What Malmsten does

Malmsten AB is a Swedish manufacturer of professional aquatic sports and pool equipment, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Åhus, Sweden. The company's flagship offering is racing lane lines — Gold PRO (6-inch) and Classic PRO (4-inch) — built around an advanced proprietary flow-through technique with individually rotating Pro-discs and Pro-floats engineered to reduce water turbulence and improve competitive swim times. The portfolio extends to water polo equipment (including Gecko Grip compound balls, goals, and field markers), starting blocks, TurnBoard Elite portable lane dividers, open-water buoys and finish structures, Swedish Goggles, pool trench covers, TÜV SÜD-certified floating obstacle courses (Union), and pool-construction infrastructure such as movable floors. Manufacturing is conducted at two locations — Åhus, Sweden and Phoenix/Tempe, Arizona (USA) since 2021 — and the group operates five additional wholly-owned subsidiaries covering movable floors, waterslides, fiberglass, recreation halls, and pool lining.

Revenue is generated primarily through B2B hardware sales into three core customer segments: international aquatic sports governing bodies (where Malmsten holds Official Supplier status with World Aquatics since 2009 and with PanAm Aquatics since 2022, renewed through 2029), competitive swimming facilities and water-polo clubs, and pool construction/renovation contractors. Commercial channels combine direct enterprise sales (US office in Tempe, AZ; headquarters in Åhus), a webshop-based Swedish distributor platform, and exclusive supply partnerships with major international federations and Olympic organizing committees. The company has supplied racing lane lines to every Olympic Games since 1976, including Paris 2024 and LA 2028, holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, and operates a multi-language digital presence (English, Swedish, US English, Korean).

Malmsten remains privately held under Swedish family ownership (founder Tommy Malmsten; CEO Margareta Malmsten at the parent level, with Mikael Örn heading the US subsidiary and Henrik Oredsson managing the movable-floors subsidiary). There is no external institutional investment and no public listing.

Name

Malmsten

Legal name

Malmsten AB

Website

https://malmsten.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Malmsten AB is a Swedish manufacturer of professional aquatic sports equipment, principally racing lane lines, water polo gear, and pool infrastructure, serving Olympic and international competitions (Official Supplier to World Aquatics and PanAm Aquatics) and competitive swimming facilities worldwide, with manufacturing in Sweden and Arizona.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquatic Sports Equipment

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Sports & Marine Recreation Retail (Paddle/Surf/Dive/Boat Accessories) (CRAMABAI)

Keywords

• Aquatic sports equipment
• Racing lane lines
• Water polo equipment
• Swimming pool equipment
• Movable pool floors

Headquarters

HQ city

Åhus

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Racing Lane Lines: Sale of racing lane lines (Gold PRO, Classic PRO) for competitive swimming pools and international competitions
2. Water Polo Equipment: Full range of water polo equipment including goals, balls, field markers, and accessories
3. Swimming Pool Equipment: Starting blocks, anchors, accessories, spare parts, and pool equipment for public and private pools
4. Movable Floors: Design, production and installation of movable floors for pools through Malmsten Entreprenad
5. Open Water Sports Equipment: Turning buoys, directional buoys, and finish structures for open water swimming events

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Malmsten designs, develops, manufactures and sells professional aquatic sports equipment, anchored by its flagship Gold PRO and Classic PRO racing lane lines used at Olympic Games since 1976. The offering extends to water polo balls and goals, TurnBoard Elite portable lane dividers, starting blocks, spare parts, movable pool floors, Swedish Goggles, pool trench covers, floating obstacle courses, and pool toys for international federations, national governing bodies, public and private pools, and water polo clubs worldwide.

Product overview

Malmsten is a global manufacturer of professional aquatic sports equipment offering a comprehensive portfolio centered on racing lane lines (Gold PRO and Classic PRO), water polo equipment (balls, goals, field equipment), TurnBoard Elite lane dividers, starting blocks, and swimming pool infrastructure. The company serves Olympic and international competitions (selected for Olympic Games since 1976, certified supplier for Paris 2024 and LA 2028) as well as recreational facilities. Product portfolio spans competitive swimming equipment, water polo, open water sports, Swedish goggles, movable floors, pool trench covers, and Union-certified floating obstacle courses. Manufacturing is conducted in Phoenix, Arizona (USA) and Åhus, Sweden since 2021, with the Arizona facility enabling local North American production for color choices, lengths, and quick deliveries. The company holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications and is an official supplier to World Aquatics and PanAm Aquatics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gold PRO: Premium racing lane lines - the Official WORLD AQUATICS Racing Lane Line, featuring advanced flow-through technique and superior water turbulence control
• Classic PRO
• Gecko Grip
• Swedish Goggles

Products and services

• Gold PRO Racing Lane Line Professional-grade 6-inch racing lane line featuring Malmsten's advanced flow-through technique, Pro-discs and Pro-floats, and UV-protected anti-oxidant plastic compound for superior water turbulence control and durability. Official WORLD AQUATICS Racing Lane Line used at Olympic Games and World Championships.
• Classic PRO Racing Lane Line 4-inch professional racing lane line with proven Malmsten design, individually rotating discs, durable and colorfast plastic compound for excellent water positioning and longevity in harsh pool environments.
• TurnBoard Elite Portable swim wall designed to maximize lane and pool usage by suspending between two lane lines and dividing one lane into two sections. Open design reduces water turbulence and withstands swim turn impacts; available in Small and Large sizes.
• Malmsten Water Polo Ball WP5 (Men) Official men's water polo ball featuring Gecko Grip special compound rubber for excellent grip and visibility, used in international water polo competition.
• Malmsten Water Polo Ball WP4 (Women) Official women's water polo ball with Gecko Grip special compound rubber for excellent grip and great visibility in competition play.
• Malmsten Water Polo Ball WP3 (Junior) Junior-sized water polo ball designed for young players, featuring special compound rubber for increased grip and player-friendly handling.
• Malmsten Water Polo Ball WP4 Junior Size 4 junior water polo ball weighing 325 grams, lighter than the regular WP4, made of hand-buffed rubber in Blue/White color for development training to avoid shoulder injuries while training with competition-size ball.
• Swedish Goggles Original Swedish Goggles introduced in 1975, popular among elite swimmers; available in Jewel Collection (Silver Mirror), Metallic, Anti-fog, and Classic versions and FINA-approved as competition swimwear.
• Movable Floors Movable pool floors designed, produced and installed by Malmsten Entreprenad AB, enabling variable pool depths and multi-use aquatic facility configurations for new builds and renovations.
• Spare Parts for Racing Lane Lines Replacement parts for Gold PRO and Classic PRO racing lane lines, including Disc Classic PRO, Donut Floats PRO, Take-Up Reel, Tension Spring, Wire, and Wire Lock, supporting long-term maintenance of installed lane line systems.
• Starting Blocks Starting blocks for competitive swimming facilities, including the Malmsten PRO model with Track Start option for modern competitive starts.
• Union Floating Obstacle Courses TÜV SÜD-certified floating obstacle courses for pools and beach areas meeting EN ISO 25649 standards, including platforms, climbing and sliding towers, bridges, bounce features, and connection modules for recreational aquatic play.

Quantifiable outcome

• Selected for 11 Olympic Games since 1976
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PanAm AquaticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026PanAm Aquatics renewed partnership through 2029. Malmsten supplies racing lane lines, water polo equipment, and finishing lines for marathon open water swim to all PanAm events including the PanAmerican Games in Santiago. Partnership strengthens aquatic sports throughout the Americas through innovation and long-term vision for excellence.
• World AquaticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial WORLD AQUATICS Supplier since 2009, up to and including 2024. Malmsten supplies racing lane lines, water polo equipment (goals, field, referees' catwalk, ball holders, ball release) and Open Water Equipment (turning buoys, directional buoys, finish structures) exclusively to all major WORLD AQUATICS events including Olympic Games.
• USA Water PolocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Supplier & Partner to USA Water Polo providing professional-grade equipment and improved field-of-play standards for American water polo competitions.
• MPSF (Mountain Pacific Swimming Federation)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Supplier & Partner to MPSF for collegiate aquatic competitions in the Mountain Pacific region.
• Welcome to Texas PartnershipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Texas water polo clubs to support with professional-grade equipment, improved field-of-play standards, and a more polished, athlete-centered competition environment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mikasa: Japanese global sports equipment manufacturer that has historically produced official water polo balls — overlapping with Malmsten's water polo equipment category but operating across a much broader sports portfolio.
• Pentair: Large US-listed pool equipment conglomerate whose aquatics portfolio (including Kiefer) competes with Malmsten at the broader commercial-pool level — broader scale and capital but less specialization in elite racing lane lines.

Direct peers

• SR Smith: Established US manufacturer of commercial pool deck equipment, slides, and aquatic recreation products with overlap to Malmsten's pool infrastructure offerings including starting blocks and poolside accessories.
• Kap7: US-based water polo equipment specialist producing competition balls, goals, and training gear — directly comparable to Malmsten's water polo product line including Gecko Grip balls and field equipment.
• Spectrum Aquatics: US commercial pool equipment manufacturer offering starting blocks, lifeguard stands, and pool deck equipment — directly comparable to Malmsten's commercial pool product line serving municipal and competition facilities.
• Wave Aquatics: US-based manufacturer of pool equipment and aquatic facility infrastructure including lane line reels, storage, and deck equipment — overlapping with Malmsten's commercial pool equipment portfolio for competitive and recreational facilities.
• Anti Wave: Australian-headquartered manufacturer of racing lane lines, pool deck equipment, and aquatic sports infrastructure — historically Malmsten's most direct global competitor for FINA-certified lane lines.
• Myrtha Pools: Italian-headquartered stainless-steel pool and movable floor manufacturer serving Olympic and FINA-standard competition pools — directly comparable to Malmsten Entreprenad's movable floor and competition pool infrastructure business.
• Kiefer (Pentair Aquatics): US-based competition pool equipment brand (now under Pentair) supplying lane lines, starting blocks, and timing equipment to competitive aquatic facilities — overlapping directly with Malmsten's core racing pool product portfolio.

Others

• Colorado Time Systems: US supplier of timing, scoreboard, and results systems for swimming competitions — adjacent ecosystem participant that complements rather than competes with Malmsten's lane lines and water polo equipment at major events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MalmstenSweden

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Malmsten