What CL Seifert does

C.L. Seifert is a Copenhagen-headquartered manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of custom graduation caps (studenterhue/studentmössa/ylioppilaslakki), study-trip apparel, class yearbooks (Blå Bog), and related ceremonial accessories, serving upper-secondary and gymnasium students across Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. Founded in 1865 by German-trained tailor Carl Ludvig Seifert, the company also produces formal and ceremonial headwear (royal, military, police, and gala caps) and historically served as Royal Court Supplier to the Danish (1903) and Swedish (1911) royal families. It operates market subsidiaries — C.L. Seifert Sverige AB and C.L. Seifert Finland Oy — and sits within the AJAT Group, having been acquired by cousins Anders Eriksen and Jens Eriksen in 2004.

The company's core technology is a proprietary 3D online cap configurator that lets students visualize and customize caps in real time (cockades, embroidery, name bands, visor materials, linings) before ordering; the flagship ID-Huen model advertises over 100,000 design combinations. Products are made-to-order with no bulk inventory, manufactured primarily at the company's own sewing facility in Kaunas, Lithuania (established 2006) and, for Finnish caps, a long-term partner factory in Poland. The offering is backed by a 50-year product guarantee and reported a 0% lost-in-transit error rate in Finnish operations during 2023–2024.

Revenue is transaction-based and one-time at point of sale, with a roughly 5-week production lead time. Go-to-market combines a multilingual (Danish, Swedish, Finnish, English) e-commerce platform with school-based group ordering (skoleordre), including in-person measurement visits, plus retail/showroom touchpoints in Copenhagen, Kolding, and Helsinki. Pricing spans entry models (Danish base cap from 1,699 DKK; Swedish Jubilee from 1,299 SEK) to premium Gala models, tiered Gold/Silver/Bronze packages, Blå Bog yearbooks from 99 DKK, and Finnish ABI apparel (24–47 EUR). Marketing leans on the configurator as a product-led hook, organic social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), and student-union partnerships such as Suomen Lukiolaisten Liitto.

Name

CL Seifert

Legal name

C.L. Seifert A/S

Website

https://clseifert.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

C.L. Seifert is a 1865-founded, Copenhagen-based maker of custom graduation caps, study-trip apparel, yearbooks, and ceremonial headwear, selling direct-to-consumer via a multilingual e-commerce platform and school group orders to upper-secondary students across Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graduation Caps / Ceremonial Headwear

NAICS

Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (except Contractors) (315250), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Headwear Manufacturing (Hats/Caps/Beanies) (IMAOAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Team & Promotional Apparel Cut & Sew (Screenprint/Embroidery-Ready) (IMAOAEAK), Workwear, Uniforms & Safety Apparel Cut & Sew (IMAOAEAC)

Keywords

• Custom graduation caps
• Ceremonial headwear
• Student apparel
• Class yearbooks
• Military uniform headwear

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Graduation Cap Sales (Primary): Custom-made graduation caps sold directly to students, either as individual orders via e-commerce or as school group orders. The ID-hue is the most sold model with over 100,000 design combinations. Revenue is one-time at point of sale with a 5-week lead time.
2. Accessories: Supplementary products including champagne glasses, insurance, bucket pins, make-up protection, extra cockades, guestbooks, size adjustment kits, pens, mini-horns, whistles, flags, and tush markers sold alongside caps.
3. Study Trip Clothing: Custom-printed clothing for school study trips, ordered through a separate web shop section, sold per-item with personalization.
4. Class Yearbooks (Blå Bog): Custom class yearbooks assembled through C.L. Seifert's proprietary Blå Bog system. Prices start from 99 kr, with a flat rate regardless of page count and three different editions.
5. ABI Clothing (Finland): Custom school branded apparel (hoodies, sweatshirts, pants, T-shirts, gym bags) for Finnish upper secondary students, ordered via dedicated school webshop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

C.L. Seifert manufactures and sells custom-made graduation caps (studenterhue/studentmössa/ylioppilaslakki) directly to Nordic upper-secondary and university-of-applied-sciences students through a multilingual e-commerce site and school-coordinated group orders. The company also offers complementary ceremonial products including ABI clothing, study-trip jerseys, class yearbooks (Blå Bog), ceremonial headwear for royal, military, and police clients, and accessories (champagne glasses, cockades, embroidery services, guestbooks). Production is on-demand with a 5-week lead time and supported by an in-house sewing facility in Lithuania and a partner factory in Poland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ID-Huen (ID Cap)

Quantifiable outcome

• 0% error rate for caps lost in transport (Finnish operations, 2023–2024 school year)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• AJAT GroupcoreOthersC.L. Seifert is a part of AJAT Group, a parent company structure. AJAT Group's Danish companies share customer data within the group for marketing purposes. Anders Eriksen and Jens Eriksen, two cousins, acquired C.L. Seifert in 2004 and own the group.
• Suomen Lukiolaisten Liitto (Finnish Student Union)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerC.L. Seifert is the only ABI clothing and graduation cap manufacturer recommended by the Finnish Student Union (Suomen Lukiolaisten Liitto). Partnership active since early 2016, providing mutual feedback and student benefits.
• Frank (Student Benefits App)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFrank is a Finnish student benefits platform. SLL members receive a 15% discount code for graduation caps through the Frank App. C.L. Seifert's collaboration with Frank provides exclusive discounts to student union members.
• AGT (Abi Goes Tallinn)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAGT organizes the largest hotel party events in Europe for Finnish upper secondary students in Tallinn. C.L. Seifert partners with AGT to provide smooth graduation-related services and exclusive offers for Finnish students.
• PostNordminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLogistics partner for individual deliveries in Finland. PostNord handles last-mile delivery to pickup points and manages delivery notifications. Group order deliveries in Finland handled via Bring.
• Bring (Posti/Bring)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLogistics partner for school group deliveries in Finland. Bring's domestic terminal handles scanning and sorting for school deliveries. Also used for Swedish market deliveries.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• New Era Cap: Global cap manufacturer with custom headwear programs and licensed brand customization; comparable as a much larger headwear incumbent with design/configurator-style ordering for institutional buyers.
• Locker Room: Danish multi-brand retailer covering sports, school and lifestyle apparel; comparable as a Nordic omnichannel apparel/sports retailer that competes for share of the secondary-school student wardrobe.
• Hummel International: Established Danish sportswear and teamwear brand with cut-and-sew production of uniforms across sports and schools in Scandinavia; comparable as a larger, broader-portfolio incumbent overlapping on custom team/school apparel.
• Craft Sportswear: Swedish-based sportswear and teamwear brand producing cut-and-sew apparel for schools, clubs and federations across the Nordics; comparable as a regional apparel incumbent operating in C.L. Seifert's home market with custom teamwear.
• FLEXFIT: Global headwear and cap manufacturer with proprietary cap technology (Flexfit stretch band) and broad licensing; comparable as a sizable headwear incumbent with custom headwear programs where C.L. Seifert's Nordic cap business sits.
• Kappa (BasicNet): European heritage sportswear/teamwear brand with custom kits for schools and clubs across Europe; comparable as a broader incumbent producing custom school and club apparel in C.L. Seifert's territory.

Direct peers

• ID Identity (Skole ID / Tøj med Logo): Danish school and corporate branded apparel maker focused on personalized embroidery and screen-printed uniforms for educational institutions; directly comparable as a Nordics-based custom apparel producer for the student-uniform category.
• Newline A/S: Danish-based teamwear, corporate wear and school-apparel manufacturer with custom embroidery and branding capabilities; comparable as a Scandinavian custom-cut-and-sew apparel producer serving schools and institutions.
• Beta Tekstil: Danish uniform and corporate-wear manufacturer producing cut-and-sew apparel for Danish institutions; highly comparable as another domestic apparel house competing for institutional and uniform contracts in the same geography.

Regional players

• Tøjeksperten: Danish clothing retailer with back-to-school uniform/schoolwear assortment; comparable as a Nordic-channel retailer touching the same student customer for back-to-school and uniform purchases adjacent to C.L. Seifert's graduation products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_0qTSoNdJC4q8K40wRFgHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/clseifert.dk
• Instagraminstagram.com/clseifert_dk
• Xx.com/studenterhue

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 CL Seifert