Leading pan-European private capital manager Metric Capital Partners and growth investor Scope have partnered to invest in Maileg, a high-end Danish toy brand. Co-founders Dorthe and Erik Mailil are reinvesting alongside the firms, retaining a significant stake in the business.

Established in 1999, and headquartered in Herning, Denmark, Maileg designs artisanal, hygge toys, reminiscent of older times. Part of larger play-universes created by Maileg, the toys – which range from mice in matchbox beds to small dollhouses and whose natural palette appeals to children and adults alike – allow children to bring their imagination to life and build miniature worlds right from their bedrooms. 

Maileg has grown rapidly since its inception, with Maileg Inc. and Maileg GmbH established as subsidiaries in Atlanta, USA and Hamburg, Germany respectively to service increasing demand. The firm’s designs are available for purchase from over 4,000 premium retailers worldwide.

Commenting on the announcement, Erik Mailil, CEO and co-founder of Maileg said: “Dorthe and I have always prized quality above all when building our brand, and this extends to the parties we choose to partner with along our growth journey. We are thrilled to be able to leverage Scope’s expertise and Metric’s operational and financial support in order to grow our business and ultimately, the Maileg community.”

“We are genuinely impressed with the quality of the brand Dorthe and Erik have built as well as the rate of its expansion to date. We are excited to support them in executing their ambitious growth plans by accelerating the firm’s organic growth through both digital and geographic expansion”, said John Sinik, Managing Partner at Metric Capital Partners.

“Maileg operates in an incredibly exciting niche of the market, with conscious consumers increasingly buying more lasting, high-quality toys for children and homes than ever, despite the challenging economic backdrop. We are delighted to be partnering with Dorthe and Erik and look forward to bringing our experience and track-record in consumer brands to the table to spread the ‘Maileg-magic’”, commented Fredrik Oweson, Partner at Scope. 

Dorthe and Erik Mailil were advised by Clearwater (corporate finance) and Interlex (legal).

Metric Capital Partners and Scope were advised by EY (financial and tax due diligence), DAHL, Bech-Bruun (legal), White & Case (legal) and OC&C (commercial due diligence).

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About Maileg
Maileg (pronounced My’lye) is a brand of charming Danish-designed toys created to inspire our children’s favourite playtime stories. Based in Herning (Denmark) Maileg was founded in 1999 by Dorthe and Erik Mailil to provide high quality design toys to children and homes. Maileg is a world in which matchboxes can be beds for mice; princesses make perfect teatime companions; and adventures can be found on a friendly forest walk. It is a world where cats and mice are friends. A world of childhood imagination – a world we value. The Maileg universe can be met at over 4,000 retailers world-wide and online. www.maileg.dk / www.maileg.eu 

About Metric Capital Partners
Metric Capital Partners provides private capital solutions to European companies and seeks to support companies’ ambitions to execute strategic transactions. In addition to providing capital solutions, Metric Capital Partners aims to be value-add partners to its portfolio companies. Metric Capital Partners has raised in excess of €2.7bn of capital over four funds since its inception in 2012. This is Metric Capital Partners’ third investment in the Nordics since 2013, further demonstrating its commitment to this key geography on the European market. www.metric-capital.com

About Scope
Scope invests in strong consumer brands, actively partnering with entrepreneurs and managements to help capture the inherent potential in further strengthening differentiated consumer relationships with bespoke digitalisation initiatives and organisational build outs. Since 2001, Scope has made partner investments in consumer brand companies like Happy Socks, Klättermusen, and Miss Mary. Scope has representation in Stockholm, Sweden and Geneva, Switzerland. www.scope.se 

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For further information please contact:
John Sinik, Managing Partner, Metric Capital Partners, Tel: +44 203 540 1550
Bjorn Tessiore, Partner, Metric Capital Partners, Tel: +44 203 540 1550
Carl D’souza, Senior Principal, Metric Capital Partners, Tel: +44 203 540 1550