Mandatum Asset Management (MAM) has partnered with eEquity, a Nordic growth investor focused on digitally enabled businesses, in its investment in ZOO.se. Together, eEquity and MAM will invest almost EUR 30 million in the transaction. ZOO.se is a leading retailer within pet food, products and care, and the investment will accelerate their ambitious expansion plans, driven by online growth, strategic acquisitions and new store openings.
Originally founded by the Hulthén family in 1989, ZOO.se has been successfully run as a family business for decades, catering to pet parents with an unrelenting focus on quality and customer service. Under the leadership of Chairman and investor Christer Åberg, ZOO.se has accelerated its growth trajectory over the past few years, and the company currently runs a blossoming e-commerce channel as well as 10 pet stores throughout Sweden, with revenues of SEK 400 million supported by healthy margins.
eEquity and MAM see great potential for ZOO.se to continue growing its market share in the Nordics given the recent developments in the pet sector, including increased pet ownership during the pandemic, continued e-commerce penetration and a focus on high-quality products and services. The investment from eEquity and MAM will be used to realize ZOO.se’s growth plans through expansion and operational developments. Among other initiatives, ZOO.se aims to expand its geographical presence, replace its IT infrastructure, strengthen its organization, increase the share of private label sales and accelerate its online efforts in line with overall market trends and best practices in digital marketing.
“We look forward to becoming an active growth partner to the ZOO.se team and working closely with eEquity when expanding ZOO.se to other Nordic countries. We see great potential in continuing and enhancing ZOO.se’s strong track record of profitable growth both online and offline. We are convinced that the partnership formed following the transaction, will enable exceptional growth capabilities for ZOO.se across its markets,” says Alexander Antas, Head of Private Equity at Mandatum Asset Management.
For more information, please contact:
Mandatum Asset Management
Alexander Antas, Head of Private Equity, Mandatum Asset Management, alexander.antas@mandatumam.com, +358 40 533 0986
eEquity
Patrik Hedelin, Managing Partner, eEquity, patrik@eequity.se, +46 705 45 28 89
ZOO.se
Christer Åberg, Chairman, ZOO.se, christer.aberg@zoo.se, +46 703 90 61 00
ZOO.se, founded in 1989 by the Hulthén family, is a leading retailer offering pet care products and services. The company is based in Bromma, Sweden. Building on their best-in-class customer offering and product assortment, with an accelerated growth agenda emphasising e-commerce and strategic acquisitions in recent times, the company is in a stage of rapid expansion. ZOO.se has a turnover of SEK 400m with healthy margins and a rapid growth pace. www.zoo.se
Mandatum Asset Management (MAM) is the asset management arm of the Sampo Group, a significant Nordic insurance group. MAM offers discretionary and consultative asset management for institutional and other professional investors and manages investment products within its core areas of equities, credit and alternatives. MAM was formed in 2021 when the management of Sampo’s proprietary balance sheet and client assets and investment organisations of Sampo Plc and Mandatum Life were transferred to MAM. MAM currently manages €24 billion in client and balance sheet assets. Mandatum Asset Management’s Private Equity arm (“MAM PE”) is a Finnish private equity investor focusing on significant minority investments in Nordic growth companies with proven business models. During its ownership MAM PE functions as an active partner to the management, board and owners of its portfolio companies. The MAM PE team currently manages ca. EUR 350 million in direct investments into unlisted companies. www.mandatumam.com
Founded in 2010, eEquity is a Private Equity firm specializing in growth investments in digitally enabled businesses and e-commerce. The ambition is to help entrepreneurs realize their goals and visions. Our portfolio companies include PriceRunner, NA-KD, iDeal of Sweden, Gordon, Sweef, Aim’n and Chimi. eEquity has led investments of over SEK 3.5 billion in 31 companies across four funds. eEquity typically invests in companies with sales between EUR 5-40 million, with an ambition to build them to over EUR 100 million in sales under profitability. The investors behind eEquity are leading family offices, European Investment Fund (“EIF”) and financial institutions. www.eequity.se