Smart Product Design That Supports Bold ESG Goals

Bugaboo, a Dutch stroller company, brings deep rigor and precision to its premium product design. And it applies this same level of diligence and detail across its sustainability efforts—in part due to its partnership with Bain Capital.

After investing in the company in 2018, our Private Equity team worked closely with Bugaboo’s CEO and management team to help develop a robust ESG strategy—something the company previously had not had—that reconsidered the very composition of its strollers. By providing a team of consultants who’d worked with other Bain Capital portfolio companies on past sustainability initiatives; offering critical resources, including a €2.7M investment per year; and delivering oversight through our three board seats, Bain Capital Private Equity ensured the new approach would be a success.

The result was a set of emissions-reducing and resource-preserving goals powered by a more sustainable product design. In April 2022, Bugaboo announced its Push to Zero initiative to achieve a net zero carbon footprint by 2035—with an aim of reducing carbon output 40% per stroller by 2026.

To meet these marks, Bugaboo adopted a complete set of eco-friendly design decisions. From eliminating single-use packaging by 2025 to ensuring 100% of materials come from sustainable sources by 2026 to producing all Bugaboo products with bio-based material by 2023, Bugaboo is well on its way to reaching its goals. In 2021, it achieved carbon neutrality and, in 2022, received a Gold Medal from EcoVadis. Moreover, as time goes on, these measures ensure its future sustainability trajectory will remain strong.

Working with Bugaboo to develop its ambitious climate strategy is a perfect example of how our team can be an engine for change. In a space that has seen little sustainable innovation for decades, Bugaboo is already codifying its commitments and is delivering against them. This ESG focus not only supports the planet, but also elevates Bugaboo’s brand status among its mainly millennial customer base—who tend to prefer buying from environmentally conscious businesses.

Jurjen Van der Wiel, Partner, Private Equity

At Bugaboo, we’ve introduced game-changing innovation to give plant-based waste a new life through our products.

Lise Hodijk, Sustainability Manager, Bugaboo