Bare Collective gears up with H&M veteran Lars Axelsson at the helm – acquires Danish company Leander and increases turnover to SEK 250m

Bare Collective makes its largest acquisition to date, adding Leander, a Danish design and manufacturing company specialised in high-quality children’s furniture, to its group of Swedish companies catering products for children and women’s well-being. The acquisition brings the turnover from SEK 150 million to over SEK 250 million, a significant increase in line with the expansive growth journey led by newly appointed CEO and H&M veteran Lars Axelsson.

The acquisition of Leander comes not long after Lars Axelsson took over as CEO of Bare Collective. Lars has extensive experience of running multinational companies and has worked for nearly 20 years in sales and expansion within H&M, including roles as Managing Director of the H&M brand Arket, Customer Experience Director at Monki, Sales Director at &Other Stories and in several other global positions within the H&M group.

’Bare Collective is an incredibly exciting and timely group of companies. I am very pleased that we can now also welcome Leander into Bare Collective, a company that has made an impressive journey in the global marketplace with its attractive range of products and apt, Danish design. I look forward to working with Leander and the rest of Bare Collective to combine continued profitable growth with significant synergies,’ comments Lars Axelsson, CEO of Bare Collective.

Leander sells its products in over 30 countries, mainly in Europe - but Australia and Japan are also key markets. With this acquisition, Bare Collective takes a major step in strengthening its international presence.

‘I am proud that we at Leander have together created a unique and sought-after range of high-quality products that really make a difference in the everyday lives of children and their parents. By becoming part of the Bare Collective family, we are strengthening with additional resources, expertise and distribution networks. This opens completely new doors for us and I am now looking forward to a continued expansive international development,’ comments Stig Leander, founder, CEO and designer of Leander.

Bare Collective was founded in 2020 and consists of the companies Esska, ImseVimse, Jabadabado and Boob Design. Together, the group offers a wide range of sustainable products for modern and conscious parents, such as soothers, wooden toys, children’s furnishings, cloth nappies and menstrual protection. The acquisition of Danish company Leander is in line with Bare Collective’s clear growth strategy, where expansion into Europe is a natural next step.

‘Our core target group – modern and conscious parents – is only growing, and we are seeing an increasing demand for the products our brands offer. We naturally want to meet that demand – not only in the Swedish market, but also in a broader international context. With Leander, we are now taking our first step into the European market and it will certainly not be the last,’ comments Joakim Broms, Head of M&A and Business Development at Bare Collective.

Fact box – Bare Collective

• Bare Collective is a group of companies founded in 2020, with the vision that responsible, circular consumption should be the norm, not the exception.
• With an acquisition-driven agenda, Bare Collective aims to consolidate the industry to establish the market-leading innovator in products for children and women’s well-being.
• Bare Collective already includes the companies Esska, ImseVimse, Jabadabado and Boob Design.
• Bare Collective is founded and owned by private equity firm Pivot, established in 2019

Fact box – Leander

• Leander was founded by Stig Leander in 1998 and designs and manufactures high-quality furniture for children that unites functionality and aesthetics.
• Leander’s products are designed to make a difference in the everyday lives of children and their parents, and to stimulate play, movement and creativity.
• Today, Leander exports to more than 30 countries worldwide. Product development, administration and warehouse are managed out of Leander’s head office in Silkeborg, Denmark.
  
  

Press contact

Oskar Kongshöj

oskar.kongshoj@500stockholm.com, +46 (0)70 896 97 85

Contact, Bare Collective

Joakim Broms, Head of M&A and Business Development, Bare Collective

joakim@barecollective.com, +46 (0)70 918 11 19