ABAU DESIGN

What ABAU DESIGN does

ABAU DESIGN is a Finnish designer and manufacturer of custom outdoor furniture for public spaces, headquartered in Espoo with six employees. The company serves municipalities, landscape architects, urban planners, and developers, offering made-to-order benches, pergolas, swings, nature stations, and modular urban infrastructure across twelve product collections — AITTA, LOVIISA, STOORI, AUKIO, NAANTALI, TÖÖLÖ, IISALMI, LYYRA, ASEMA, KAVERIT, KEINUT, and VIHERKALUSTEET. The offering is anchored in Finnish design heritage and certified under both the Design from Finland and Avainlippu (Key Flag) marks, with products manufactured domestically and unit prices spanning roughly €49 for accessories to €7,900 for larger installations.

The business operates on a project-based, custom-manufacturing model in which each piece or collection is specified to a particular site rather than stocked as a standard SKU. ABAU was founded in 2017 as a design studio and reorganized as the independent Abau Design Oy in 2022, with CEO Ilkka Kankare leading an in-house design team. To date the firm has shipped to at least 15 Finnish municipalities, including Helsinki, Espoo, Kerava, Imatra, Loviisa, and Salo, alongside educational institutions and developer clients; it has also entered a collaboration with Forum Virium Helsinki on urban-innovation initiatives and co-developed the KAVERIT children's furniture line with NOMAJI.

Revenue mechanics are tied entirely to project procurement cycles, with no subscription, licensing, platform, or recurring component disclosed. No external funding rounds have been reported, and growth has been funded organically alongside modest catalog expansion. The competitive position rests on certified domestic design provenance, a tightly integrated founder-led creative team, and incremental wins across the Finnish municipal landscape rather than on scale economics, software, or network effects.

Name

ABAU DESIGN

Legal name

Abau Design Oy

Website

https://abau-design.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ABAU DESIGN is a Finnish custom outdoor furniture maker serving municipalities, landscape architects, and urban planners. Headquartered in Espoo with six employees, it offers twelve product collections of made-to-order urban furniture certified under the Design from Finland and Avainlippu marks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor and Public-Space Furniture

NAICS

Institutional Furniture Manufacturing (337127), Household and Institutional Furniture Manufacturing (33712), Household and Institutional Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing (3371)

SIC

Public Bldg & Related Furniture (2531), Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590), Partitions, Shelvg, Lockers, & Office & Store Fixtures (2540)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Kitchens & Built-In BBQ Islands (HSAIACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Custom Built-Ins (Shelving, Entertainment Centers, Mudrooms) (HSAPAIAH), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Outdoor Railing, Guardrail & Balustrade Installation/Repair (HSAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Outdoor furniture design
• Custom public furniture
• Urban environmental fixtures
• Modular park benches
• Street furniture manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Espoo

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Outdoor Furniture Sales: ABAU Design manufactures and sells custom-made outdoor furniture and environmental fixtures to order. Products are produced in Finland and supplied as bespoke project solutions for public and private spaces. Revenue is generated through direct project-based sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ABAU Design designs and manufactures custom-made outdoor furniture and environmental fixtures in Finland. The company offers 12 named product collections (AITTA, LOVIISA, STOORI, AUKIO, NAANTALI, TÖÖLÖ, LYYRA, IISALMI, ASEMA, KEINUT, KAVERIT) plus garden and urban greening products such as planters, tree protectors, bike shelters, and pergolas. Products are made to order using hardwoods, galvanized and corten steel, UHPC concrete, granite, and composites for use in public spaces, parks, schools, and waterfronts.

Product overview

ABAU DESIGN is a Finnish outdoor furniture company offering a portfolio of 12 named product collections plus sub-products. The core offerings include AITTA (solid timber log furniture), LOVIISA (timeless waterfront collection), STOORI (modular benches), TÖÖLÖ (customizable benches and chairs), IISALMI (functional style), NAANTALI (steel and wood), LYYRA (urban steel), AUKIO (urban concrete), ASEMA (natural stone), KEINUT (swings), and KAVERIT (garden collection with NOMAJI). Supporting sub-products include VIHERKALUSTEET (planters, tree guards), Nature Station planting containers, Parasol Pergolas, and PUKKILA Garden Swings. All products are manufactured in Finland, made-to-measure, and designed for public spaces, parks, streets, schools, beaches, and urban environments with a focus on durability, sustainability, and design inspired by Vitruvian principles of beauty, utility, and durability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AITTA Collection Outdoor furniture collection of solid timber log benches and chairs, made from new timber or recycled logs from decommissioned structures, designed for landscape locations with a natural aesthetic that patinas over time.
• LOVIISA Collection Timeless and graceful outdoor furniture collection for natural waterfront settings and modern residential areas, featuring curved lines, modular planters, park benches, sun loungers, and a floating dock. Showcased at the Loviisa housing fair.
• STOORI Modular Bench System Modular bench system composed of modules that can be combined and modified to fit any space, shape, and proportions, with installations up to 21 meters long for public squares and city centers.
• AUKIO Collection Urban outdoor furniture collection combining design clarity and flexibility using fiber-reinforced UHPC concrete structures that adapt to modern urban environments.
• NAANTALI Collection Housing-fair outdoor furniture collection featuring clear-lined steel frames and strong wood parts that gray naturally over time.
• TÖÖLÖ Collection Extensive range of benches, chairs, and wall benches with vertically oriented subtly tilted wood elements, offering distinctive design with extensive customization and accessibility variants.
• LYYRA Collection Timeless, airy steel outdoor furniture collection designed for urban environments, combining elegant appearance with durable, low-maintenance construction.
• IISALMI Collection Functional-style outdoor furniture collection inspired by classic park benches, available in numerous color combinations with accessible design variants.
• ASEMA Collection Sturdy outdoor bench collection featuring natural stone cuts, fitting into various urban and landscape environments.
• KEINUT Garden Swings Garden swing collection designed for soft, soothing movement with a controlled motion-limiting mechanism, available in single, double, and triple-seat configurations.
• KAVERIT Collection Leisurely garden furniture collection co-developed with NOMAJI design office, focused on sustainability and natural closeness, including wooden pergolas, waste bins, garden composters, and growing/planting boxes.
• Nature Station (Luontoasema) Planting Container Movable planting container made from hot-dip galvanized steel and larch wood (€1,500 per unit) designed for urban greening projects, with optional mesh, grating, or perforated steel walls and forklift-movable base.
• Parasol Pergola Modular steel and wood shade structure with vertical laths for climbing plants and a triangular geometric roof (from €4,200 for 3m diameter, €4,900 for 4m diameter), scalable and connectable for larger spaces.
• PUKKILA Garden Swing Three-seat garden swing (from €7,900) with motion-limiting mechanism for soft calming movement, made from hot-dip galvanized steel (in RAL color) and untreated larch, with optional integrated lighting.
• VIHERKALUSTEET (Green Furniture) - Planters, Tree Protectors, Bike Shelters, Edging Garden products sub-category including HIPPIÄINEN planting boxes (from €790), IISALMI planters (€690), PYYNIKKI planters (from €500), PORVOO steel planters (€700), large movable planters (€2,000), bike shelters (€5,000), root and trunk protectors (€1,900), and planting-area edge plates (€49).

Quantifiable outcome

• Products installed across Finland in 15+ municipalities including Helsinki, Salo, Imatra, Kerava, Tuusula, Turku, Pirkkala, Espoo, Hämeenlinnia, and Loviisa

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NOMAJI (Suunnittelutoimisto NOMAJI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the KAVERIT garden furniture collection with NOMAJI landscape architecture firm. The collection focuses on sustainability and nature proximity, designed to bring people closer to nature through practical, durable, and natural outdoor elements. Products include wooden pergolas, HARAKKA waste bins, VARIS garden composters, and HIPPIÄINEN growing/planting boxes.
• Forum Virium HelsinkiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Pilot Green project in Suvilahti, Helsinki. ABAU Design supplied Nature Station planting containers (kuumasinkitty teräs) for the project which tests how soil and microbiomes can be preserved on construction sites, integrating ecosystems into urban design.
• Finnish Contractors and ManufacturerscoreOthersABAU Design operates with a broad, reliable partner network of Finnish contractors and manufacturers, enabling diverse material combinations and production flexibility across different project needs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Escofet: Escofet is a Spanish manufacturer specializing in concrete urban furniture (benches, planters, bollards), well-known for sculptural concrete street pieces. Direct peer: shares ABAU's UHPC/concrete outdoor furniture angle and serves similar municipal/landscape-architect clients.
• Vestre: Vestre is a Norwegian outdoor/street furniture manufacturer offering benches, chairs, and urban fixtures with strong sustainability credentials and design-led positioning. Direct peer: both target public-space and developer buyers across the Nordics with custom and modular outdoor furniture in steel and wood.
• Maglin: Maglin is a North American manufacturer of site furniture (benches, planters, litter/recycling, bollards) for commercial, municipal, and educational markets. Direct peer: same categories, same specifier-driven sales model, same institutional buyer base.
• Santa & Cole: Santa & Cole is a Spanish designer/editor of urban furniture and public-space lighting, partnering with named designers. Direct peer: design-led outdoor benches, chairs, and planters sold into municipal and developer projects across Europe.
• Metalco: Metalco is an Italian street-furniture maker producing benches, planters, bike racks, and shelters in metal and concrete for public spaces. Direct peer: similar product mix (benches, planters, shelters), same urban-furniture buyers in municipalities and developers.
• Lappset: Lappset is a Finnish manufacturer of playground, outdoor fitness, and park equipment with public-sector customers across the Nordics. Direct peer: Finnish origin, serves municipalities and schools with durable outdoor site furnishings, overlapping with ABAU's school and municipal customers.
• Nola Industrier: Nola is a Swedish designer and producer of outdoor furniture and street equipment, including park benches, planters, and bicycle parking. Direct peer: Nordic geography, same municipal/landscape-architect buyer base, same product categories.
• mmcité: mmcité is a Czech designer and manufacturer of street furniture (benches, bins, bollards, planters) sold across Europe to municipalities and architects. Direct peer: same product categories, same project-based public procurement channel, similar material/metalwork capabilities.

Regional players

• TUUCI: TUUCI is a US-based manufacturer of shade structures and outdoor furniture, including commercial-grade pergolas. Regional peer: operates outside Finland in commercial shade structures — relevant to ABAU's Parasol Pergola product line in terms of design and material approach, but serves different geography.

Broad incumbents

• Landscape Forms: Landscape Forms is a US-based, design-led manufacturer of outdoor furniture, lighting, and structures for public spaces, commercial, and higher-education customers. Broad incumbent: well-established player with deeper product breadth, broader North American reach, and stronger specifier relationships than ABAU.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abau-design-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/abau_design

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 ABAU DESIGN