Swedish Viva Group acquires Wine in Black
Stockholm/Berlin — Wine in Black, one of the leading online stores for high-quality wines in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland, becomes part of the Swedish Viva Group, one of Scandinavia’s largest wine importers. Viva Group plans to further strengthen its growth trajectory with the Berlin-based retailer’s e‑commerce capabilities, while Wine in Black will benefit from the Swedish market leader’s global supplier relationships. The acquisition already took place in Q4 2018 and will be formally closed in the coming weeks.
Emil Sallnäs, Managing Partner of Viva Group: “Wine in Black has established a unique position in some of the largest and most attractive European markets for premium wines. We look forward to working with the Wine in Black team in Berlin and our teams in Scandinavia to further accelerate Wine in Black’s growth.”
Wine in Black was founded in 2011. Founder and managing director Stephan Linden (photo on the right) will leave the company after a transitional phase in mid-2019 to devote himself to new entrepreneurial projects. Wine in Black will be led by Christian Fricke (photo left), who already joined Wine in Black as Managing Director in February 2018, and will continue to act entrepreneurially autonomous and independent.
Stephan Linden: “As a start-up in a very competitive market, we were very fortunate to be able to attract such experienced and successful venture capitalists as Project A, e.ventures, btov, Black River Ventures and others. After we were able to develop Wine in Black from zero to an eight-digit annual turnover, it is now exactly the right time to start the next growth phase of Wine in Black with a strategic partner. The Swedish Viva Group convinced us with its very entrepreneurial approach, global network and deep market understanding and will help Christian and the management team to take Wine in Black to the next level.”
Christian Fricke: “Wine in Black started as a closed shopping club for premium wines. In the past two years, the model has undergone major development. Our customers appreciate our curated and ever-changing assortment to find exciting wines and further expand their knowledge of wine. As a platform, we want to become the first port of call for anyone who wants to discover new, high-quality wines. Viva Group shares our vision for the further development of Wine in Black and will support us as a strategic partner in the further expansion in our core markets and beyond with a very long-term perspective. I am very happy
about the new opportunities that this strong partner will create for the entire team and our market partners.”
Consultant Wine in Black GmbH:Vogel Heerma Waitz
Olga Balandina-Luke advised Berlin-based online wine retailer Wine in Black GmbH on its acquisition by Scandinavia’s largest wine importer Viva Group.
About Viva Group
Over the past 20 years, Viva Group (www.vivagroup.se) has become the largest importer of wine and spirits in Scandinavia. Through its subsidiaries Chris Wine & Spirits, Giertz Vinimport, The Wine Team, Winemarket and Iconic Wines, the company has a market share of nearly 25% at Systembolaget, the Swedish retail monopoly. Internationally, Viva Group is present with subsidiaries in Finland, Norway, China and the UK. The Viva Group is also already represented in Germany by its lifestyle-oriented online store Wine a Porter.
About Wine in Black
Wine in Black is a leading online store for premium wine with a constantly changing assortment of 300 wines at an average bottle price of 15 euros. The company is active in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland. Wine in Black was founded in 2011 and funded by leading European venture capital investors, including Project A Ventures, Black River Ventures, e.ventures, Bright Capital, Passion Capital, btov, KFW, Keen Mind Ventures, and kaufDA / Bonial International Group founders Christian Gaiser and Tim Marbach. For more information about Wine in Black, visit http://www.wine-in-black.de.