Elyena Lee’s personal journey to motherhood sparked the business idea
When Elyena Lee, 34, had her first child during the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, she struggled to find baby products that fit her style.
At that time, he recalled, many options in Singapore depended heavily on “baby” beauty, and natural essentials from overseas often arrived at a very high price.
Frustrated by the lack of accessible options, he started his brand as a kid with a university friend that same year: The Soft Spot. Today, Soft Spot sells about 20,000 products a year—and interestingly, many of its products are also purchased by people without children.
We spoke to Elyena about how her personal journey to motherhood has grown into a global children’s brand, available in 13 countries.
It started as an online business
Soft Spot started as an online business after months of ideation. Its first product was the Soft Swaddle, made of muslin fabric, available in one pair of prints and five solid colors.
But Elyena didn’t want Soft Spot to remain an online-only product—she intended to establish a physical presence as well. He reached out to retailers individually, and a few months later, Mothercare stores began stocking Soft Spot products.
As the product grows, it gradually expands the product range and introduces more colors. After all, the founder is most surprised by the existing children’s products that are not aesthetically pleasing.
“What sets us apart from other types of children is that we identify the mother as the main character, not the child,” explains Elyena, adding that Soft Spot’s products speak especially to millennial and Gen Z mothers who still care about their sense of style and identity.
Therefore, he introduces new products every three months.
Finding an audience outside of parents
Over time, Soft Spot has grown to 27 product lines—from bibs to babywear and even bed sheets—with more than 300 colors and patterns, all created by a team of in-house designers Elyena has hired over the years. Prices start from S$29 for its products.
This product also found an unexpected audience beyond children. Because of its soft cotton material and beautiful beauty, the products began to be used in a variety of ways beyond their original purpose.
Mothers and even non-parents started buying Soft Spot single bed sheets for their designs, while childless couples bought Soft Squares—originally burp cloths—as handkerchiefs or Soft Swaddles as bath towels to suit sensitive skin.
“Some customers even use the swaddles as picnic mats or beach wraps!” Elyena exclaimed.
With the increase in demand, Elyena, who had spent eight years in the FMCG industry at large international companies such as Unilever and L’Oréal in product and product development roles, decided to leave her full-time job in 2023 to run Soft Spot alone.
Expanding Soft Spot’s presence in Singapore and beyond
Over the years, many retailers in Singapore began stocking Soft Spot, including Tangs, Frankie & Fern’s, and A Greener Wood.
The brand is also expanding its physical presence through pop-ups, such as the Christmas Atelier in 2024 and 2025, and a three-month screening at Phoenix Park in Tanglin in September 2024.
Soft Spot has developed partnerships as well. One notable collaboration in 2025 paired its Soft Loaf bag with Anessa’s sunscreen.
That said, the brand still maintains a strong online presence, with products available not only through its website but also through partner retailers such as Stacked Store and Hipvan. This reflects Soft Spot’s vision of being “more than a children’s product,” extending its aesthetic signature into the modern home.
Internationally, Soft Spot began to make its mark when it stocked the French family concept store Smallable in 2022, which, according to Elyena, has a “strong online presence” in both the European and US markets.
In addition, Soft Spot is a secured distributor and now stocks its products in 13 countries around the world, with dealers from Taiwan to Saudi Arabia.
A permanent store is not in the cards
Currently, Elyena shared that Soft Spot sells about 20,000 items a year.
Despite this growth, a permanent retail store is not on the cards yet due to Singapore’s challenging retail environment. Currently, pirates and strengthening their online presence provide the right balance for the brand.
“As a small brand, our only advantage is speed and flexibility,” shared Elyena.
He jumps on trends to stay relevant and takes an experimental approach, negotiating low testing rates with suppliers to reduce risk. But while he moves quickly, he makes sure that every release meets his standards.
Coming from a background in multinational companies, Elyena admitted that entrepreneurship was very intimidating for her.
“In an MNC, there is always someone working in every field,” he said. “As a founder, you have to go to all the areas where you have no experience, like looking at legal documents, accounting, IT errors – everything – by yourself.”
There is no manager, no historical data to refer to, and no one to dictate strategic direction. Although it can be lonely at times, the journey has allowed her to measure her success at her own pace, and she is proud of how far she has come.
Looking ahead, Elyena wants to expand beyond baby products into additional categories. His ultimate goal? Serving the “modern family” with lots of household and household items, on-the-go essentials, as well as bags and clothing to be had.
- Read more about Soft Spot here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about Singapore businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: Soft Spot
