Our culture and values are deeply rooted in our heritage. The Nalka business was formed in 2009 but the history behind our business stretches back to 1943 in Älmhult, in the south of Sweden, when IKEA was founded.
By way of our owner, Interogo Holding AG, we share a heritage with Inter IKEA. The daily operation of Nalka has no connection to the IKEA brand or stores, however the heritage is evident in our values and our culture.
Our culture and values
Our values help guide our way of being and how we do things – as co-workers, as owner and investor, and as an employer.
For us, it is all about doing good business with common sense, based on honesty, respect, fairness and integrity.
Our eight key values leading the way can be summarized in four value areas: Work together, Find better ways, Get things done and Lead by example.
Work together
Togetherness, “Tillsammans”, is at the heart of our culture. Everyone is important, everyone is heard, and everyone contributes.
We involve, care for, acknowledge and trust one another in a spirit of humbleness, honesty and mutual respect.
We care for people and planet, and want to be a force for positive change both locally and globally. We choose improvement today, rather than the expectation of perfection tomorrow.
Find better ways
A simple, straightforward and down-to-earth way of being is part of our heritage. We are informal, we travel and meet in cost-conscious ways, and we try to avoid bureaucracy in our daily work. We strive for simplicity in everything we do.
We are cost-conscious. We challenge ourselves and others to make more from less. We have a long-term perspective and know that creating low costs may require big investments.
Whatever we are doing today, we can do a bit better tomorrow. We want to renew and improve.
We aspire to be different with a meaning by questioning existing solutions, try to think in unconventional ways, experiment and maintain an entrepreneurial mindset.
Get things done
We strongly believe in giving and taking responsibility. It is a privilege to take responsibility and be accountable. This means taking ownership, making decisions and following through.
This is ultimately about trusting each other, being positive and forward-looking. Making decisions sometimes leads to mistakes. And that’s OK, as long as we learn from them.
Being accountable means that we honestly admit, correct, learn and grow with our mistakes.
Lead by example
In our view, leading by example is to act in accordance with our values and stand up for them at all times.
To lead by example begins with being aware of our own behavior and the consequences of our actions, big or small.
To us, leadership is action, not a position. We can lead by taking the initiative. We are also aware that we are leading by example when we do nothing, when we don’t speak up, or when we don’t live our values. No method is more effective than the good example.
Our history
The Nalka brand was established in 2015, but our business has a much longer history.
"Financial reserves"
Ingvar Kamprad (1926-2018), the founder of IKEA, had a true and burning desire for his lifework and at an early stage wished to secure the independence and longevity of the IKEA Concept and make IKEA self-reliant in the matter of building up financial resources.
To help him achieve this he established Inter IKEA Group and Interogo Foundation. The purpose of Interogo Foundation was set to: “secure the independence and the longevity of the IKEA Concept and the financial reserves needed to ensure this” – a purpose which still remains.
Evolution of an investment group
The investment group that today is Interogo Holding (and Nalka’s owner) began its evolutionary journey in the early 1990’s.
Initially a part of Inter IKEA Group, the shape, size and focus of the investment business has continuously and organically evolved over time.
Starting off with moderate investments in a range of projects and asset classes, including some private equity investments, the investment business grew and formalized – driven by both opportunity and performance.
Two teams with much in common
Private equity investments in Nordic businesses were in the beginning of the early 2000’s driven by two separate teams: Alipes (founded in 2007), an investment team sponsored by Inter IKEA and IKANO, and Inter IKEA Investments (founded in 2009, a direct investment business owned by Inter IKEA Group).
Founded as Inter IKEA Investments, we usually refer to 2009 as Nalka’s founding year as well. Much of the long-term strategic thinking and ways of working was established during this period and still serves as a foundation for our work today.
Teams unite!
In 2015, Alipes and Inter IKEA Investments joined forces, operating as one team.
This also marks the year when the Nalka brand was officially established.
Interogo Holding – the investment business
In 2016, the Inter IKEA Group structure changed and the business was divided into two separate groups: one group for the IKEA related business and one group for the investment business, today Interogo Holding.
From those first “entrepreneurial” investments in the early 1990’s, five investment strategies has evolved within the group (Private Equity, Long-Term Equity, Real Estate, Infrastructure and Liquid Assets) with dedicated teams located across Europe. Nalka is part of the private equity strategy.
Nalka expands to Munich
In 2022, Nalka expanded its geographical reach by establishing Nalka Advisors Germany GmbH in Munich, a subsidiary to Nalka Invest AB.
The Munich office focuses on investments in the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland).
