Safety helmet startup STUDSON has announced the completion of a $2.48 million funding round and a strategic collaboration with workwear producer Blaklader. The funding round was led by a $1.4 million investment from Blaklader’s parent company, HIA BV. Additional capital was provided by existing seed-round investors.
STUDSON plans to use the funding to expand its business and capitalize on its triple-digit revenue growth year-over-year. The company also plans to secure the inventory needed to meet its North American sales commitments in 2024.
In addition to the funding, STUDSON is partnering with Blaklader to expand its operations overseas. Blaklader maintains dozens of physical storefronts across Scandinavia and Western Europe. The company also has a large sales team spread across the continent.
“By collaborating with STUDSON, not only do we unlock new territory for sales and distribution of Blaklader workwear in North America, but we can offer our customers compelling above-the-neck safety equipment that complements our existing line of technical workwear,” said Magnus Hellström, Deputy Managing Director of Blaklader. “STUDSON has built strong relationships with key customers in North America, in addition to creating an effective direct-to-consumer strategy that will be invaluable for Blaklader as we expand our sales footprint into North America.”
STUDSON specializes in safety helmets and recently launched its Full Brim ANSI Type II Safety Helmet. The company has also launched multiple Type II safety helmet offerings and accessories in the US and Canada. STUDSON has secured contracts with several of the top 20 largest general contractors in the US.
To date, STUDSON has primarily focused on the North American market. However, the company sees significant potential for its products in the European market.
“We believe there is a significant opportunity for STUDSON to expand our presence in the European market,” said Ryan Barnes, CEO of STUDSON. “Blaklader’s extensive retail network and deep experience in the workwear industry make them an ideal partner as we explore this expansion.”
As part of the partnership, Blaklader’s parent company, HIA BV, made a $1.4 million investment in STUDSON.
“We believe that STUDSON has a unique and compelling product offering that addresses a critical need in the safety equipment market,” said Hellström. “We are excited to support the company’s continued growth and expansion, both in North America and beyond.”
Founded in 2019, STUDSON has focused on developing a range of safety helmet offerings. The company has experienced significant growth over the past year, including a quadrupling of its warehouse space.
“2023 was a monumental year for STUDSON. We shipped our 100,000th helmet in the fourth quarter following the launch of the SHK-1 Type II Full-Brim safety helmet offering. We also expanded our headcount and warehouse space to handle the exponential growth of the business,” said Barnes. “With the additional capital, STUDSON can maintain its rapid growth, including the ability to significantly expand our inventory. Furthermore, the strategic collaboration with Blaklader provides us with additional access to more than 30 retail storefronts across Scandinavia and Europe along with a dedicated sales force to propel STUDSON’s growth into new geographies.”
Founded in 1930, Blaklader is one of Europe’s largest producers of workwear. The company remains family owned and operated.
In addition to the funding and partnership with Blaklader, STUDSON has also announced plans to expand its executive team. The company is currently recruiting for a Head of Sales and a Head of Marketing.
“We have aggressive goals for 2024 and beyond,” said Barnes. “In order to achieve those goals, we need to build a world-class team that can help us drive continued growth and expansion. We are looking for individuals who are passionate about our mission of redefining safety and who are excited to help us bring our products to new markets and new customers.”
