Sport
R-GOL and Unisport to join forces for further international expansion
By using innovative digital strategies, R-GOL and Unisport together gather over 10 million dedicated followers on social media, have over 1.3 billion YouTube views, and 1.6 million members in some of the world's most extensive football loyalty programs. The aim for the combined company is to continue to grow in Europe , to build a comprehensive ecosystem for the needs of football fans, players and clubs alike, , exploring new growth avenues with the ambition to become the leading football specialist globally.
R-GOL was founded in Poland in 2000 and has over the last years focused on international expansion, currently operating in 14 markets in Central and Eastern Europe as a leader among specialised distributors of football products. Expert knowledge, innovation, long-term cooperation with clubs and a strong community of football enthusiasts built around the brand make the company a key partner for leading manufacturers of footwear, apparel, and sports accessories. Innova Capital has been a majority investor in R-GOL since 2023, working alongside the founder, Marcin Radziwon .
Unisport was established in Denmark in 1995 and has risen to be a frontrunner in the European football merchandise market. Since Nordic Capital's acquisition in 2015, the company has achieved strong and profitable organic growth, with revenues and EBITDA growing more than fivefold over the period. The company has expanded into new geographies such as Germany and France , opening flagship stores in several European capitals and has become a trusted partner for football enthusiasts. Working in close partnership with the Unisport management team, Nordic Capital has supported investments into growth across the company's digital platform, brand identify, warehouse infrastructure and partnerships with football clubs and leading brands. With these advancements, Unisport is now well-positioned to continue its strong growth journey together with R-GOL.
said Marcin Radziwon , Founder & CEO, R-GOL.
" ," said Michael Burk , CEO of Unisport.
" ," said Łukasz Cyran, Managing Director at Innova Capital.
" ," said Christian Hedegaard , Managing Director and Country Coverage Manager for Denmark , Nordic Capital Advisors.
The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Completion of the transaction is expected in Q3 2024.
Katarzyna Kaczmarek
Tel.: +48 22 544 94 00
email: kkaczmarek@innovacap.com
Katarina Janerud
Communications Manager, Nordic Capital Advisors
Tel: +46 8 440 50 50
e-mail: katarina.janerud@nordiccapital.com
R-GOL is the leading multi-brand distributor of football merchandise in CEE. The company currently operates in 14 countries in
Europe . In addition to its core e-commerce channel, R-GOL also runs a network of 14 physical showrooms and works directly with over 1,000 football clubs, comprehensively meeting their needs.
www.r-gol.com
Unisport was founded in 1995 in Copenhagen . In 2002, the first web shop was launched, serving football players and supporters with the best football gear, all over
Denmark . Since then, Unisport has successfully launched football stores in
Sweden , Norway ,
Finland , Holland ,
Germany , France , and
Austria . Today, Unisport has over 8.5 million dedicated followers on SoMe, 1 billion YouTube views and one of the world's most extensive football loyalty programs with 1.3 million members.
www.unisportstore.com
Innova Capital is an independent private equity adviser operating from
Poland and investing in majority buyouts in mid-sized enterprises doing business in Central and
Eastern Europe . Since its inception in 1994, Innova Capital has invested close to
EUR 1.2 billion in almost 70 companies across 10 countries in the region. Innova was recognized by the Polish Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (PSIK) as PE Management Firm of the Year 2023 & 2024.
www.innovacap.com
Nordic Capital is a leading sector-specialist private equity investor with a resolute commitment to creating stronger, sustainable businesses through operational improvement and transformative growth. Nordic Capital focuses on selected regions and sectors where it has deep experience and a long history. Focus sectors are Healthcare, Technology & Payments, Financial Services, and Service & Industrial Tech. Key regions are
Europe and globally for Healthcare and Technology & Payments investments. Since inception in 1989, Nordic Capital has invested
EUR 25 billion in over 145 investments. The most recent entities are Nordic Capital XI with
EUR 9.0 billion in committed capital and Nordic Capital Evolution with
EUR 1.2 billion in committed capital, principally provided by international institutional investors such as pension funds. Nordic Capital Advisors have local offices in
Sweden , the UK, the US,
Germany , Denmark ,
Finland , Norway , and
South Korea .
www.nordiccapital.com.
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