REZA

REZA is a footwear brand based in Detroit that develops sneakers with an integrated lighting system. The company states its shoes combine laser diode technology, an advanced LCD element and fiber technology sourced from Corning, with a rechargeable battery supporting multiple light modes. Alongside the lighting, the brand positions its products around premium materials, cushioning and construction intended for all-day comfort and durability.

The founder describes the product's purpose as a duality of fashion and nighttime visibility, including safety for running at night, under the brand line "Light Your Own Path." The company has said it holds several granted patents and that it designed its footwear in a factory that also produces Nike shoes. Its name is described as meaning "laser" in Japanese.

REZA was founded in 2019 by Mustafa Syed, who serves as CEO, with Jack Krebsbach as head of innovation. External profiles categorize the company as a business-to-consumer hardware brand in the consumer and commerce sector, associated with themes such as light-up sneakers, direct-to-consumer retail, limited-edition drops, wearable technology and technology licensing.

Founding story

Founder Mustafa Syed, born in England to Pakistani parents and raised primarily in Michigan, became interested in lighting as a teenager. At around age 17 he bought light samples online and glued them to a pair of Nike shoes, wearing them in downtown Detroit, where repeated inquiries from passersby served as early market validation. He then traveled alone to China while still in high school to work with a manufacturer he had found online, returning with a crude sample that demonstrated lights could be built into a shoe. He studied supply chain management at Michigan State University and took leave to build the company, which was founded in 2019.

Business model

REZA sells physical footwear directly to consumers. Its initial launch was structured as an invite-only model, in which buyers had to be connected to someone affiliated with the brand and submit an application describing how they "light their own path," with 500 people selected. The company has also described licensing and collaborating on its ideas and technology with other footwear companies and brands as a growth avenue.

Hardware sales of sneakers to consumers, with launch pricing stated at $400 per pair, plus potential revenue from technology licensing and brand collaborations.

Traction

As of November 2020 the company had completed a pre-seed round, was planning an initial run of 500 pairs priced at $400, and reported working with athletes, influencers and unnamed footwear brands ahead of launch.

Latest developments

The company's site promotes an upcoming RE-MASTERED drop with a waitlist for access. A private-markets profile records a VC round dated November 2023 with investors listed as City Side Ventures, Everywhere Ventures, Chasella and Exit Quotient Ventures.