARK". Museum of the Future.
  40. ^ Hobson, Benedict (November 16, 2015). "Movie: Dubai Design Week will "open doors" for designers".
  41. ^ a b "Lumio's founder Max Gunawan on how to build a brand: one product at the time". October 29, 2022.
  42. ^ "The Good Design Awards". www.good-designawards.com.
  43. ^ "Teno".
  44. ^ "Red Dot Design Award: Teno". www.red-dot.org.

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