Michaela Steinhautilizer walked away from a business generating 136 million crowns in yearly revenue, one she built from the ground up. Now she has returned to entrepreneurship with Semoia, a fragrance startup targeting body and home products.
Her exit from Skinners, the sock-shoe company she co-founded in 2015 with then-partner Petr Procházka, came after years of breakneck growth fueled by crowdfunding hits on HitHit and Kickstarter. The duo raised several million dollars across campaigns and pushed into international markets. She managed production, procurement, and customer service. He handled marketing and business development.
Even after their romantic relationship ended, the professional partnership held. By 2021, Skinners posted that 136 million crown revenue figure alongside margins around 20 percent. That year, Steinhautilizer had her first child and returned from maternity leave after just three months.
Two years later, a second child prompted a longer break. The founders prepared for her absence by promoting a longtime employee to CEO. That bet collapsed, however. Performance slid and internal operations deteriorated. Steinhautilizer cut her leave short at nine months and stepped back in to stabilize the company.
Growth demanded fresh capital. Procházka stood ready to inject his own funds or take on debt. Steinhautilizer could not match that commitment. She had two small children, a mortgage, and a husband closing a major acquisition on another company. As a result, the pair negotiated an exit. She surrendered her stake, stayed on as an on-call consultant, and Procházka became sole owner.
The very next year, Skinners turned a profit. Steinhautilizer says 2024 looks strong too, calling the brand “the love of her life.”
Meanwhile, she has started building Semoia from scratch while raising her children. The new venture launches with a focus on scented cosmetics for body and home.
