Awelin recruits from EQT to start a new business area that will give unique insights to boards and management teams.​

The digital agency Awelin expands its offering with a new business area, Growth Advisory, to aid investment companies’ and management teams’ needs with digital competence. During spring, Awelin has conducted several assessments and digital due diligence with some of the most prominent investment companies, and now more are lining up to get answers to complex investment theses and assess potential.

When EQT was evaluating one of their biggest investments ever, Anton Wetterlöf, former CMO at Daniel Wellington and founder of Awelin, was appointed as an industrial advisor to assess the brand portfolio and the digital capabilities of the target. The successful transaction, and subsequent EQT assignments, led to Anton recruiting Eric Schillström from EQT to develop a new business unit that they call Growth Advisory. 

– By combining deep business strategy and financial understanding with vast operational experience, we are able to provide analyses that pinpoint key digital value creation. We create business plans and provide point of views on financial outcomes that resonate with both decision makers and operators. The outcome of our projects is a nuanced view that contains both the why and the how, which is often a gap between strategy consultants and agencies, says Anton Wetterlöf, founding partner of Awelin. 

To date, the clients have primarily been investors, but as of lately, more management teams have contacted Awelin to get a holistic assessment of their business model and current state. The common denominator regardless of case and client, is that Awelin has been able to detect untapped potential from a digital perspective.

From the left: Anton Wetterlöf, Founding Partner; Eric Schillström, Partner & Head of Growth; Erik Bertilsson, Partner & COO.

What can the client of a Growth-Advisory project expect in return?

– We do a comprehensive digital assessment of the industry/category and the business to identify the current state and what is needed to reach and exceed goals. The outcome aids more well informed business decisions for equity holders, boards and management teams, says Anton Wetterlöf.

Why do investment companies stand in line to work with Awelin?

– To be honest, we are doing a lot of the work that the management consultants cannot do, but that they sell anyway. By combining perennial operating experience into our analyses, we create more dimensions of granularity, qualification and understanding, says Anton.

Eric Schillström felt it was time to spread his wings beyond EQT and help other companies with the insights and learnings he gained from his time at one of the most prominent investors and business developers in the world. Leaving EQT, his aim with Awelin is to aid investment companies’ and management teams’ needs with digital competence.

– There are many companies out there that need help to better understand their digital landscape within their industry, as well as internal capabilities and potential, says Eric. Read more about Awelin and our services here.