H&M Group Ventures

H&M Group Ventures

H&M Group Ventures, formally branded New Growth & Ventures, was established in 2015. It operates as the dedicated corporate venture arm of the H&M Group, the Stockholm-based fashion retailer whose chairman, Karl-Johan Persson, and founding Persson family also control the investment vehicle Ramsbury Invest. The unit's mandate is to invest in entrepreneur-led companies at the intersection of fashion, technology, and sustainability, leveraging access to one of the apparel industry's largest supply-chain footprints. The firm targets early-stage through growth-stage companies, backing both direct stakes and joint ventures. Its deployment spans digital retail infrastructure, circular-economy materials, and AI-driven commerce tools. Confirmed portfolio positions include TextileGenesis, a fiber-traceability platform; reverse-logistics player eComID; and the upcycling marketplace Tribes. Outside of pure venture, H&M Group Ventures co-founded Syre, a textile-to-textile polyester recycling joint venture with Vargas Holding, and Looper Textile Co., a garment-sorting venture with the German recycling group Remondis. Its activity concentrates in Europe and North America, with a growing event presence in London and New York. A 14-person team managed by Nanna Andersen operates from Stockholm, with a secondary footprint in New York. In May 2026, the unit launched its first dedicated LinkedIn presence to publicly signal deal-flow appetite and portfolio progress. Earlier, in January 2026, it convened brand executives, founders, and investors at H&M's New York office during NRF for a session on scalable corporate-startup collaboration. The firm routinely participates in industry convenings including Techarena, Shoptalk Europe, and VivaTech, reflecting a deliberate push toward ecosystem visibility. Structurally, H&M Group Ventures departs from a standalone financial vehicle: it sits inside a publicly traded retailer, and its investments are evaluated against strategic integration potential alongside financial return. That architecture embeds a natural buyer for its portfolio companies' products and a privileged testing ground that third-party venture firms cannot replicate. The group also maintains ties to the H&M Foundation and the Norrsken Foundation, aligning its investment thesis with the Persson family's broader emphasis on sustainability and social impact.