Hilversum (NL), 6 August 2021 – Vendis Capital today announces it has sold Fatboy, an iconic lifestyle brand, to Calligaris, an Italian leader in the global premium design furniture market backed by Alpha Private Equity.
Fatboy is an iconic Netherlands based lifestyle brand with proven innovation capabilities, a strong digital resonance and a global distribution presence. Since its foundation, the business developed from offering the original bean bag to a cross-category design brand with an outspoken collection of lighting, indoor & outdoor furniture and distinctive accessories.
Since the investment from Vendis Capital in 2017, the business transitioned from a founder-led organisation to a business managed by a broad and experienced team led by CEO Petra Vos. Significant investments were made in the brand through a multi-channel marketing approach; a structured product development process was implemented driving continuous launches of new product innovations and life-cycle extending line extensions and renovations; and the digital growth strategy was accelerated resulting in strong growth across all key regions.
Vincent Braams, Partner at Vendis Capital: “We have truly enjoyed supporting Petra and her team in growing the iconic Fatboy brand and are pleased to have substantially grown the business during our investment period. We believe the foundations are there on all key pillars (brand power | organization | innovation | go-to-market) for the company to continue on its high growth trajectory, backed by Calligaris as a strong synergistic partner. We are thankful to the management team for a very pleasant and successful partnership and look forward to following Fatboy’s development with its new owners.”
Petra Vos, CEO at Fatboy, adds: “We are very proud of the strong growth we have achieved together with Vendis over the past years, establishing Fatboy as a qualitative, fun and unique lifestyle brand across multiple product categories with high brand awareness and a growing loyal fanbase. We are delighted to welcome the Calligaris Group as our new owner, which marks a new phase of our development. Leveraging Calligaris’ complementary global footprint, operational expertise and leading positions in both the B2C and B2B segments will support us in delivering upon our ambitious growth plans.”
Calligaris Group CEO, Stefano Rosa Uliana commented: “Fatboy is a great strategic fit for Calligaris and reinforces our acquisitive growth strategy. We are impressed by the company’s strong competitive positioning, combining a number of unique and attractive features, including its brand positioning, ability to innovate and excellent digital capabilities. We look forward to working together with the Fatboy team to maximise the synergies between the companies to enhance and strengthen the market position of our brands.“
Vendis Capital was advised by Lincoln International (corporate finance), Corp (legal) and PwC (financial, tax and commercial).
About Fatboy (fatboy.com)
Fatboy is a Dutch brand of interior and outdoor design objects, with an iconic design reflecting the brand DNA based on fun, ingenuity & being a bit rebellious. Icon products include the original bean bags, the Edison, Bolleke and Transloetje lighting ranges, the Headdemock hammocks, the Lamzac inflatable bags and more recently the outdoor furniture and parasols. Products are mainly sold online via Fatboy’s own webshop, marketplaces like Amazon and third party retailers, complemented by omnichannel retailers, distributors as well as a presence in the B2B segment. Fatboy has sales worldwide, with France, Germany, the Benelux, Scandinavia and the US the main markets.
About Vendis Capital (vendiscapital.com)
Founded in 2009, Vendis Capital is an independent private equity firm specializing in the consumer goods sector in Europe. In partnership with experienced entrepreneurs and managers, Vendis aims to invest in small to medium sized consumer companies in order to help them realise their potential for growth and value creation. Vendis invests in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and in the Scandinavian countries.
About Calligaris (calligarisgroup.com)
Calligaris was founded in 1923 and has his headquarters in Manzano (Udine, Italy). It is a leading player in the global living & dining furniture market with a wide offering of Italian design chairs, tables, sofas and lighting within the premium/high-end segment. The company designs, produces, assembles and distributes its products through its four brands Calligaris, Connubia, Ditre and Luceplan. The Calligaris Group has been acquired in September 2018 by Alpha, a Pan-European Private Equity firm.
About Alpha Private Equity (alphape.com)
Alpha is a private equity group with € 2 billion under management, specializing in mid-cap operations in continental Europe, with offices in Luxembourg, Paris, Milan, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. Alpha accompanies entrepreneurs and managers in their growth projects, mainly as the majority shareholder. In Italy, Alpha has in its portfolio Laminam (leader in the global market of large ceramic slabs), Caffitaly (produces machine / capsule systems for espresso coffee), Calligaris (leader in the global market of high-end living & dining furniture), AMF (leader in the market of metal components for the fashion and luxury sector), Remazel Engineering (designs and manufactures special equipment for the offshore sector) and Optima (multiutility with integrated energy and telecommunications offer).
For more information:
Vincent Braams (Partner) – Tel. +31 6 20 40 56 83 – vb@vendiscapital.com
Philip Vannieuwenhuyze (Investment Manager) – Tel. +32 470 11 45 19 – pv@vendiscapital.com