Danish investment firm Den Sociale Kapitalfond has snapped up 60% of local, family-owned ice-cream producer Hansens Is for an undisclosed sum.
The fund said it had “long seen potential in the Danish ice cream producer”.
Following the transaction, Anders Eibye Hansen and his brother Rasmus Eibye, the fourth-generation owners of the business, will retain a 40% stake in Hansens Is, which has origins dating to 1922.
In a statement, the investor emphasised the deal will “reinforce” its new asset as Denmark’s “leading organic ice cream brand”.
Den Sociale Kapitalfond managing partner Lars Jannick Johansen added: “We have entered this partnership wholeheartedly because we see significant promise in Hansens – in the people, the heritage, and the products.
“Hansens has always taken responsibility and now it will grow on two fronts: financially and socially.”
Anders Eibye Hansen said the company “spent a long time finding the right partner to help take Hansens Is to the next level”.
He added the group, with Den Sociale Kapitalfond’s backing, “can professionalise and scale our business and ESG efforts, while staying focused on providing great ice experiences to even more people”.
In the statement announcing the deal, Den Sociale Kapitalfond and Hansen Is said “employees will be offered co-ownership going forward”.
A new board will also be appointed, with ormer Toms executive Annemette Thomsen taking the role of chair. Kim Rahbek Hansen, the founder and former CEO of Sticks & Sushi, will also join the board.
Hansens Is plans to expand its presence in the Danish market, “while also taking initial steps toward exports to neighboring countries”, the fund added.
