Founded by Deeksha Talreja, who built the platform solo and bootstrapped the business through grants, Carve has already partnered with over 30 artisans across the UK. Launched in 2024 in London, it offers a range of artisan-made homewares, tableware, and plantware.

The Idea Stage

I’ve always been drawn to artisan-made products, especially now with the evolution in design and the innovative techniques that many new-generation artisans are using. While searching for ceramic pieces for an interior design project, I was surprised by how many big marketplaces were filled with items that didn’t really stand out, and a lot of them weren’t even truly artisan-made. It felt like the truly talented artisans were being overshadowed.

With my design background, I decided to dive deeper. I visited numerous art and ceramic fairs, spoke with many artisans, and found that most of them relied heavily on art fairs and Christmas markets to sell their work. Surprisingly, many weren’t using the popular handmade marketplace platforms due to issues like high saturation, low visibility, and steep fees. I could see how these challenges were limiting their reach and preventing them from fully embracing digital channels.

Recognising the post-pandemic surge in e-commerce for ceramics, marked by a 70% increase in young adults pursuing pottery careers, we found that there is a growing number of young adults pursuing pottery as a business but limited digital visibility.

What I realised about independent artisans was that they had beautiful products, following ethical production, you couldn’t get anywhere else in the world. Could we bring together all these independents in a single platform and community? Crucially, we wanted to build a marketplace that would allow customers to have access to these products and shop easily.

How did it start?

To test the idea, I started an Instagram account where I shared unique ceramic finds from around the world. The response was incredible and far beyond my expectations – many artisans contacted me, asking to list their products, they were even ready to pay for it and potential buyers were eager to purchase them. That’s when I realised there was a real demand for a niche platform, and that's how Carve was born.

Experience in the sector

I have been working as Lead Brand Designer with multiple established tech companies and product-led digital startups in the UK, helping to shape their brands and enhance user experiences. Prior to this, during my college days, I was part of research projects documenting handmade products in remote parts of India, which led me to have a deeper understanding of the crafts market.

Challenges faced

It’s always harder than you think it’s going to be. One thing which stood out was that worldwide over 90% of transactions still takes place offline. A lot of independent artisans and business owners love interacting with people at art fairs.

To address this, we’ve focused on making Carve a community, hosting events, offering advice on leveraging social media, and providing workshops on product photography and more to add value for them. But onboarding artisans and attracting customers to the platform has been tough. Launching a new marketplace is always a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation – do you focus on building the site or getting clients first?

Vision for Carve

We aim to become the go-to global platform for discovering the most beautiful home decor products. Our key metric is growth – not just in our own revenue, but in how we can help increase revenue for our independent artisans. We want to be a destination that shoppers return to time and time again.

Each region has its own unique story when it comes to pottery, and we want to showcase that. Carve is committed to expanding its reach, sharing the rich history, culture, and craftsmanship of ceramics with a global audience, while empowering artisans to build sustainable businesses.

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