NS Bikes, Creme and Rondo founder receives majority stake investment

The creators behind bicycle industry labels Rondo, NS Bikes and Creme, among other labels have taken on board a new majority shareholder to the business.

Investment firm Resource Partners has come on board, believing cycling to be at a new junction where it has moved beyond fad and into a more serious proposition described as “a lifestyle that’s here to stay.”

7Anna, founded by Szymon Kobyliński and wife Ania was established in 2001, latterly becoming the creators of the string of successful house cycling brands. NS Bikes, Rondo and Creme are now distributed internationally and are in the UK found with Hotlines Europe.

After completion, the founders of 7Anna will continue their current key management roles in the company, while Resource Partners will become the majority shareholder.

“I am very happy that we are given the opportunity to support such strong brands in their further expansion into fast-growing market segments. We remain impressed by the innovative culture of 7Anna making it a strong player in several premium niche markets, competing successfully against other global brands. As a consumer-focused investor, we are experienced in strengthening companies based in Poland in their expansion in export markets, where 7Anna has already demonstrated enormous levels of success. The passion for cycling combined with professional management allowed 7Anna to establish international presence and visibility of their brands, while we hope to support the business scale-up and further development of the distribution network.” says Piotr Noceń – Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Resource Partners.

“With Resource Partners on board we shall continue our strategy to develop and deliver unique, innovative products to cycling enthusiasts worldwide. The emergence of a strong and well suited financial partner will allow us to scale our growth and develop sales globally while preserving our core values and supporting the vision of the organisation, says Szymon Kobyliński, Founder and CEO of 7Anna.

He added: “We felt that the chemistry was right from the very beginning – the people behind Resource Partners love bikes, just like we do, and have an in-depth understanding of what lies behind our success. We believe that this is a key factor to retaining the DNA of our brands in the future.”

“The transaction with Resource Partners takes place in a historic moment for the cycling industry. We are witnessing an unprecedented boom which is not a fad or pandemic-related spike, but a new lifestyle that’s here to stay. Our new partnership is a great opportunity for us to take advantage of this global trend and allow us to scale our business accordingly,” added Maciej Kempa, Co-Founder, head of Creme.

Resource Partners was advised by Effi Investments, DLA Piper, TS Partners, KPT and Ramboll.