This Bulgarian Family Makes Chairs That Encourage Movement While You Sit

A small family firm in Bulgaria is making chairs that are designed to keep you moving even while you sit down. Stoleto Ltd, based in Krivodol in the Vratsa region, produces so-called dynamic chairs that encourage active sitting and better posture.

The company was founded after a series of unexpected phone calls, according to Ventsislav Totev, who runs the business with his father Ivaylo and other family members. He told Mediapool that the idea came when a woman called asking about a chair for preventing musculoskeletal problems, recommended by a physiotherapist in Scandinavia. Days later, a therapist from Dobrich also asked if they made dynamic chairs.

That prompted the family, which previously made dining chairs and furniture, to switch production. They invested over 50,000 leva from property sales to adapt their machinery and start manufacturing the new product. Today, Stoleto is one of only four producers of such chairs worldwide, Totev said.

The chairs are made from beech wood in the family's 15-decare factory in Krivodol. According to Totev, beech is one of the strongest woods available in Bulgaria, and their chairs can support up to 300 kilograms, compared with about 80 kilograms for similar products on the market. The production process includes boiling, shaping, cutting, gluing, pressing, baking and upholstering the wood.

The factory has a capacity of up to 1,000 chairs per model per month, but actual output depends on orders. When Totev works alone, he can produce between one and five chairs daily. Last year the business had a turnover of around 10,000 euros, and it has won awards for being the fastest developing brand in 2024 and the most innovative company in 2025.

The family's next goal is to create a "smart chair" with sensors and personalised feedback, and to modernise production by using more machines and less manual labour. They also want their products to have a lifetime service life. Totev said they hope to expand to European markets and hire more staff, although finding workers in North-West Bulgaria is a challenge. The family currently employs five people, all family members, and they are looking at a local school that teaches woodworking for future recruits.