The company initially found an international audience who shared Olsson and Brataas’s frustrations with the industry. After this success, they decided to branch out. The next release was the Hugger backpack, inspired by the mathematics of the golden ratio and the first major Douchebags breakout. It initially sold well through the action sports world before university students began buying the bag. “It became the first big commercial engine, which could do hundreds of thousands of units, not tens of thousands of units,” says Brataas. This success led to the company’s top-line revenue growing by 220% between 2016 and 2017.
After over a decade of innovating and scaling beyond sports luggage to a broader range of luggage and bags, LVMH Luxury Ventures acquired a 12% stake in Db in 2024 at a valuation just shy of $100 million. Announcing the investment at the time, Julie Bercovy, CEO of LVMH Luxury Ventures Advisors, described Db as “combining truly distinctive designs, high-quality and functionality, and geared towards a close community of outdoor enthusiasts, athletes, creative people and passionate travelers, with whom the brand entertains deep ties.”
The brand, Bercovy added, had “a strong position in Scandinavia with an untapped growth potential in the rest of the world.” Other investors have since come on board. Norwegian fishing billionaire Gustav Magnar Witzøe invested around 50 million NOK (approximately $5.4 million) in 2025 at the same time as Manchester City soccer player Erling Haaland acquired a minority stake valued at 10 million NOK ($1.1 million). In the company’s last public earnings filing for fiscal 2024, revenue reached 409 million NOK (approximately $44 million).
Db’s 2025 holiday campaign featuring Erling Haaland.
Photo: Courtesy of DB
Growing up
As the company’s profile grew, the founders decided it was time for a change. Douchebags — the name coined from within the skiing and snowboarding community — was dropped in 2019, and the shorter Db was used in its place. It was a sign that Brataas and Olsson were looking into how their products could be used in different walks of life. “It feels a bit like growing up,” Brataas says. “You start in your garage, you’re a rebel and a startup, and then you grow up as a person, and as a brand, and it’s the right time to change as you want the brand to become bigger.”
In 2022, Db launched its Ramverk suitcases, no longer aimed just at action sports enthusiasts. It marked a shift for Db and a new focus, positioning the brand as the luggage choice for the creative industries. This new direction wasn’t too much of a departure for Db. “When you think of action sports, the majority of it is about creativity,” says Richard Collier, who joined as CEO in 2024. “We’re enabling you to go out and do your thing, be creative, do what you want to do, and travel to the places you want to go to.” For Brataas, the “red thread” that has always existed at Db comes from skiers, snowboarders, surfers, and “the creative drive you find within those people.” This refocusing has been a major part of Db’s success, helping it expand beyond its original niche and reach the wider creative class. No longer just for skiers or snowboarders, the brand now targets photographers, designers, and art directors as well.
