IMAP advises Backyard Lifestyle, a company that develops and sells garden furniture across Europe and the U.S., on sale to Venture Design, backed by eEquity

Venture Design expands portfolio with strategic acquisition of Backyard Lifestyle – aiming for SEK 1 billion in sales

Växjö-based furniture supplier Venture Design continues its strategic growth with the acquisition of a significant minority stake in Backyard Lifestyle, a leading provider of garden furniture across Northern Europe. This move strengthens Venture Design’s position in the outdoor furniture market and supports its strategy of building a portfolio of complementary businesses, with the goal of reaching SEK 1 billion in turnover within the next three years.

Backyard Lifestyle, founded in 2016 by Tony Ohlsson and Bruce Jin, has quickly grown to become a major player in both Europe and the U.S. Known for its premium garden furniture and container-based delivery solutions, the company has a turnover of approximately SEK 150 million with prominent customers such as Bauhaus, ILVA, and Hagebau. The acquisition is a perfect complement to Venture Design’s product range, particularly in its container sales channel.

Founded by Ola Johansson in 2014, Venture Design has established itself as a trusted partner for retailers across Sweden and Europe. Known for its high-quality furniture and sleek Scandinavian designs, the company delivers both indoor and outdoor solutions through two main sales channels: selling containers of furniture directly to retailers’ warehouses and stocking furniture at its facility in Knäred, from where items are delivered directly to end-customers via dropshipping. While Sweden is its largest market, over 50% of the company’s sales come from exports to other European countries.

Backyard Lifestyle holds a unique position in the industry with its extensive experience, a lean and efficient organization, and a strong network in China. Very few of the company's competitors have the same local presence in China as Backyard, where its subsidiary is established to strengthen relationships with existing partners—an uncommon setup. Overall, combined with the company's sales via container solutions, this makes Backyard an excellent fit for Venture Design’s container channel, and the acquisition is strategically significant.

This acquisition represents another important step in Venture Design’s acquisition strategy to integrate complementary businesses and drive synergy-based growth. By building a diverse portfolio of furniture companies, Venture Design is well-positioned to strengthen its market position and achieve sustainable growth.

eEquity is a Nordic growth investor focusing on digitally-enabled business models. To date, they have deployed in excess of EUR 420m across more than 40 platform acquisitions. In collaboration with entrepreneurs, eEquity aim to achieve superior value creation through growth initiatives and operational improvements. Past and current investments include PriceRunner, Ideal of Sweden, CHIMI Eyewear, Gordon, Aim'n, Macade Golf, Mediatool, ZOO.se, Preglife and John Henric.

Ola Johansson, Founder and CEO of Venture Design, commented:

"The acquisition of Backyard Lifestyle is a strategic complement to our container solutions, especially as demand for flexible and efficient logistics continues to rise. By integrating Backyard’s strong product portfolio, we see great opportunities to expand our offerings and improve our existing customer relationships. Together, we can provide a broader range to our customers and strengthen our market presence.”

Aida Jammal, Investment Director at eEquity, added:

“We have a clear acquisition strategy that works well for us. We start by acquiring a minority stake, with the option to purchase the entire company in the future. This approach creates security for all parties and provides the time needed for both companies to develop together. Through this strategy, Venture Design is building a broad portfolio within the furniture industry—both its own brands that sell directly to consumers and companies like BackyardLifestyle, which offer white-label products to retailers via container-based solutions.”

Tony Ohlsson, Founder and CEO of Backyard Lifestyle, added:

“We have been impressed by Venture Design’s growth over the years and believe their organization and business model can help take Backyard to the next level. Their strong market position will align perfectly with Backyard’s offerings and container solutions.”

Jörgen Larsson, CEO & Partner at IMAP Sverige, comments:

“Big congratulations to Gisela and Tony at Backyard Lifestyle and Ola and the team at Venture Design. This is a strategically well-directed deal where both parties are at the forefront of digitization and sourcing, with a genuine commitment to both customers and suppliers. Backyard becomes an important piece of the puzzle that strengthens the whole within the Venture Design group. From a macro perspective, this is also an exciting transaction within the furniture industry, but also for the consumer segment as a whole, indicating that the market is ever so slowly turning.”

IMAP advised the sellers throughout the process.