HoldCo Builders Buy 5 Companies as Fast as You Can (1-on-1 Advice From Fredrik Karlsson That Changed Everything)
Nov 17, 2025
Explore the fascinating world of RÖKO, a $2B holding company with 29 diverse businesses thriving on high margins and asset-light strategies. Discover founder Fredrik Karlsson’s remarkable journey from Lifco CEO to orchestrating rapid growth with a lean team. Learn about their disciplined capital allocation, commitment to profitable acquisitions, and unique operational model that thrives without micromanagement. From risks like recessions to lessons from past mistakes, this discussion unravels the secrets behind successful compounding in business.
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Founder Leaves Big Serial Acquirer
- Fredrik Karlsson left Lifco after two decades and launched RÖKO with $20–25M of founder capital and ~$200–250M from 130 Swedish HNWIs.
- Within about five years the group built 29 companies and reached roughly $100M EBITDA by 2023.
Asset-Light, Sector-Agnostic Portfolio
- RÖKO targets asset-light, high-margin businesses across both B2B and B2C to stay diversified and capital-efficient.
- The portfolio includes niche makers and distributors like uniform makers, furniture designers, and specialty retailers.
High Margins With Modest Leverage
- RÖKO ran 21% margins on $454M net sales in Q3 2025 and completed acquisitions mainly with cash and modest bank debt.
- They added roughly $11.8M sales and $3.5M adjusted EBITDA from two 2025 deals when consolidated from Jan 1.