Muuto is the first design-based company in Denmark to receive venture capital from Vækstfonden. In less than a year and a half, Muuto’s strong business strategy has enabled this entrepreneurial firm to develop a business idea into an award-winning enterprise with exports to 15 countries.

For Peter Bonnén and Kristian Byrge, founding a company was not only a long-held dream, it was also an opportunity to be ‘at the other side of the table’, as they had both worked with business consultancy, strategy and branding in their previous jobs for major Danish companies, including TDC and Carlsberg.
After months of talks and the development of a business draft, they agreed it was time to take the plunge, and in 2006 they both quit their jobs to launch ‘Muuto’.

Their goal for Muuto was to seize the position as the only design-based company exclusively based on new Nordic design. Muuto was to represent the best up–and–coming young designers from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. With the slogan ‘New Nordic’ they dedicated their brand to the common Scandinavian quality. This was a business idea that was absent from the market, as most companies represented a mix of older and newer design products.

Director Kristian Byrge comments: “In terms of marketing, it is difficult to stay true to the universe of the new designers, if at the same time you are trying to sell an Arne Jacobsen design. That’s easier for us, as we don’t carry the old designs. The new generation of designers, they all bring strong personalities and creativity into the process, and that makes for products with character. We are convinced that they are the ones who can pick up the baton from the old designers. We believe the time is right – that this is the generation that’s going to take over.”

From the outset, Muuto had international ambitions; the design products were not just aimed at the Nordic markets but should be available in leading design stores around the world. The vision was equally ambitious – Muuto was to help Scandinavian design regain the lead position it held in the golden age of the 1950’s and 60’s.

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