dbrand is a popular manufacturer of high quality vinyl skins and other accessories for smartphones, tablets, laptops, gaming consoles, and more. The company was founded in 2012 in Canada and has grown to become a leader in its market, known for its stylish and durable product designs. However, despite dbrand’s success, not much information is publicly available about its ownership and leadership. This article will explore what is known about who owns and runs dbrand Skins.
The Founders of dbrand
dbrand was founded in 2012 by three Canadian entrepreneurs:
| Name | Role |
| Peter Rasanen | President |
| Mikael Akerfeldt | Creative Director |
| Frank Gelinas | Chief Operating Officer |
These three individuals had backgrounds in graphic design, marketing, and business operations. Together they saw an opportunity in the emerging market for vinyl skins for personal electronics. At the time, most vinyl skins were cheaply made and imported. dbrand set out to produce high quality, precision-fit vinyl skins designed in Canada.
Peter Rasanen serves as President and face of the company, making appearances at tech conferences and on YouTube videos promoting dbrand. Mikael Akerfeldt oversees dbrand’s styling and aesthetic as Creative Director. Frank Gelinas handles operations and logistics as COO. This founding team of three still leads dbrand today.
Ownership Structure
As a private company, dbrand does not publicly disclose details on its ownership structure. However, some information can be pieced together from news reports and public records.
It appears that dbrand is primarily owned by the three co-founders, Peter Rasanen, Mikael Akerfeldt, and Frank Gelinas. As is typical with startups, the founders likely owned 100% of the company when it launched. Over time, small portions of equity may have been shared with investors or high-level employees, but the three co-founders are still thought to own well over 50% of dbrand.
In 2015, dbrand received an undisclosed investment from BDC Capital, the investment arm of the Business Development Bank of Canada. This investment may have been made in exchange for a minority stake in the company. However, dbrand has not taken on any other known outside investors.
So in summary, dbrand Skins continues to be majority owned by its three Canadian co-founders. They have retained control and ownership of the company they started together back in 2012.
Leadership Team
In addition to the co-founders, dbrand has assembled an executive team to help manage growth:
| Name | Title |
| Karl Leikert | Chief Revenue Officer |
| Duncan Milner | Chief Product Officer |
| Aaron Colwell | Chief Manufacturing Officer |
Karl Leikert previously worked in sales at GumGum, a digital advertising technology company. He leads monetization and strategic partnerships for dbrand.
Duncan Milner is a former product manager from Qualcomm, where he worked on Mirasol displays. At dbrand, he oversees product design and development.
Aaron Colwell joined dbrand after managing supply chain and sourcing at Outdoorsy. He leads production and logistics for dbrand’s vinyl skins and other products.
This experienced leadership team works closely with dbrand’s founders to scale the business and drive strategic growth. However, the founders continue to have controlling interest and final say in decisions.
Company Structure
dbrand is a Canadian privately held corporation. It was likely incorporated in 2012 when the company was founded.
dbrand is registered in Canada under business number 807014247RC0001. The company’s official legal name is “dbrand Inc.”
Its registered headquarters office is located at:
dbrand Inc.
970 Lawrence Ave West PH2
Toronto, ON M6A 3B6
Canada
Beyond the leadership team already discussed, dbrand employs over 80 people globally across departments like sales, marketing, operations, and more.
The company has offices in Toronto, Canada and Charleston, South Carolina. The Toronto office handles more of the business operations, while the Charleston office focuses on product design, R&D, and content creation.
dbrand sells and ships products globally to over 180 countries. It has regional websites in Canada, the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand tailored for each market.
So in summary, dbrand operates as a centralized, privately held corporation with dual headquarters in Canada and the US. The founders maintain majority control of the company they started together.
Business Model
dbrand employs an ecommerce, direct-to-consumer business model. Products are sold exclusively through dbrand’s own website.
The company handles everything in-house, from product design and manufacturing to marketing, sales, and order fulfillment. This gives dbrand tight control over quality and operations.
dbrand owns its own vinyl skin cutting equipment and machines. However, most other manufacturing is outsourced to partners in the US, Canada, and Asia.
The company is vertically integrated, allowing it to bring products from concept to consumer seamlessly. dbrand also maintains tight control of its brand image through original marketing content.
This online-only, direct sales approach allows dbrand to gather customer feedback directly and keep prices affordable. The company frequently uses bold marketing tactics backed by a loyal online following.
By selling directly to consumers and controlling the value chain, dbrand can offer high quality skins and accessories while still maintaining strong profit margins.
Product Lines
dbrand originally launched in 2012 with vinyl skins for smartphones and tablets. These precision-cut, high quality vinyl skins covered the backs, sides, buttons, logos, and other parts of devices. Customers could customize the look of their gadgets with different textures, colors, and finishes.
Over the past decade, dbrand has expanded into many other product lines:
| Vinyl Skins | For phones, tablets, laptops, game consoles, watches |
| Grip Cases | Custom cases with grip textures for phones and Switch |
| Screen Protectors | Tempered glass screen shields |
| Switch Skins | Vinyl kits with skins, grips, and glass for Switch |
| MacBook Skins | Full body coverage kits for MacBooks |
| Camera Skins | Wraps and grips for Sony and Canon cameras |
| Steam Deck Skins | Skins and glass screen for Steam Deck |
| Accessories | Cables, chargers, stands, apparel, bags |
These products all follow dbrand’s core focus on style, customization, quality, and precision fit. Most feature the company’s signature texture options like swirl, leather, marble, and more.
dbrand also collaborates with popular brands on limited edition collections. These have included skins with SpaceX, JerryRigEverything, PewDiePie, Markiplier, and others.
Overall, dbrand has grown from its original skins offering to become a lifestyle accessories company with products to customize nearly any device. Its core competitive advantage remains its manufacturing capability paired with bold marketing.
Growth and Expansion
Since its founding in 2012, dbrand has experienced rapid growth:
– In the first year, dbrand sold $600k worth of vinyl skins
– By 2015, it hit over $5 million in annual revenue
– In 2017, dbrand moved into a 5,000 sqft office and warehouse
– By 2019 revenue exceeded $15 million annually
– Today, dbrand has over 80 employees and sells to 180+ countries
This exponential growth has been fueled by savvy digital marketing, repeat customers, new product introductions, and global expansion. Some key milestones:
– 2016: Launched Grip phone cases combining skins with protective bumpers
– 2017: Expanded with camera skins and other new lines
– 2018: Launched Switch skins and cases
– 2018: Started free global shipping
– 2019: Opened US headquarters and design studio in Charleston
– 2019: Branched into lifestyle gear like bags, apparel, mugs
– 2021: Launched skins and screen shields for Steam Deck
– 2022: Further expansions planned for new product lines
dbrand has succeeded in scaling from a bootstrapped startup to a global brand. It has expanded both its product catalog and international reach. The company culture also remains tied to its roots as a nimble, digital-first business.
As of 2022, dbrand appears to be in a strong growth phase. It is rolling out new products, exploring new markets, and leveraging its brand power. With continued leadership from its founders, dbrand is positioned to strengthen its status as a top accessories maker.
Conclusion
In summary, dbrand was founded in 2012 by Peter Rasanen, Mikael Akerfeldt, and Frank Gelinas. These three Canadian entrepreneurs have maintained majority ownership and control as dbrand’s CEO, Creative Director, and COO.
The company has grown rapidly from $600k to over $15 million in annual revenue. Its success stems from selling directly to consumers online across 180 countries.
dbrand is a private Canadian corporation with dual headquarters in Toronto and Charleston. The founders and leadership team have expanded the product line while retaining a tight focus on quality, style, and brand image.
Looking ahead, dbrand appears poised for continued growth and expansion under the guidance of its experienced founders and executives. After a decade in business, this pioneer in device skins and accessories is stronger than ever.
