Skinners founder leaves her startup at its peak to launch Semoia

Michaela Steinhauser co-founded the Skinners brand in 2015 together with her then-partner Petr Procházka, building an unusual sock-shoe label that won over markets with successful crowdfunding campaigns on HitHit and Kickstarter. But at the peak of the company’s growth, after the birth of her second child, the entrepreneur decided to step away from the business and is now building a new fragrance startup, Semoia.

Steinhauser and Procházka dreamed up and built the Skinners story together as a couple: she handled production, procurement and service, while he took care of marketing and business development. The company raised several million dollars in total through crowdfunding platforms and expanded into international markets. The founders’ personal relationship eventually ended, but their business partnership continued.

By 2021, Skinners had reached annual revenue of 136 million crowns, with a profit margin of around 20%. That same year, Steinhauser’s first child was born — she returned from maternity leave after just three months. With her second child, two years ago, she decided to stay home for longer.

Having prepared the company in advance for her absence, the founders handed the CEO role to a long-time employee. The bet did not pay off, however: under the new leadership, Skinners’ performance and internal processes declined. Steinhauser had to cut her maternity leave short after nine months and return to management to get the company back on track.

Further growth required fresh investment — Procházka was ready to put in his own money and was considering a loan, while Steinhauser could not afford it at the time: she had two small children, a mortgage, and her husband was simultaneously closing a major acquisition of another company. In the end, the two sides agreed: Steinhauser gave up her stake in Skinners while remaining an outside consultant “on call,” and Procházka became the sole owner of the business.

The company turned a profit the very next year after her departure, and according to Steinhauser, 2024 is also shaping up well for Skinners — a brand she admits remains “the love of her life.” Now, alongside raising her children, the entrepreneur is building a new project from scratch — Semoia, a startup focused on fragrant body and home cosmetics.

By the Around Prague newsroom