Animo
Animo is an Italian equestrian apparel manufacturer founded in 2000 by Marco Nardini, selling proprietary technical riding apparel, bespoke custom show jackets, and horse equipment directly to equestrian athletes in 32+ countries and through a small authorized retailer network in Italy, Spain, the UK, and the USA.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersCasola, Italy
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Animo does
Animo is an Italian equestrian apparel manufacturer founded in 2000 by Marco Nardini and headquartered in Cassola, Italy, operating as Animo S.r.l., a privately held Italian limited liability company with €1,000,000 in fully paid share capital. The company designs, produces, and sells technical riding apparel (competition jackets, breeches), bespoke custom show jackets, and horse equipment (saddle pads, fly veils, rugs), serving professional and amateur equestrian athletes across dressage, show jumping, and other disciplines. Its product platform rests on proprietary textile technologies — EVO fabric, silicone grip technology, Rete Star fabric (75% polyamide / 25% elastane), and Bi-Stretch fabric — with 100% of manufacturing in Italy and explicit Italian craftsmanship positioning.
The business runs a dual-channel distribution model: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through animoitalia.com shipping to 32+ countries (free European shipping above €300, €85 flat rate to Australia, South Korea, UAE, Egypt, Japan), and a small authorized retailer network comprising Dapper Horse (USA), Redpost Equestrian (UK), and Hypodosa (Spain, opened October 2024), alongside a flagship factory outlet at the Cassola HQ. Revenue is generated through one-time product purchases across a range of price points — from core technical apparel to premium bespoke tailoring — with shipping fees as a secondary transaction-based revenue stream. The company is founder-led, with no disclosed external investment, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity in the available data. International visibility is supported by an athlete endorsement program featuring professional riders such as Piergiorgio Bucci, Harry Allen, and Yuri Mansur, whose competition wins (CSI5*-W Madrid, CSI4* Poznań, CSI5*-W Leipzig in late 2024 and early 2025) are used as brand proof points.
Animo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Animo
- Legal name
- Animo S.r.l.
- Website
- https://animoitalia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Animo is an Italian equestrian apparel manufacturer founded in 2000 by Marco Nardini, selling proprietary technical riding apparel, bespoke custom show jackets, and horse equipment directly to equestrian athletes in 32+ countries and through a small authorized retailer network in Italy, Spain, the UK, and the USA.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Animo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Equestrian Apparel
- NAICS
- Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)
- SIC
- Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Riding Jackets, Pants & Suits Retail (Leather/Textile) (CRAMANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Equestrian Teams & Stables (Racing/Show Jumping/Eventing) (MPAKABAG)
Keywords
Where Animo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Casola
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Animo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Equestrian Apparel Sales: Primary revenue from direct sales of technical riding apparel, custom show jackets, and horse equipment through e-commerce and retail partners. One-time product purchases with varying price points based on product type and customization.
- Custom/Bespoke Jackets: Revenue from bespoke, tailored riding jackets with customization options including collars, piping, and embellishments. Premium pricing for personalized products.
- Shipping and Delivery Services: Shipping fees charged based on destination country. Free shipping for orders over €300 to most European destinations. International shipping to countries outside EU with customs documentation services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | In-store pickup at Animo Factory Outlet |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Italy Express Delivery |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | European Union Delivery |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Switzerland Delivery |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Australia, South Korea, UAE, Egypt, Japan Delivery |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Animo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Animo designs, manufactures, and sells high-performance equestrian apparel and horse equipment from its base in Cassola, Italy. Its core offerings include technical riding apparel (competition jackets, breeches, riding clothing) built with proprietary fabrics such as EVO and silicone grip technology, bespoke custom show jackets with personalized collars and embellishments, and anatomically designed horse accessories (saddle pads, fly veils, rugs). Products are sold direct-to-consumer globally via animoitalia.com and through a network of authorized retailers.
Product overview
Animo offers a unified product portfolio centered on equestrian apparel and equipment. The core offerings consist of Technical Apparel (competition jackets, breeches, riding clothing with EVO fabric and silicone grip technology), Custom Show Jackets (bespoke tailored options with customizable collars and embellishments), and Horse Equipment (saddle pads, fly veils, rugs). The company also provides a Personalized Fit service for bespoke fittings. These products are unified under the Animo brand, with the CORE Collection representing the main retail product line available through authorized retailers worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Technical Apparel
Companies that use Animo
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Animo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Animo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- HypodosaminorTack shop located in San Miguel de Salinas, Spain, authorized to stock and sell Animo's CORE collection. Opened as an Animo retailer in October 2024, expanding Animo's retail presence in the Spanish market.
- Dapper HorseminorAuthorized Animo Italia retailer operating in the USA with retail hours Monday-Friday 9AM-4PM and Saturday 10AM-4PM, providing physical retail access for American customers.
- Redpost EquestrianminorUK-based equestrian retailer located in Devon, England. Authorized to stock and sell Animo riding apparel and horse tack including competition jackets, breeches, and saddlecloths.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Animo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LeMieux: UK-based equestrian brand known for saddle pads, horse equipment, and increasingly apparel; overlaps with Animo's horse equipment line (saddle pads, fly veils) and competes in premium equestrian accessories.
- Samshield: French premium equestrian brand best known for helmets and riding apparel, competing with Animo in the high-end show-jumping apparel and accessories segment with similar athlete-driven marketing.
- Harcour: French equestrian apparel brand offering competition jackets, breeches, and accessories with strong European distribution and rider-sponsor marketing, directly comparable to Animo's product mix.
- Equiline: Italian-origin technical equestrian apparel brand offering competition and training wear, closely comparable to Animo in product range, customer profile, and premium European positioning.
- Cavalleria Toscana: Italian premium equestrian apparel brand offering competition jackets, breeches, and shirts with strong Made-in-Italy positioning and global DTC distribution — a direct head-to-head competitor to Animo in the same product categories and price tier.
- Pikeur: German equestrian apparel manufacturer (part of the Pikeur/Equiline/Cavallo group) producing competition jackets, breeches, and functional riding wear, competing with Animo across European show-jumping and dressage customer segments.
- Cavallo GmbH: German manufacturer of riding boots and equestrian apparel with international distribution; directly comparable to Animo in technical riding apparel and European show-jumping customer base.
- Kingsland: Norwegian equestrian apparel brand offering competition and training wear with growing global presence; directly comparable to Animo in core technical apparel categories and international DTC strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Ariat: Large US-based equestrian and western footwear/apparel brand with broad global retail distribution; overlaps with Animo in technical riding apparel and breeches but at larger scale and broader lifestyle positioning.
Emerging players
- Horseware Ireland: Irish equestrian brand dominant in horse rugs and turnout blankets with a growing apparel line; comparable to Animo as an established equestrian brand expanding into rider apparel with proprietary technical products.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Animo social profiles
Digital presenceAnimo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Animo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Animo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Animo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Animo
What does Animo do?
Animo designs, manufactures, and sells high-performance equestrian apparel and horse equipment from its base in Cassola, Italy. Its core offerings include technical riding apparel (competition jackets, breeches, riding clothing) built with proprietary fabrics such as EVO and silicone grip technology, bespoke custom show jackets with personalized collars and embellishments, and anatomically designed horse accessories (saddle pads, fly veils, rugs). Products are sold direct-to-consumer globally via animoitalia.com and through a network of authorized retailers.
Is Animo a public or private company?
Animo is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Animo founded?
Animo was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Animo based?
Animo is headquartered in Casola, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Animo make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Equestrian Apparel Sales are the primary driver. The others are custom/Bespoke Jackets and shipping and Delivery Services.
Who are Animo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LeMieux, Samshield, Harcour, Equiline, Cavalleria Toscana, Pikeur, Cavallo GmbH and Kingsland. Ariat is listed as a broad incumbent. Horseware Ireland is listed as an emerging player.
Does Animo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Animo.
What industry is Animo in?
Animo's product category is Equestrian Apparel. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMANAF, Riding Jackets, Pants & Suits Retail (Leather/Textile), with a secondary code of MPAKABAG, Equestrian Teams & Stables (Racing/Show Jumping/Eventing). Its NAICS code is 3159 and its SIC code is 3949.