Nordic agency merger creates new European challenger

Danish digital commerce star IMPACT and Swedish double Gazelle winner Improove merge to become the biggest independent commerce agency in Europe, setting out to define and shape the future of commerce.

One of the most prominent digital agencies in Scandinavia, IMPACT, has merged with Improove, a leading e-commerce company in Sweden. With a foundation of shared values, similar cultures, and a strong vision, the two companies aim to become the best digital commerce agency in Europe.

The newly merged company employs more than 350 people which makes them the biggest independently owned commerce agency in Europe. The many commerce experts, engineers, and experience designers constitute the brainpower that will fuel the plans to shape the future of commerce.

“With the merger, we want to create the playing field for what comes next in digital commerce. We want to be the number one source for digital commerce knowledge, and we want to build services that enable brands to offer commerce experiences anywhere. We can achieve those goals if we stay independent and drive the business our way,” says Kasper Holst, CEO, and co-founder of IMPACT.

In a market where industry consolidation has been the name of the game in recent years, and where many agency founders sell their lives’ work to global agency groups or private equity funds, the two founders, Kasper Holst and Per-Mattias Nordkvist go against the flow.

”Both companies have received multiple offers throughout the years. But rather than selling or going public, we have chosen to do things differently. We’re taking ownership into our own hands. We want to focus on the individual, on preserving our culture, and on attracting even more talent.  By doing that, we’re preparing to win the battle against the very big international players in the market, says Kasper Holst.

He stresses that it’s not the goal for the company to pursue further economic growth. Rather, the company believes that the cultural foundation creates a comparative advantage. For instance, when it comes to recruitment of talent, delivering high-quality craftsmanship, or innovating the commerce experience.

The merger is also a strategic move to stay ahead in a high-paced digital commerce market. Together, the two companies cover all the major technology platforms, and merging their talents puts the company front and center of the market. This setup will draw in more top talents to help innovate commercial experiences.

As Denmark and Sweden are among the most digitized countries, this is also a unique opportunity to show the world what Scandinavia has to offer. But just as important as the business rationale is a shared customers-first and people-first approach.

Per-Mattias Nordkvist, founder and managing partner at Improove, says:

“We are dedicated professionals who are driven by craftsmanship and building e-commerce with premium quality for our clients. This is what drives us and merging the cultures of our two companies will allow us to stay true to who we are and allow us to achieve greater things.”

IMPACT and Improove already service some of the biggest European brands. Among them are EPOS/Sennheiser, Arla, Jabra, Acne Studios and Marimekko. Going forward as one, they can cement the position of being leading in Scandinavia and a true challenger in Europe.

The company will share the name IMPACT going forward, and grow its seven offices located in Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, and Serbia. Kasper Holst will be CEO of the group, and Per-Mattias Nordkvist will maintain his position as managing partner in Sweden.

With over 20 years of experience, IMPACT is one of Europe’s leading agencies specializing in omnichannel and global e-commerce. The company helps both B2C and B2B clients with transforming their business to digital commerce – on all major technology platforms, including Salesforce, Optimizely, Adobe, Microsoft, and Commercetools. The client list includes companies such as EPOS/Sennheiser, Jabra, Hummel, Arla, Chr. Hansen, GANNI, and NEMLIG.com. IMPACT was founded in 1998 in Aarhus, Denmark, and the new corporation now has more than 350 employees in their offices in Aarhus, Copenhagen, Odense, Stockholm, Beograd, Evorá, and Lisbon.

Improove has worked with e-commerce since 2008 and is one of the leading e-commerce partners in Sweden and Iberia. The company has more than 70 talented software engineers, project managers, and digital commerce consultants, and offices in Sweden, Portugal, and Serbia. Improove work with Salesforce and Magento (Adobe) and several clients such as Marshall headphones & Urbanears, Acne Studios, Plantagen, Marimekko, Odd Molly, Röhnisch, Stanley Security, Tiffosi, and Homa.

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