​Cool Company acquires UKKO.se

The freelancer management firm, company Cool Company is expanding further in Sweden by acquiring the competitor UKKO.se.

The freelance market is growing rapidly in Sweden. According to Egenanställdas Bransorganisorganisation, 44,000 people were employed in Sweden in 2017, an increase of 31% compared with the year before. The industry now accounts for over 1.2 billion SEK per year. UKKO had shortly become a major player in the Swedish self-employment market and in addition to its own organic growth, Cool Company now adds UKKO Swedish operations, to its armory.

“As more and more people choose new ways of working, our industry grows, which demands constant product development. There are many players in the self-employment industry, and I see consolidation as a natural development to keep up with the users", says Andreas Kullberg, CEO of Cool Company.

With the deal, Cool Company consolidates its position as a significant player in self-employment in Sweden. In addition to Sweden, Cool Company is present in Norway and the UK and the aim is to launch in more countries this year. "We are ready to grow more aggressively now. Cool Company wants to be the freelancer's best friend, and all our efforts are built to make life easier for those who want to work more flexibly", continues Kullberg.

A larger Cool Company has better opportunities to develop more relevant services that help the self-employed and gig economy, as well as businesses, to meet and develop their working ways together. Earlier this year, Cool Company launched a new business solution - a Business Dashboard that simplifies the management of an external workforce.

"We are faced with a paradigm shift where we go from a traditional job to a labor market -where employees can put increasingly high demands on their employers. The labor market is changing whether we want it to or not, and we have the opportunity to put together the new structure that will work for a new kind of worker", says Kullberg.

With the acquisition, UKKO leaves the Swedish market, but will continue its successful operations in Finland. For UKKO's own employees in Sweden, it means that they continue to be employed by Cool Company and perform their duties through Cool Company's service – a seamless transition. Cool Company’s new freelancers can take assignments directly and have the same confidence with insurance and fast payroll payments as standard. In order to promptly address any questions, Cool Company establishes a hotline specifically designed for UKKO's former freelancers.

“This deal enables the continued development of UKKO's operations in Finland. It feels good to hand over our customers to a new thinking and customer-focused company like Cool Company", said Liisa Grant, CEO of UKKO.se.

For more information:
Andreas Kullberg, CEO Cool Company: +46 73-507 78 77