Friheden Invest

Friheden Invest

Friheden Invest traces to 2001 when Niels Martinsen established the office after building InWear into IC Group, a listed Scandinavian apparel conglomerate. Martinsen transferred 100 percent ownership and voting rights to his daughter Emilie in 2023. The firm continues to hold the two remaining IC Group brands after multiple divestitures including Peak Performance in 2018. The office targets venture and growth equity in lifestyle companies through direct co-investments and SPVs. Confirmed holdings include Boozt.com, where Friheden co-invested with Sunstone Capital and Verdane Capital ahead of the 2017 IPO, and Rebelle, sold to Vinted after participation alongside Ad4Ventures. Additional positions span ARKK Copenhagen, Ron Dorff and Zliide. Allocations cover Europe with emphasis on Denmark and Sweden. The strategy mixes fund commitments with active minority ownership in consumer and supply-chain businesses. Friheden Invest maintains a team led by CEO Laust Johan Johnsen, who joined in January 2023 from Capital Four. The firm operates from Hørsholm and holds a diversified Danish real estate portfolio including the Høsterkøbvej 65 mixed-use estate and agricultural land. It also manages a show-jumping horse collection. January 2023: Laust Johan Johnsen became CEO of Friheden Invest A/S. Adjacent vehicles include the Human Practice Foundation and a WWF-Denmark corporate partnership. Friheden Invest operates through a hybrid structure that retains operating control of legacy fashion brands while executing external venture investments. This model gives the office direct industry relationships and operational expertise that support sourcing and governance of new positions in the lifestyle sector.