Swedish tech company Elektron has been acquired by Bonnier Capital, a Swedish family-owned media group and investment company
A lot has happened in recent months in the music tech world: Reason Studios to LANDR, or the preliminary bankruptcy of Native Instruments. The latter are currently in negotiations with new partners. No news here, but I wish them good luck.
Superbooth 2026 is a month away, and there is a new major tech acquisition. Elektron has today announced that they have been acquired by Bonnier Capital, a Swedish media group and investment company.
Elektron Bonnier Capital
The ink is dry. Elektron has a new owner. This came completely out of the blue. The Swedish investment group Bonnier Capital has acquired Elektron Music Machines AB.
According to them, they will continue to operate from their headquarters in Gothenburg and their subsidiaries in Los Angeles and Berlin, with their team, brand, and product development focus intact.
They say that customers, partners, and the wider Elektron community, day-to-day operations continue as usual. Ongoing product development, support, and existing business commitments remain unchanged. Well, we will see how much will change, if at all.
They say:
The acquisition of Elektron Music Machines AB from a consortium led by EMM Intressenter AB provides long-term support for Elektron’s continued development, international growth, and future expansion.
Elektron will maintain full independence and continue to operate from its headquarters in Gothenburg, as well as its subsidiaries in Los Angeles and Berlin, with its existing team, brand, and commitment to creating instruments and tools for music makers worldwide.
In connection with the transaction, Jonas Hillman, Alexander Hellström, together with the management team, will reinvest alongside Bonnier Capital, reaffirming their ongoing commitment and active participation in Elektron’s journey.
Since its founding in 1998, Elektron has established a distinct position in electronic music through its unique approach to sound, sequencing, and performance-oriented design.
As part of Bonnier, the company will gain access to broader strategic resources while preserving the focus and identity that have defined Elektron over the years.
Jonas Von Hedenberg, who is the Investment Director at BC, says about the acquisition of Elektron
“Elektron has built a truly distinctive position at the intersection of technology, creativity, and music culture. We are deeply impressed by the team’s craftsmanship and vision, and we see strong alignment with our long-term approach to building enduring, creative businesses in the music industry.Our ambition is to support Elektron’s continued growth while preserving the unique identity that has made it so respected by artists worldwide,
Joining Bonnier marks an exciting new chapter for Elektron. It gives us the support and strategic backing to keep doing what we love most—creating inspiring instruments and pushing the boundaries of sound and performance.
First Impression
Elektron has new owners. On the positive side, Elektron now has more financial resources to expand, tap into new markets, and so on, which is difficult for a small company.
On the other hand, acquisitions by large investors always leave a bad taste in the mouth, as large sums of money are involved. To recoup the invested capital, it must be generated again by new and existing products. That means it’s all about selling.
However, one mustn’t lose sight of the existing community and customers. Without them, the company wouldn’t be where it is today. Look at Native Instruments and see what can happen when things drift in the wrong direction.
I’m curious to see which direction Bonnier Capital will take Elektron and whether we’ll see any changes in that part of this acquisition in the coming years.
I’m hopping this means more updates and fresh features for the Tonverk
Uh oh.
I hope this isn’t the beginning of the end.
Could this be the reason why the Tonverk was extremely rushed?
I hope for Elektron’s sake that this isn’t a forced takeover.
This kind of acquisition is never a good sign.
Perhaps the numerous reliability issues—screen problems, power supply issues, etc.—with the Digitone and Digitakt 2 have impacted their sales.
Elektron previously had an impeccable reputation, but that’s no longer the case.
Once again, I hope that this acquisition by this Swedish investment group won’t be bad news for the future of existing and upcoming products, and for the continuity of the Elektron brand.
What are you talking about? There are no numerous reliability issues and instead of guessing, you could just check the sales positions on Thomann, Amazon, Sweetwater,etc. Their reputation is still impeccable and their support is fast and hassle-free 9got a screen replaced as well, yeah).
I get, that some VC or investment companies gut their assets, but this happens in the fewest cases. But, boy the few cases always blown out and taken as “see, I to,d ya” examples, aren’t they? Most of the gear collectors have no clue, about how the financial markets work.
hang on, are you saying that you get a screen replacement? your spelling is so bad its hard to make out what you are actually saying. how is that impeccable reliability ?
Elektron just got bonned…
honestly scary to me
these money firms dont care about the brand or company or customers; i know this is very different from like q company selling to save itself and i cant believe elektron has been in any significant trouble lately as theyvw been doing so well overall- but it just worries me; as you said- a bad taste; what will this materialize as? we see lots of subscriptions and ai buzz these days; who knows what a money company would want to pressure a music tech company into doing to increase profits and retention etc
but hopefully elektron would never have sold to someone they didnt feel had a good understanding pf them so maybe im off base here entirely- certainly fresh investment could enable lots of exciting new products; but will that extend to many years of free and sometimes quite significant firmware updates? i have to wonder
but i hope this results in even more delicious elektron goodness
“However, one mustn’t lose sight of the existing community and customers. Without them, the company wouldn’t be where it is today.”
I feel It has slowly been heading this way since the model series got introduced. Of course it introduced many people to Elektron, however the lack of a good flagship device since 2014 has been a clear sign the good old days are done. Digitone gave me hope for a return to digital synthesis like MD and MNM, but alas.
Also on the community side: avantronica is a tyrant moderator and should be fired.
I doubt this indicates that Elektron was in financial distress. However, with the likes of Behringer and increasingly formidable Chinese manufacturers entering the audio space, a mid-sized company like Elektron now faces an unforgiving competitive landscape. They must get virtually everything right with each new product release, or risk being left behind.
Yet Elektron has been producing middling products for quite some time. That trajectory inevitably makes a company a target for investment firms seeking opportunities to extract value and, eventually, hollow the business out. Whatever criticisms are often levelled at Chinese manufacturers, many of them at least operate with long-term strategic objectives in mind.
Elektron, by contrast, seems to have lost its direction years ago. At this point, a slow drift into obscurity appears increasingly assured.
this could actually be a really good thing for Elektron and for us the customers. we could see quicker updates, more models, etc . 👍
These investment bros only care about money, that’s it. They will try to squeeze as much money out of elektron as they can, and then move on. Who should do the updates you expect when they kick out half of elektrons staff for more profit?
Sammy
Sales figures don’t mean anything.
Consider this: there are car brands and models that have reliability issues (according to automotive professionals), and that doesn’t stop people from buying them anyway.
Some people take the risk regardless.
So, if people like taking risks, good for them.
Sorry, but buying a new machine for €1000 and having to send it back after 15 days (for example) for a screen failure or something else is unacceptable to me.
Especially since Elektron is aware of these problems.
Proof of this is the extended warranty.
I’m not criticizing Elektron, I’m just stating a fact.
I’m not making this up; just look at some forums, there have definitely been issues with the Digitone 2 and Digitakt 2.
Even though I appreciate Elektron products, there’s a fact that Elektron has experienced a drop in quality and/or quality control on some of its latest models.
I agree, Elektron’s support is excellent.
A 1 year old post from LinkedIn:
“We are delighted to welcome Alexander Hellström to Elektron as the company’s new CEO. Alexander has a long and successful career within the tech industry, which has most recently included a productive 10-year stint leading LumenRadio, and is due to join the team in October. We’ll pass the mic straight to him:
“I’m really looking forward to taking on this new role at Elektron, a pioneering company world-renowned for its innovative drum machines, samplers and synthesizers. The warm welcome I have received has been absolutely amazing, and I am very much looking forward to embarking on this exciting journey with an insanely talented team. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of music technology and continue to create incredible tools for artists and musicians worldwide.”
—
Bringing in a new CEO can signal many things for a company. Usually, when an organization grows, founders and veteran employees find themselves buried in administrative tasks that they either don’t enjoy, lack the specific skillset for, or that distract them from their core competencies. In this context, those competencies usually involve product development rather than corporate oversight.
The “rushed” release of Tonverk, alongside other recent growing pains, aligns with this timeline. Hiring a professional to handle “the business stuff” so the innovators can focus on “the product stuff” is generally the correct move.
It is true that a CEO’s mandate includes maximizing capitalization, often to secure performance bonuses or salary increases. One of the most common levers for this is VC. While some fans find this concerning, it is standard industry practice.
This shift is fundamentally different from the situations at Native Instruments or Moog, here the transition appears to be a “textbook positive” move aimed at professionalizing the business while protecting the creative engine.
Imagine you are making money of your music (crazy right?), enough to have on payroll: someone to clean the house, cook, buy groceries, manage your stock portfolio, clean and get your car to the shop, etc. well, kinda the same-ish lol.
We all know you’re wrong, but we can hope.
I believe there is something fundamentally wrong when a very successful company has to be taken over by an “investment company” in order to thrive and expand. Is the success they have had not enough?
And yes I know the general function of an investment company and the way these things work. I just make the point that a world where investment companies, pension funds and such control everything is not good.
The end of Elektron.
Good run guys.
Hopefully our modular friends are safe from the claws of capitalism, they’re the only ones left.