REF Stockholm

What REF Stockholm does

REF Stockholm (legal entity: REF International AB) is a privately held, family-owned Swedish professional haircare company founded in 2004 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. The company formulates, produces, and sells vegan, cruelty-free hair care and styling products built around a 'Nature + Science' philosophy, with organic key ingredients (coconut oil, acai oil, jojoba oil, murumuru butter, blueberry oil) and proprietary systems including a Color Preserve technology for color-treated hair, an AHA-based Scalp Detox Treatment using Scalposine/Zanthalene/Procapil actives, and a numerical N° performance system that signals hold, shine, and volume levels. Its product portfolio is organized into specialized collections (Intense Hydrate, Illuminate Colour, Weightless Volume, Ultimate Repair, Cool Silver, Colour Boost Masques across 8 shades, Signature Collection, plus a Hand Wash line).

The company runs a dual go-to-market: a professional channel through a dedicated platform (professional.refstockholm.com) serving more than 60,000 stylists worldwide with bulk 1000ml sizes, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business (refstockholm.com) offering travel, standard, and professional sizes in multiple currencies (USD, CAD, DKK, SEK) with Klarna payment integration. Distribution extends through Nordic online retailers (Lyko, Bangerhead, Åhlens, Kicks), a US subsidiary (Swedish Haircare Inc., Amesbury MA), and operations across 35+ international markets. Revenue is generated through one-time unit sales across categories priced roughly $17-$81.

REF Stockholm is a small team (11-50 employees) with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and family-controlled ownership. Recent strategic activity includes the 2025 launch of the award-winning Illuminate Colour Instant Shine (Swedish Beauty Awards 2025 winner), reformulation of the Colour Boost Masques line, expansion into men's haircare, and finalist recognition at the ANZ Awards 2025 signaling APAC market entry. The company has not publicly disclosed revenue, valuation, or ownership structure beyond family control.

Name

REF Stockholm

Legal name

REF International AB

Website

https://refstockholm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

REF Stockholm is a privately held, family-owned Swedish professional haircare company founded in 2004 that formulates and sells vegan, cruelty-free hair care, styling, and scalp-care products through a dual professional and direct-to-consumer model serving 60,000+ stylists and consumers across 35+ international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Hair Care Products

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments) (CRABALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shampoo & Scalp Cleansers (CRABABAA), Conditioners & Hair Masks (CRABABAB), Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling, Treatments) (CRADANAE)

Keywords

• Professional haircare products
• Vegan hair care
• Hair styling products
• Salon hair care
• Hair care collections

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: One-time product sales through owned e-commerce platform and professional channel, with products available in multiple size formats (travel sizes 100ml, standard 285ml/250ml/200ml, and professional 1000ml)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

REF Stockholm develops, produces and sells vegan, cruelty-free professional hair care products, including shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, leave-in treatments and styling products organized into specialized collections (Intense Hydrate, Illuminate Colour, Weightless Volume, Ultimate Repair, Cool Silver, Colour Boost Masques, Signature Collection). The company also offers a professional AHA Scalp Detox Treatment and hand washes, selling both through a dedicated professional platform for hairdressers and via direct-to-consumer e-commerce in multiple size formats.

Product overview

REF Stockholm is a Swedish professional hair care brand founded in 2004, offering a comprehensive portfolio of vegan, cruelty-free hair care and styling products. The product portfolio is organized into specialized collections addressing specific hair needs: Intense Hydrate (hydration with coconut oil and bergamot), Illuminate Colour (color protection with acai and jojoba oils), Weightless Volume (volume with grapefruit and jojoba oils), Ultimate Repair (reconstruction with murumuru butter and quinoa protein), Cool Silver (brassiness neutralization with blueberry and linseed oils), Colour Boost Masques (color-refreshing treatments in 8 shades), and Signature Collection (premium formulations with camellia oil and peach extract). Core product categories include Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Masks, Leave-In Treatments (Serum, Shine Elixir, Detangling Spray), and Styling Products (Heat Protection, Hair Spray, Hair Mousse, Dry Shampoo, Hair Wax, Hair Gel, Root Concealer, Sea Salt Spray). The brand also offers Hand Soaps and the AHA Scalp Detox Treatment as specialized scalp care. Products feature a unique numerical performance system (N° system) to help stylists and consumers identify the right product for hold, shine, and volume needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Intense Hydrate Collection A series of intensely hydrating products that soften the hair without weighing it down, featuring organic Coconut Oil and Bergamot Oil. Includes shampoo, conditioner, masque, and styling creme designed for dry, curly, or chemically processed hair.
• Illuminate Colour Collection A series developed to infuse hair with nutrients while leaving it with enriched colour reflex and luminescent shine, containing organic Acaí Oil and Jojoba Oil. Designed for color-treated hair to enhance radiance, softness, and shine while safeguarding against fading.
• Weightless Volume Collection Hair care series that leaves hair with superior volume, containing organic Grapefruit Oil and Jojoba Oil that create radiant shine while keeping hair light and airy, designed for fine or thin hair.
• Ultimate Repair Collection A reconstructing series containing organic Murumuru Butter with enhanced dose of Strengthening Quinoa Protein that helps build up, protect, and condition hair to preserve natural strength, targeted at damaged hair.
• Cool Silver Collection High concentrations of Violet and Blue pigments that neutralize warm hair tones for a cool colour, featuring organic Blueberry Oil and Linseed Oil for extra shine, targeting silver, blonde, and grey hair tones.
• Colour Boost Masque Nourishing colour pigmented masques for quick refreshing, colour enhancement and weightless conditioning shine. Available in 8 shades including Platinum Blonde, Ash Brown, Cool Chocolate, Sandy Blonde, Vanilla Blonde, Intense Copper, and Cool Silver Ash.
• Signature Collection A luxurious line with high-performing formulas enriched with exclusive and nourishing ingredients such as Camellia Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, and Peach Extract. Includes Detangling Spray, Shine Elixir, and Leave-In Serum.
• Hand Wash Hand soaps that cleanse gently and leave hands feeling clean, soft and beautifully scented. Enriched with Almond Oil, available in Amber & Rhubarb and Peach & Almond scents.
• AHA Scalp Detox Treatment A professional scalp treatment designed to rebalance the scalp and support healthier, stronger hair. Features AHA 50 for gentle exfoliation, Scalposine for anti-dandruff care, Zanthalene for soothing, Frescolat for cooling, and Procapil for strengthening hair.
• Illuminate Colour Instant Shine Award-winning liquid lotion (Swedish Beauty Awards 2025 winner) that enhances vibrancy and radiance of color-treated hair. Formulated with Color Preserve System and organic acai oil for instant shine without weighing hair down.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.7/5 based on 312 reviews
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lyko.comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNordic online beauty retailer carrying REF Stockholm products for Scandinavian consumers
• Bangerhead.comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwedish online retailer specializing in beauty and haircare products
• Ahlens.comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Swedish department store chain with online presence selling REF products
• Kicks.comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNordic beauty retailer with online platform for REF Stockholm products
• KlarnaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPayment service provider enabling safe payments for e-commerce transactions

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Olaplex: Premium bond-building haircare brand with deep salon-channel penetration and a science-led positioning that mirrors REF Stockholm's professional-first, technology-backed go-to-market.
• Davines: Italian B-Corp certified professional haircare brand known for sustainability and salon-grade formulations — directly comparable on clean-beauty values, professional channel focus, and premium tier pricing.
• Living Proof: Science-led professional haircare brand with patented styling technology and salon heritage — comparable on innovation narrative, professional-channel credibility, and premium positioning.
• Briogeo: Clean, vegan, cruelty-free haircare brand with strong DTC presence and target-market overlap with REF Stockholm on ingredient-conscious millennial/Gen-Z consumers.
• Kérastase: L'Oréal-owned luxury professional haircare brand, the category benchmark for salon-grade premium products and a head-to-head competitor for stylist recommendation and shelf space.
• Pureology: L'Oréal-owned professional colour-care brand with vegan, sulfate-free formulations — competes head-to-head in the colour-preservation segment that REF Stockholm's Illuminate line targets.
• Sachajuan: Swedish professional haircare brand founded in Stockholm with a similar clean, minimalist design ethos and salon-channel heritage — the closest geographic and category analog to REF Stockholm's professional-first positioning.
• Moroccanoil: Professional haircare brand with argan-oil-led clean formulations, broad salon distribution, and strong DTC — directly comparable on positioning, channel mix, and premium pricing.

Emerging players

• Ouai: Celebrity-founded premium haircare brand focused on styling and texture, with strong DTC and Sephora distribution — partial overlap with REF Stockholm's styling-product portfolio and clean-beauty positioning.

Broad incumbents

• L'Oréal Professionnel: L'Oréal's flagship professional-only haircare division with global scale, broad portfolio, and the deepest salon relationships in the category — sets the competitive ceiling REF Stockholm must position against.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@REFStockholm
• Facebookfacebook.com/refstockholm
• Instagraminstagram.com/refstockholmofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@refstockholmofficial
• Xx.com/refofsweden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refstockholm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 REF Stockholm